Northamptonshire has a food and drink story that deserves far more attention than it gets. The county that gave the Campaign for Real Ale its founding motivation (when Watney Mann stripped every traditional hand pump from the old Phipps estate in the late 1960s) has rebuilt its brewing scene from the ground up. Phipps NBC returned to Northampton in 2014 by restoring the 1884 Albion Brewery on Kingswell Street, reviving a brewing tradition that traces back to Pickering Phipps starting his first brewery in Towcester in 1801. The brewery now produces classic ales alongside Kingswell Gin, distilled with water drawn from a medieval well beneath the building.
The distillery scene has grown rapidly around it. Warner s at Falls Farm in Harrington has become one of the UK s most recognised gin brands, crafting field-to-bottle spirits from spring water and home-grown botanicals since 2012. Wharf Distillery in Towcester is the county s only grain-to-glass operation. Silverstone Distillery draws on the motorsport heritage of its famous neighbour. Saxby s Cider makes award-winning craft cider from their own orchard apples on the family farm in Farndish. Towcester Mill Brewery operates from a Grade II listed 18th century mill by the River Tove. Nene Valley Brewery at Oundle Wharf, Three Hills Brewing in Thrapston, Potbelly in Kettering, Great Oakley, and Gun Dog Ales round out a county brewing scene that would have made the founders of CAMRA proud.
Beyond drinks, the county is producing food of genuine distinction. Hamm Tun Fine Foods in Hannington makes the multi-award-winning Cobblers Nibble cheese entirely by hand from local herd milk. Dodds Manor Farm in Maidwell produces Skyr yogurt, butter, and cultured cream from free-ranging grass-fed cows alongside Belted Galloway beef. Sauls of Spratton has been providing meats of outstanding quality since 1926. Pastures Farm Poultry has been raising free-range birds near Yardley Hastings for over 40 years. Magee Street Bakery is producing wild yeast sourdough in the old shoe making back streets of Northampton. Bread and Circus operates from a 16th century building in Daventry. The Good Loaf combines artisan bread production with a social enterprise mission.
Independent food and drink producers near you, from a brewery founded in 1801 and field-to-bottle gin to artisan sourdough, family farms, and award-winning cheese. These producers are spread across a large county that bridges the East Midlands and the South East. Enter your postcode and we will show you every independent food and drink producer within 20 miles of your door.
