Beak Brewery — Restaurant in Lewes

Here the weekend just gone. Like a lot of this type of taproom, Beak is built into a working brewery. This one sits on a trading estate about 10 minutes outside of the pretty town of Lewes. It has a decent sized outdoor area, tables and heating inside, some loos, a small bar and room for outside catering.

Compared to other taprooms I've been to (DEYA, Phantom, Verdant, Double Barrelled, Two Flints, Indie Rabble & LHG) I came away a bit dissappointed. For a start its tatty and doesn't look to have had any money spent on it. The bar is too small for the amount of tables, leading to long queues at times and the bar and toilets are pretty much on top of each other so you're never sure you're in the right queue. Its all a bit haphazard and, while I get its a working brewery, other people have done it better IMO.

The beer is top notch. I'm a big fan of Beak and generally love everything they do but even I found it got a bit samey after a few. Beak do the hazy thing as well as anyone but every beer looked the same no matter an IPA or a Pale and the menu when I was there lacked a bit of variety. Yes, they did have 1 Westcoast but that was a guest beer, not theirs, just the 1 DIPA and 2 loaded Stouts. The website says 15 taps but there weren't 15 beers for sure so I'm not sure where that number comes from? The fridges were also a bit lackluster. They did have wine and cider and there were some low alcohol options but, from what I could see, the Beak choices just replicated what I could get on draft barring 1 extra stout. I guess I hoped for a bit more choice as why would I buy a can when I can get draft the same night? Takeaway maybe? Anyway, prices were OK and service was fine but 2 guys behind a bar when there's 150 plus customers out front just isn't good enough. I wonder if they're a bit of a victim of their own success here? I also really object to plastic glasses indoors and ended up offering to buy a glass when told they didn't have any. Whether this was because it was busy and they didn't have enough glass collectors (the collection of empties and general rubbish was a bit slow) or they just wanted plastic outside, I really don't know but, personally, I was dissappointed by it.

Food was what you expect from taprooms - on trend and a bit pricey. This weekend was tacos - they were lovely but they'd run out of 2 of the 3 offers by 7.30 Saturday night and it was Jackfruit or nothing. With a bar open past 10pm this seemed a bit of a lost opportunity to me but it tasted great and arrived promptly so I've no real complaints.

Lastly, the music. Dance music from when I arrived to when I left. Non-stop. No DJ, no break, no variety and very loud. Yes, its Saturday night and I suppose I'm not the target customer, being a few years older than the average person there but I've never known a craft beer place to do their music like this and didn't really like it.

So, in all, I'm glad I went to Beak as I've drunk the beers for years and would consider myself a fan. I still am. Maybe it was the colder weather. Maybe it was Saturday night and they tone it down on other days or maybe it was just much busier than usual for some reason and they didn't have the staff but I ended up leaving the taproom a pint or two earlier than I thought I would and I wouldn't make the effort to go...

So disappointing tonight, a real shame. A regular customer having visited plenty of times over the last 3 years both for drink in, dine in and take out cans. The Caccia takeover today was a real let down. Incredibly overpriced and underwhelming food - a chunk of under filled bread, tasteless ice berg wedge salad, at least the chips were decent enough. £72 for 3 adults and a toddler. £12 Negronis, feels like a piss take given the setting and standard being served up. It really feels like the foundation of offering an inclusive, local, high quality product has been lost. A massive let down at the end buying takeaway cans with incredibly small range and low stock and told to buy elsewhere from local retailers. This is supposed to be a taproom, a front for a really good brand who have aimed to keep quality at the forefront. Can prices reflect that and the product rarely misses the mark. It’s not the first time the food offering has been poor, perhaps a proper review of suppliers, quality and prices is needed as it’s a...

Without a doubt the absolute highest bar at which craft beer should be judged, not just locally or nationally but globally. So good that not only had we driven three hours to visit but another couple had driven six!

The staff are friendly, knowledgeable, accommodating and downright brilliant in every way. Their support for, and collaboration with, other breweries and beer spots shows a genuine passion that goes beyond just being a simple brewery and taproom.

The seating areas are comfortable and communal enough to meet new people with some more private spots if you're there for a little peace and quiet. Even the merch is superfluous in quality!

The rotating food trucks are good value and always top notch, with vegan options aplenty.

If I could find one fault, I'd have to be an even more cynical person than I am, but it's honestly just not possible.

If you're thinking about heading to Lewes for a visit, stop thinking and get down there! Beak is a shining light marking the completion of one's craft...