Welsh Brewery Update 2026
As the stockist of the largest range of Welsh beer anywhere, Beer Park keeps a close eye on moves in Welsh brewing. We maintain a list of operating Welsh breweries and each year we attempt to verify which are still operating and identify new entrants. Here is our update for 2026.
How Many Breweries Are There in Wales?
Over recent years, we’ve recorded nearly 160 commercial breweries. Many of these have come and gone in a flash. Some gained strong followings before the brewers stepped back rather than scaling up, while others were consolidated or sadly brought down by COVID and rising costs.
After on-line research and quite a few phone calls our best estimate is 90 active Welsh breweries. Of these we reckon 74 can or bottle their beer with the remaining delivering draught only for dispense at their own or third party venues.
Read down if you’d like to see the full list.
Is Welsh Brewing Growing or Shrinking?
In 2026 we a reported a net loss of three breweries. We’ve removed eight breweries from our list including Llangollen, Llanelli’s Tinworks, Heavy Industry, Facer’s Flintshire Brewery, ZeroDegrees, Myrddins from Barmouth, VOG and the longstanding Tomos & Lilford from the Vale of Glamorgan.
However, the future’s looking bright as we welcome five new breweries. Nash Point Brewing has launched in Barry at the old VOG site, Bragdy Torri Syched arrives in Tregaron, Cleddau Brewing in Pembrokeshire and two new North Wales breweries – McNallys and Bad Dragon. A couple of these breweries have already started canning so we’ll be picking top stock in Beer Park Llanelli when we can.
The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) have reported a loss of 137 breweries in the UK in the year to March 2026. This is about 8% of total breweries. Set against that Welsh brewing looks positive.
What’s the Highest-Rated Welsh Brewery?
There’s no definitive answer—but Untappd gives us a good snapshot. The app combines drinkers ratings of individual beers to generate an overall brewery score.
Keep in mind: the system favours certain styles. IPAs, stouts, and sours typically rate higher than bitters or lagers. Newer breweries with fewer reviews can also climb the rankings quickly.
Recent years have seen significant changes to the ranking with breweries rising and falling. Interestingly the last year has only seen one change. Dark Elements has just pipped Polly’s to take the crown long held by this phenomenal North Wales brewery. Dark Elements has put on 16,000 reviews in a short time but this still pales against the 856,000 reviews of Polly’s.
Here’s the current top 10 on Untappd:
| Rank | Brewery | Location | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dark Elements | Caerphilly | 3.94 | 16,000 |
| 1 | Polly’s Brew Co | Mold | 3.93 | 856,000 |
| 3 | Cold Shelter Brew Co | Caerphilly | 3.86 | 3,000 |
| 4 | Black Cloak Brewing | Colwyn Bay | 3.84 | 2,000 |
| 5 | Dog’s Window Brewery | Bridgend | 3.83 | 12,000 |
| 6 | Beer Riff | Swansea | 3.81 | 12,000 |
| 7 | Lucky 7 Beer Co | Hay-on-Wye | 3.77 | 4,000 |
| 8 | Anglo-Oregon Brew Co | Newport | 3.77 | 1,000 |
| 9 | Crafty Devil Brew Co | Cardiff | 3.77 | 40,000 |
| 10 | Wild Horse Brew Co | Llandudno | 3.75 | 42,000 |
The lack of movement this year maybe suggests consolidation as the numbers of reviews precludes large changes in the average rating. However, this may change. 2025’s top 10 ranking including breweries founded in 2024 so new entrants may still shake up this list. It should also be noted that eight of the top 10 specialise in canned hop-forward beers like pale ales and IPAs meaning that traditional brewers find it harder to break into these rankings.
Where Can I Find Welsh Beers?
Sadly, the huge variety of Welsh beers still isn’t reflected in most of our pubs or licensed venues, which are typically dominated by products from the six global beer giants.
But don’t worry—we’ve got you covered.
At Beer Park, we stock a rotating range of over 200 Welsh beers, all available to drink in, take away, or order online for UK-wide delivery. Click here to browse the range.
We also run regular Welsh beer tasting events, where you’ll sample seven styles and learn about the development of brewing across Wales. We can host a private tasting for you, or you can join one of our scheduled events—click here for our Events
For the adventurous, try our Welsh Challenge Subscription. Each month you’ll receive eight different beers, with no repeats, so you can continue discovering new breweries as the scene evolves. Click here to secure your subscription.
View the List
So click the button below for our update check list. And if you know of a brewery we’ve missed—or one that’s closed—please let us know. We love getting updates from fellow beer fans.
Here’s to the continued strength and innovation of Welsh brewing in 2026 and beyond.
Dave Timbrell-Hill. April 2026