Pillars Brewery in Walthamstow approaches ten years as London's lager specialist

Walthamstow has become one of London's great beer neighbourhoods, and Pillars Brewery has been part of that story from the start. The brewery on the Ravenswood Industrial Estate sold its first beer in October 2016, which means November 2026 marks ten years of lager making in E17.

Pillars describes itself as London's first independent lager brewery and taproom. It was founded by brothers Eamonn, Samie and Omar Razaq with their friend Gavin Litton, who perfected the recipes over two years of homebrewed test batches in a shed in the brothers' parents' garden. The business was originally called Four Pillars, a name shortened just before the first beer launched.

The brewery occupies a former car body shop on Shernhall Street and has a decoction brewhouse and a water treatment plant, with an eye catching mural on its outer wall. Its core beers are brewed with only malt, hops and water, following the Bavarian purity law, fermented with Czech lager yeasts, properly lagered, and sold unfined, unfiltered and unpasteurised. Pillars says its beer is made by "a team of family and friends".

The range now includes pilsner, gluten free and vegan lagers, a small batch Festbier and an Icebock, and the brewery offers tastings and brewery tours.

Pillars has grown steadily alongside its neighbours. The original taproom was refurbished in beer hall style during the 2020 lockdowns, and in June 2019 the team opened the Untraditional Pub at Crate, the shipping container development near St James Street station. In April 2025 Pillars took on the neighbouring Unit 7 site and reopened it as the Malthaus, a bar and community space.

The brewery is part of the Ravenswood Collective, alongside God's Own Junkyard, Mother's Ruin Gin Palace and The Real Al Co, making the estate a popular weekend destination. Last year's ninth birthday was celebrated with a party across all three Pillars venues, with DJs, live entertainment, retro video games and a new Icebock release.

Pillars Brewery is at Unit 2, Ravenswood Industrial Estate, Shernhall Street, E17 9HQ, near Walthamstow Central. For taproom hours, tours and birthday plans, visit pillarsbrewery.com.