The Independent Family Brewers of Britain were brought together in 1993 to defend The Tie. The group now consists of 29 brewers who form the IFBB, and represent a distinct and unique sector of the UK brewing industry – the family owned brewery.
#MBCF17 has invited 17 of the IFBB’s members to bring their beers to the festival on a dedicated Independent Family Brewers Bar.
Click on column headings to sort.
Batemans | Dark Lord | SM | 4.4 | Wainfleet | A dark, mahogany beer with a rich, nutty flavour and spicy bittersweet finish. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batemans | Gold | GA | 3.9 | Wainfleet | Refreshing golden beer brewed with lager malt and Chinook & Cascade hops, giving citrus flavour and aroma |
| Batemans | XB | B | 3.7 | Wainfleet | Classic amber ale crafted by the fusion of English Golding and Challenger hops with Lincolnshire pale and chocolate malts, slowly matured to create a grainy quaffable beer |
| Batemans | XXXB | BB | 4.5 | Wainfleet | Classic English tawny pale ale, fruity with peppery aroma and fruity, biscuity flavour. |
| Bath Ales | Gem | SB | 4.1 | Bath | Chestnut brown with spicy hop, malt & toffee aromas and balanced bitter sweet flavour |
| Brains | Bread of Heaven | B | 4 | Cardiff | Traditional with distinctive reddish hue & rich hop aroma, finely balanced by a more-ish fruit finish |
| Brains | Café Phoenix | P | 4.4 | Cardiff | Rich, dark & smooth Porter with flavours of caramel, toffee and coffee. Single-hopped with UK Phoenix and accentuated with a coffee blend |
| Brains | The Rev James Gold | GA | 4.1 | Cardiff | Crisp, sweet golden ale with fresh fruit flavours balanced by an intriguing depth & light malty aroma. |
| Brains | The Rev James Original | BB | 4.5 | Cardiff | Rich & well-balanced with mellow malty flavour that gives way to a clean, refreshing finish |
| Fuller's | Bengal Lancer | IPA | 5 | Chiswick | Pale in colour, full-bodied with a distinctive hoppiness that marks it out as a true India Pale Ale. |
| Fuller's | ESB | SB | 5.5 | Chiswick | Wonderful rich mahogany . Cherry and orange, balanced by soft malty toffee and caramel notes. |
| Fuller's | London Porter | P | 5.4 | Chiswick | Rich, dark and complex, this beer has an outstanding depth of flavour. |
| Fuller's | Olivers Island | GA | 3.8 | Chiswick | Quenching, zesty ale brewed with orange peel. Hops & malt work together in glorious harmony |
| Harvey's | Armada Ale | BB | 4.5 | Lewes | Dry-hopped. A golden ale with a vibrant hop tone and a dry finish |
| Harvey's | Old Ale | O | 4.3 | Lewes | Rich and dark. Soft and full bodied, with hints of dried fruits and dates |
| Harvey's | Prince Of Denmark | S | 7.5 | Lewes | Complex beer with aromas of leather, chocolate & liquorice, with a lingering taste |
| Harvey's | Sussex Best Bitter | B | 4 | Lewes | A blend of four local hops creates a superbly balanced bitter |
| Holt | Bitter | B | 4 | Cheetham Hill | Copper-coloured beer with malt and hops in aroma and taste. Long-lasting bitterness to finish. |
| Holt | Bootleg Brewing Co Fools Gold | B | 3.9 | Cheetham Hill | A crisp pale ale with tropical fruit hops. |
| Holt | Bootleg Brewing Co Urban Fox | BB | 4.2 | Cheetham Hill | A red "rye PA" packed with citrus hops. An ideal session beer. |
| Holt | Two Hoots | GA | 4.2 | Cheetham Hill | A light, crisp and refreshing golden ale, with a hint of citrus and slightly sweet aftertaste. |
| Hydes | Lowry | GA | 4.7 | Weaste | Citra & Chinook hops produce a refreshing golden beer |
| Hydes | Mount Lubin | GA | 5 | Weaste | Golden Ale |
| Hydes | Old Indie | M | 3.5 | Weaste | Smooth ebony ale with subtle notes of roasted malt & caramel |
| Hydes | West Coast Wheat | W | 4 | Weaste | U.S. style dark wheat ale |
| Lees | Atomic | B | 3.8 | Middleton | Amber beer brewed with new british hop variaety. Fruity hoppy aroma & bitter smooth flavour |
| Lees | Bitter | B | 4 | Middleton | An all-malt brew setting the standard for Northern ales. Amber beer with malty and citrus fruit aftertaste. First brewed in 1828. |
| Lees | Harvest Ale | BW | 11.5 | Middleton | Limited edition vintage barley wine, made once & once only from the first hops of the year and the very finest British malt. Very rare in cask conditioned form |
| Lees | Manchester Star | O | 7.3 | Middleton | Chocolate, malty overtones & a warming finish from 100% British malt, chocolate malt & Goldings hops |
| Lees | Moonraker | BW | 6.5 | Middleton | Reddish-brown beer with strong, malty fruit aroma. Flavour is rich and sweet. Finish is fruity yet dry. |
| Lees | MPA | GA | 3.7 | Middleton | A golden ale made from all British malt, Liberty & Mount Hood hops |
| McMullens | AK | B | 3.7 | Hertford | Soft malty taste with a light fragrant aroma & clean finish. |
| McMullens | Country | BB | 4.3 | Hertford | Golden bitter with hints of citrus and spicy berries for a well balanced beer |
| McMullens | Imperial IPA | IPA | 5.6 | Hertford | Full bodied IPA with a delicate roast coffee, burnt caramel aroma and a full fruit balance |
| McMullens | Stronghart | O | 7 | Hertford | 36 month Barrel aged liquid Christmas pudding. Rich, dark & exceptionally smooth. Former CAMRA champion Barley Wine |
| Palmers | Best Bitter | BB | 4.2 | Bridport | A full-drinking, malty ale with a delicious hop character. |
| Palmers | Copper Ale | B | 3.7 | Bridport | Balanced, copper-coloured session ale, good citrus fruit with a hoppy aroma |
| Palmers | Dorset Gold | GA | 4.5 | Bridport | A refreshing and thirst-quenching golden premium ale, with a palate that’s full and fruity and lightly hopped with Kent Goldings. |
| Palmers | Tally Ho | O | 5.5 | Bridport | Strong, nutty, full strength dark beer. Oaky and roasted flavour, with deep and distinctive taste. |
| Robinsons | Dizzy Blonde | B | 3.8 | Stockport | Refreshing with a clean zesty hop dominated palate complemented by a crisp dry finish. |
| Robinsons | Dizzy Resolution! | O | 4.4 | Stockport | Aromas of roasted malt & fruity hop with dash of liquorice balanced by the addition of Demerara sugar. A warming full bodied pint |
| Robinsons | Old Tom | BW | 8.5 | Stockport | Legendary, full-bodied dark beer. Complex flavours includes dark chocolate, port, and dark fruits. |
| Robinsons | Trooper | SB | 4.8 | Stockport | Malt flavours and citric notes from a unique blend of Bobec, Goldings and Cascade hops dominate this deep golden ale with a subtle hint of lemon. |
| Shepherd Neame | Hog Island East Coast Pale Ale | SB | 4.8 | Faversham | itrus, pine and fruit aromas melded with light caramel notes & robust bitterness |
| Shepherd Neame | Spitfire | BB | 4.2 | Faversham | Dark amber with fruit & toffee on the nose and spicy hoppy bitterness |
| Shepherd Neame | Spitfire Gold | GA | 4.1 | Faversham | Balanced, light golden ale with citrus &pine aroma, sweet malt flavour and soft bitter finish |
| St Austell | Bombay Steamer East India Porter | P | 5.3 | St. Austell | Robust dark porter with strong bitterness imparted by English Goldings Hops inspired by the original East India Porters of the 1850s |
| St Austell | Proper Job | IPA | 4.5 | St. Austell | IPA packed full of citrus pineapple, grapefruit resinous flavours with a fine crisp bitter finish |
| St Austell | Tribute | BB | 4.2 | St. Austell | Light, hoppy, zesty orange & grapefruit flavours balanced with biscuit malt |
| Theakston | Atlantic Red | BB | 4.3 | Masham | Full bodied American Red brewed with Pilgrim hops to give a spicy honey cedarwood character |
| Theakston | Black Bull Bitter | B | 3.9 | Masham | Crisp, refreshingly dry taste with citrus fruit flavour and aroma |
| Theakston | Lightfoot | BB | 4.1 | Masham | A refreshing pale beer - dry and light with a pronounced floral hop aroma and a mellow, satisfying hoppy aftertaste. |
| Theakston | Old Peculier | O | 5.6 | Masham | One of the world’s great beers – smooth, strong and mellow |
| Thwaites | Craft Crusader | B | 3.9 | Blackburn | Whole leaf Crusader hops give a spicy floral bitterness, balanced with light biscuit malt flavours |
| Thwaites | MMXVII | IPA | 3.6 | Blackburn | Fruity IPA with tropical citrus & orange flavours from a combination of five hops |
| Thwaites | New Light | GA | 3.4 | Blackburn | Light blonde beer with citrus fruit flavours from the mixture of European & North American hops |
| Thwaites | Rum Porter | P | 6.2 | Blackburn | With oak & spice notes coming through, a slight chocolate & raisin finish and a good slug of rum! |
| Timothy Taylor | Boltmaker | B | 4 | Keighley | Tawny bitter combining hops, fruit and nutty malt. Lingering, increasingly bitter aftertaste. Formerly, sometimes still, sold as Best Bitter |
| Timothy Taylor | Golden Best | M | 3.5 | Keighley | Refreshing, amber-coloured traditional Pennine light mild. Malty throughout. Fruit in the nose increases to complement the delicate hoppy taste |
| Timothy Taylor | Landlord | BB | 4.3 | Keighley | Full bodied beer with complex hop aromas and flavour |
| Timothy Taylor | Ram Tam | O | 4.3 | Keighley | Black beer with red highlights. Roast coffee bitterness balanced by fruit & malt with burnt caramel coming through in the finish |
| Wadworth | 6X | BB | 4.1 | Devizes | Copper-coloured ale with a malty & fruity nose, some bitterness & a lingering malty bitter finish |
| Wadworth | Dirty Rucker | B | 3.9 | Devizes | Fruity on the palate and a malty sweetness leads to a peppery note for a smooth finish |
| Wadworth | Filthy Chucker | GA | 3.8 | Devizes | Tangy golden ale with two American hops to give a punchy, zingy citrus flavour |
| Wadworth | Swordfish | Sp | 5 | Devizes | Full-bodied, deep copper-coloured ale flavoured with Pussers Rum |
| Wells | Bombardier Burning Gold | GA | 4.1 | Bedford | Zesty aromas leading to a dry, crisp flavour with a hint of citrus on the palate & a smooth finish |
| Wells | Bombardier Pale Ale | B | 3.6 | Bedford | Aroma of peppery hops & raisins, palate of more dark fruit, juicy malt & tangy hops |
| Wells | McEwans IPA | IPA | 4 | Bedford | Full-bodied, hoppy ale with citrus fruit aroma & a dry refreshing finish |
| Wells | Youngs Winter Warmer | SB | 5 | Bedford | Rich ruby coloured beer with a complex fruity nose with hints of candy. Full bodied leading to a bittersweet, vinous finish. |
UK Bottled Conditioned Beers
Style Key:
| GA | Golden Ale |
| B | Bitter |
| BB | Best Bitter |
| SB | Strong Bitter |
| IPA | India Pale Ale |
| BIPA | Cascadian Dark Ale (Black IPA) |
| M | Mild |
| SM | Strong Mild |
| O | Old Ale |
| S | Stout |
| P | Porter |
| BW | Barley Wine |
| Sp | Speciality Beer |
| L | Real Lager |
| W | Wheat beer |
| Sa | Saison |
| So | Sour / bretted beer |