Harvey's of Lewes is the oldest independent brewery in Sussex and is still in the Harvey family after eight generations. The history of brewing at Harveys dates back over 200 years and the impressive Victorian Gothic tower is a Lewes landmark which has been adapted over the past 150 years to house a modern brewing plant whilst still producing beer made in the traditional way.
Harvey's is still very much a local brewery – our hops come from Sussex, Kent and Surrey and the ‘Spent Hops’ find their way back to the land as fertiliser. Harveys ‘Spent Grains’ are fed to the dairy herd at nearby Plumpton Agricultural College.
Spring water for brewing is drawn via an artesian well 60 feet below our premises. This and our yeast strain, used for half a century, combine to produce a range of beers encompassing every style from Porter to Light Milds.
Our flagship Sussex Best Bitter evolved in the post-war period and is Harvey's most popular and recognisable ale. It has recently been voted Champion Best Bitter of Britain for two consecutive years.
At the 2014 British Bottlers' Institute, Harveys ales scooped 2 Golds and 3 Silvers in this highly regarded annual event. Our Imperial Extra Double Stout scooped its 15th award in 15 years at the 2014 World Beer Awards.
Harvey's have their Brewery shop in Lewes and their E-Commerce online shop. Here, you can find draught and bottled beers, our range of fine wines, rare spirits and Harvey's breweriana.