Supermarket chain Waitrose are running an in-store tasting event this week, pouring three market-leading indie beers in stores across the UK.

Customers will have the chance to get involved in the free beer tastings being held at 35 Waitrose stores this week (23rd-25th July), featuring independent breweries Tap Social, Burning Sky and Lost & Grounded.

The supermarket were the first in the UK to throw their weight behind the campaign which promotes beer from genuine independent breweries, with a new ‘Indie Beer’ section on Waitrose.com and this latest tasting event.

Neil Walker, Indie Beer campaign co-ordinator and beer sommelier, said: “The best beers in the UK are made by independent breweries and this exclusive tasting event in Waitrose is your chance to try three beers from brewers at the top of their game. These superb British beers really do offer something for everyone to enjoy”

“Lost & Grounded ‘Keller Pils’ is a World-class version of a traditional unfiltered German lager style, brewed with extra hops to make it more aromatic and dry than your standard lager. If pale ales are more your thing then try ‘Time Better Spent’ from Tap Social, a multi award-winning hazy IPA with big juicy fruit flavours of mango and passion fruit, or ‘Arise’ by Burning Sky, a bright and balanced beer with peach and pine aromas.” 

As well as the in-store tasting event, beers from independent breweries appear in an Indie Beer section of the Waitrose online store, reserved exclusively for beers from genuine independent breweries and excluding so called ‘craft beers’ produced or owned by Global beer companies. The retailer was the first to publicly back the Indie Beer campaign and the move to launch the Indie Beer section earlier this year coincided with the introduction of an expanded beer range from Waitrose including a focus on beer from local, independent breweries.

Launching the partnership, Jourdan Gabbini, Waitrose Beer and Cider Buyer, said: “I am delighted that we will be the first UK supermarket to officially support the ‘Indie Beer’ campaign. Our beer loving customers are always looking for new beers from innovative, high quality, and exciting independent breweries, and this signposting allows us to champion those producers who do it so well.

“I am proud to continually provide our customers with refreshing, modern options in our beers range at Waitrose while also supporting genuine British independent breweries such as Tap Social, Round Corner, The Kernel and Burning Sky.”

The tastings will take place in Waitrose stores in Abergavenny, Abingdon, Altrincham, Banbury, Bath, Beaconsfield, Beckenham, Berkhamsted, Bloomsbury, Burgess Hill, Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Canterbury, Chichester, Cirencester, Colchester, Egham, Great Malvern, Horley, Horsham, Hove, John Barnes, Kenilworth, Kingston, Maidenhead, Nailsea, Newark, Otley, Reading, Richmond, Salisbury, Sevenoaks, Southend, Stroud, and Welwyn Garden City.