Great Oakley Brewery was founded in 2005 by partners Phil and Mike, in the village that bears its name. Phil had been a very experienced home brewer and a long serving CAMRA chairman; Mike had a background in business and had space on his property. It seemed like the perfect combination.
They got off to a great start and almost immediately had to hire Guy, to help man the tanks. By 2012 they had got too big for the Great Oakley site and moved to their current location, Ark Farm near Northampton. But it was the years that followed where Great Oakley really started racking up the awards, with more than 40 awards across 12 beers by 2016. Plus the new site enabled them to hone their production processes.
Fast forward to the present day, and the business is run Guy and his wife Rachel. They describe the operation as a craft brewery. But this doesn’t mean a range of NEPAs and hoppy IPAs. Actually, they proudly brew cask and bottle conditioned ales in the great tradition of British brewing. Their range includes Wot’s Occurring session bitter; Tailshaker extra special bitter; Gobble golden ale and Abbey stout.
You’ll see these names cropping up in pubs locally in Northamptonshire, or as guest beers nationwide. But if you can’t wait, you can simply order a case directly from the brewery!
For more of our Northamptonshire recommendations, click here.
