From Sussex With Love: The Independent Breweries Behind Brighton’s Best Taproom Pours

There’s something wonderfully local about drinking a beer that hasn’t travelled halfway around the world to reach your glass.

Perhaps it was brewed a few miles away in Brighton. Perhaps it came from a small Sussex brewery tucked into the countryside beyond Lewes. Either way, its journey feels close to home: from independent brewer, to local bar, to your table on Ditchling Road in Fiveways.

At Lost and Found, we’re proud to be a craft beer taproom, not a brewery. Our role is to seek out exceptional independent beer, bring it into our community, and give you a friendly place to discover it.

No corporate-owned “craft” brands dressed up in colourful cans. No endless parade of the same familiar labels. Just carefully chosen pours, passionate brewers and a rotating tap list that gives each beer its moment.

FROM SUSSEX. WITH CHARACTER.

Why independent Sussex beer matters

Independent brewing is about more than making an interesting pint.

It’s about people choosing to take a different path. It’s about brewers who experiment because they’re curious, not because a marketing department has identified a gap in the market. It’s about small teams making decisions with care, often in the same communities where their beer is enjoyed.

When you choose an independent Sussex brewery, you’re supporting a local network of growers, suppliers, delivery drivers, designers, hospitality teams and venues. You’re helping keep skills, wages and creative energy within the region.

That matters.

The beer in your glass becomes part of a much bigger story: one of local enterprise, genuine independence and people making something they believe in.

We’re the counter-culture to big-label beer. We believe character is worth protecting, and that the best beer doesn’t need a huge advertising budget behind it. It needs good ingredients, thoughtful brewing and someone willing to pour it properly.

The local names we love to share

Our taps rotate, so there isn’t a permanent list of breweries you’ll find every time you visit. That’s the joy of a taproom: the board changes, new deliveries arrive and the next pour might take you somewhere unexpected.

But our local-first approach has brought beers from some brilliant independent Sussex and Brighton brewers to the community, including names such as Beak, Burning Sky, Abyss and Only With Love. We also keep an eye on the wider independent scene, including small Brighton brewers whose beers bring plenty of colour and curiosity to the local conversation.

Here are a few of the stories behind the names that make Sussex beer so special.

Beak: bold, modern and unmistakably Lewes

Based in Lewes, Beak Brewery has become one of the most recognisable names in contemporary Sussex beer.

Their beers are often expressive and hop-forward, with aromas that leap from the glass and flavours that invite you to slow down and pay attention. Think bright fruit, soft bitterness, juicy texture and a willingness to let ingredients speak for themselves.

Beak is a perfect example of what makes independent brewing exciting. Their beers can be familiar enough for a curious first-timer to enjoy, but detailed enough to keep a seasoned craft beer fan thinking about the next sip.

That balance is important to us. Craft beer shouldn’t feel like an exam. You don’t need to know every hop variety or brewing technique before you order. You simply need to be open to trying something new.

Burning Sky: a deep Sussex sense of place

From Firle, near Lewes, Burning Sky brings a strong sense of place to the Sussex beer landscape.

Their brewing has long been associated with farmhouse-inspired character, thoughtful fermentation and beers that reward patience. Alongside more familiar modern styles, their range can offer something gently rustic, refreshing and beautifully considered.

There’s a quiet confidence to beers like these. They don’t need to shout. They allow time, ingredients and technique to do the talking.

That’s one reason we love including local beers in a rotating selection. A hazy pale might be all tropical brightness and soft texture. Another pour might be crisp, dry and subtly earthy. Both can be brilliant. Both tell you something different about the people who made them.

Abyss: small-batch energy from East Sussex

Abyss Brewing has roots in Lewes and a reputation for creative, modern beer.

Small independent brewers can move with real freedom. They can brew a limited release, collaborate with another local business or explore a new idea without needing to produce millions of identical units. That freedom often results in beers with personality.

Abyss fits beautifully into that spirit of discovery. Their beers can be playful, contemporary and full of flavour, making them ideal for visitors who want to explore the edges of what craft beer can be.

And if you find a beer that makes you pause and say, “That’s different,” then the tap has done its job.

Only With Love: beer with a wider purpose

Only With Love brings a distinctive approach to brewing, with a focus on positivity, inclusion and wellbeing as well as flavour.

That matters because beer is never only about the liquid. It’s also about the setting around it: who feels welcome, who gets to join the conversation and whether there’s space for different tastes and preferences.

A thoughtful taproom should have room for the full spectrum of beer drinkers. The person ordering their first pale ale. The regular who wants to compare two different IPAs. The wine lover looking for something locally curated. The friend who prefers a lower-alcohol option. Everyone deserves a good recommendation and a warm welcome.

That’s the kind of community we want to build at Lost and Found.

The tap list is a living Sussex beer map

A fixed drinks list can be useful. But a rotating tap list feels more like a conversation.

One week, you might discover something bright, hazy and fruit-forward. The next, there may be a crisp lager, a floral pale or a rich dark beer waiting for you. The selection changes with availability, seasonality and the exciting unpredictability of independent brewing.

Each tap has a story behind it.

There’s the story of the brewer choosing a particular hop. The story of a small team packing cans late into the evening. The story of a delivery making its way from a Sussex brewery to Fiveways. Then there’s your story: the moment you tried it, who you shared it with and whether you came back for another.

Want to know what’s pouring today? Ask us. We’ll talk you through the board without the beer jargon overload.

Prefer something juicy? We can help. Looking for something light and crisp? We have ideas. Not sure what you like yet? Excellent. That’s where the fun begins.

A community choice, not just a drinks choice

Supporting independent beer is also a choice about the kind of neighbourhood we want.

A local taproom can be a meeting point. It can be where neighbours bump into one another, where friends gather after work, where someone celebrates a birthday or where a visitor discovers a new favourite corner of Brighton.

Our Fiveways taproom sits on Ditchling Road, serving the local community with rotating craft beer, locally curated wine and a fridge stocked with independent beers to take away.

Outside catering and weekend street food vans add something tasty to the occasion, while our relaxed space gives you room to settle in. No grand ceremony required. Just come as you are, find a seat and see what catches your eye.

That’s the beauty of an independent Brighton venue. It can be knowledgeable without being intimidating, lively without being overwhelming and welcoming whether you’re here for one pint or an entire evening.

Discover your next local favourite

You don’t have to be a dedicated beer enthusiast to enjoy craft beer.

You might begin with something familiar. Then perhaps you try a pale ale. Then a hazy IPA. Then something sour, seasonal or completely outside your usual order. Before long, you’ll have a few styles you love and a growing list of beers you still want to explore.

There is always another pour.

There is always another brewer.

There is always another story waiting on the board.

If you’ve been searching for taproom brighton recommendations, a relaxed craft beer brighton experience or an independent sussex brewery taproom brighton destination, come and find us in Fiveways. And if you’re visiting the city and wondering about the best independent taproom near brighton station, we’re worth the short trip up to Ditchling Road for a local-first selection and a proper community welcome.

Like what you’ve tasted? Want to try some more?

Check our what’s on page, explore our craft beer guide, or get in touch to plan your next visit.

And if you’re looking for a Brighton party venue, our venue hire options can help you bring friends, family or colleagues together around great independent beer.

Come for the pint.

Stay for the stories.

Leave knowing that your choice has helped keep Sussex beer independent, adventurous and wonderfully close to home.