Waltham Forest Council has announced that it has agreed to lease empty space on the Lockwood Way trading estate to East London Brewery Company, reports Marco Marcelline

The East London Brewing Company will open a Walthamstow taproom, Waltham Forest Council has announced.

The news comes after two breweries in the Blackhorse Beer Mile shut last month: Beerblefish Brewing Co. closed on 9th March, while Hackney Brewery shut the High Hill Tap on 30th March.

Hackney Brewery said its closure was due to the council’s refusal to agree to a settlement on Covid-related debt. These closures followed the council’s repossession of Wild Card Brewery’s Lockwood Way taproom for rent arrears in October 2024.

In a press release shared with the Echo, a council spokesperson said: “We are pleased to announce that [we have] agreed terms to lease premises on the Lockwood Way trading estate to the East London Brewing Company to open a new taproom, expanding the company’s operations.

“The Lockwood Way estate forms a key part of the Walthamstow Beer Mile, an area along Blackhorse Road that many breweries, restaurants, and creative outlets call home. First opened in 2022, the beer mile has quickly become an important and much-loved mainstay of local nightlife.”

The spokesperson added that details of the taproom’s opening date will be shared “as soon as possible”.

Waltham Forest deputy leader Ahsan Khan, said: “Agreeing a new lease with the East London Brewery Company shows that we are serious about supporting the beer mile and attracting reliable tenants to take units at the Lockwood Way estate.

“The money generated from commercial rents goes into the public purse to fund the essential services on which residents rely day in, day out. This is not our money – it is your money, which supports the most vulnerable members of our community.”

Councillor Khan continued: “We work hard to support local businesses and give them the support they need to succeed. We are in ongoing positive discussions with several other brewing companies and are investing heavily in the refurbishment of some of the units, supporting the interest we have generated in a number of units at Lockwood Way. We anticipate having more good news to share with fans of the beer mile in the near future.”

It is unclear which empty brewery space the East London Brewery Company will move into; the Leyton-based craft brewery declined to comment.

Having initially stated that only its taproom would shut, Hackney Brewery announced last week that it would close down the entire business. In a statement, the brewery said: “The situation with our landlord remains untenable. In light of the council’s statement last month, we want to clarify that while we continued to pay our rent we adhered to the arrangement payment plan, and can confirm that the premises were not being used for residential purposes.

“After waiting since September for a proposal, we finally received one last week. Unfortunately the terms offered are unworkable.”

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