Following on from Christine Cryne’s article ‘Is the beer industry unwelcoming?’ in the April/May issue of London Drinker, I would like to give readers a little more detail about the activities and ethos of Ignition Brewery.
Ignition began when director Nick O’Shea realised that 94% of people with a learning disability were unemployed and decided to do something about it. He founded Ignition, which employs and trains people with learning disabilities to brew beer and to serve that beer in the taproom. Ignition is a not-for-profit organisation which makes enough money to cover operating expenses and pay people with learning disabilities the London Living Wage.
Ignition employs a head brewer and a bar manager, who supervise and oversee the training of the team members who have learning disabilities. In some ways, the business model is the opposite of the norm; it’s not constantly looking to make its processes more efficient as the purpose is to provide as many opportunities as possible to those who might otherwise be unable to find a job. The more beer they produce, the more jobs they hope to be able to create. As Nick says, “the ethos is simple: our team have a lot to offer and, with the right support and care, they can make beer that competes on the open market. Our patrons buy our beer because it tastes great, as well as because of who brewed it.” The brewing kit is relatively small at just 2.5 brewers’ barrels. Brewing usually takes place once a week and all the bottling and kegging occurs on the premises. The team take part in all the brewing processes and Ignition looks to build on their practical skills and make their day-to-day experience more rewarding.
In the front of the building that houses the brewery itself is the taproom, which was completely refurbished in August 2021 to provide a more comfortable and homely space for drinkers. Given Ignition’s ethos, it’s no surprise to learn that we aspire to make the taproom as welcoming as possible to all who enter. The taproom serves three Ignition brews in bottle-conditioned form and four from Ecofass kegs (the beer is conditioned in the keg and no gas touches the product). The four regulars are: South of the River (a 4.2% ABV pale ale), Jump Start (a 4.6% ABV IPA), Well Oiled Machine (a 4.8% ABV London porter) and GTI (a 5.5% ABV double dry-hopped APA). There is also a range of specials that changes throughout the year. The current special is Spark Plug, a 3.8% ABV single-hopped extra pale ale.
The taproom, at 44A Sydenham Road SE26 5QF, is open from 5pm to 9pm on Thursdays, 5pm to 10pm on Fridays and 2pm to 10pm on Saturdays.
Dave Rathborne
Head Brewer, Ignition Brewery