Brewhouse & Kitchen ‘veganises’ its beers

The achievement at the company’s Horsham venue is accompanied with a vegan specials menu for January, allowing diners to try out veganism for the month and still enjoy their time at Brewhouse & Kitchen’s pubs.

Currently, many beers are made using isinglass – a product of the fish farming industry that is used in the filtering process. 

All welcome

Brewhouse & Kitchen co-founder Kris Gumbrell said: “Our message has always been one of inclusion and we pride ourselves on making all feel welcome.

“While we aren’t a vegan specialist brewpub, we believe good beer should be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of your dietary requirements.

“In order to open up the wonderful world of craft beer to more [people], the natural steps was to ensure our beers were all made vegan-friendly.

“It was a challenge ensuring the great taste of Brewhouse & Kitchen’s beers remained just as good as ever but our commitment to ensuring everyone is welcoming in our sites, it was a challenge we were determined to overcome.”

Isinglass troubles

In 2016, isinglass hit the headlines after brewers received calls from agitated consumers, asking them to stop using the beer-fining agent isinglass, after the national press falsely reported a ban by the Campaign for Real Ale​ (CAMRA).

Rumours of a ban started when the organisation’s Good Beer Guide​​ editor Roger Protz called for UK brewers to cut down on the use of the fish-based clarifying product.

However, CAMRA said: “We do not have any policy on the use of isinglass and neither the press release nor Roger’s article made any suggestion that CAMRA is calling for brewers to stop using isinglass.”