Northern Monk: Craft beer is evolving, not dying

The segment has faced tough trading conditions since its post-lockdown peak, with sales continuing to fall, according to The Morning Advertiser’s (The MA) latest Beer Report . However, Northern Monk managing director Damian Guha believes headline figures fail to reflect what’s happening across the market. “If you look at the category numbers showing decline, it’s not quite the full picture,” he told The MA . “Most of that decline is coming from a couple of the really big players.” “The overall category number isn’t the only number to look at. The brands that are growing are doing certain things very well and that comes back to quality and a relentless focus on experience.” Guha added the market was becoming increasingly polarised, with some larger craft brands losing ground while quality-focused brewers continued to grow. This was reflected in SIBA’s 2026 Independent Beer Report, which showed around 100 independent breweries shut last year while production grew among those that remained. “Sadly, we’ve seen some very small brewers not make it, but there are quite a lot of brewers in between who are doing okay, doing quite well and growing. We’re fortunate to be one of those,” Guha said. Northern Monk also rejected reports younger consumers have turned away from craft beer. “We see a lot of younger drinkers buying into our brands. We don’t see a generational divide,” Guha continued. “There are different trends and different styles that different groups might prefer, but young people are still coming into the category, enjoying beer and enjoying craft, just as older drinkers continue to do.” Guha added younger drinkers in particular were helping drive the brewer’s growth . One of the clearest shifts in recent years within the craft market has been rising demand for fruit-led beers, though Guha said changing consumer tastes were part of a familiar cycle for craft beer. “Fruit beer is very popular at the moment, but our view is that it may not be quite as popular two or three years from now,” he said. “Some of these trends ebb and flow.” Rather than chasing every trend, Northern Monk has focused on quality and consistency with its flagship pale ale, Faith. “We’ve got a flagship hero beer that we’re deeply proud of,” Co-founder Russell Bisset told The MA . “We feel it’s got really broad appeal and ticks a lot of the boxes consumers are looking for.” Guha agreed, adding Faith would continue to be a “mainstay” for the brand. “It comes back to a relentless focus on the experience, not cutting costs or reducing quality,” he continued. “It’s about giving people a reason to go out to enjoy a pint. The brands that are doing well are the brands that are focusing on that.” However, while many trends have proved cyclical, the Leeds-based brewer championed alcohol-free beer as a long-term growth opportunity for the craft segment. Bisset pointed to the success of Faith Alcohol Free, the first alcohol-free beer in the UK to receive three stars at the Great Taste Awards. “Alcohol-free is definitely something we’re very keen on and we’re really proud of Faith Alcohol Free,” Guha added. ”That is a trend that is definitely here to stay. It’s something we’re very excited about." Despite ongoing pressures, both Guha and Bisset were confident in craft’s long-term future. “Beer is an evergreen category,” Guha said. “It’s always going to be there. People will always want those experiences and different styles and tastes. That isn’t going away.” Bisset agreed and predicted many of the things that originally made craft beer so popular would come back round again soon. “You’d be daft to write off craft beer [yet],” he said. “We will see some of the trends that really drove the momentum behind the category come full circle. There’s a lot of hope and positivity in the market and certainly we’re having a good time of it for the most part.”