The brewer said growth had come from across its range, including core lagers Lukas, Czech Mates and Bayern, alongside seasonal launches Favorito and Ster.
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Altogether, Thornbridge said it sold close to £1m worth of lager over the summer.
Simon Webster, chief executive and co-founder of Thornbridge Brewery, told The Morning Advertiser (MA): “The growth has come from right across our range driven by our Summer of Lager campaign.”
“Ster, a brand-new one-off lager, flew out the door. Favorito, our seasonal Mexican lager, earned itself a number of permanent lines for the summer months. Our three established core lagers, Lukas, Czech Mates and Bayern, all grew too.”
The brewery said pubs and bars were leading performance, with increased availability helping to build its reputation with operators.
Webster said Thornbridge was now appearing in a wide range of venues, from student pubs to Michelin-starred restaurants.
He added: “Operators appreciate an independent British lager produced to a very high standard, and that’s led to our beer turning up everywhere from classic student pubs to Michelin-starred restaurants.”
Thornbridge said its beers were available across the UK, either directly or through wholesale partners.
The business operates its own pubs in Bakewell, Sheffield, London, York, Leeds and Birmingham, while the North West, Midlands and South Yorkshire were identified as key growth areas.
Capacity boost
The brewer said world lager styles and premiumisation were among the biggest trends shaping the category.
The trend was also reflected in the MA Beer Report 2026, which found world lager accounted for 30.3% of volume sales and 34.9% of value sales in GB pubs in the 12 months to March 2026.
You can access the MA Beer Report 2026 for free, here.
Favorito, its Mexican lager, was highlighted as an example of growing demand for world lager styles, while the business said consumers were increasingly looking for trusted, premium brands.
It also echoes wider operator feedback from The MA’s beer roundtable, where pubs reported stronger interest in premium products, European beer styles and more considered drinking occasions.
Webster said Thornbridge would continue to use high-quality imported German ingredients and maintain a five to six-week lagering time across its lagers.
He added: “That creates real pressure on our tank space, but it’s not something we’d ever cut corners on.”
To manage increased output, Thornbridge has added extra tanks to its smaller cask kit in Bakewell, doubling capacity on that plant and freeing up more time and tank space on its larger production facility.
New launches
The growth comes as Thornbridge launches Lukas Radler, a 2.1% lemon Radler using its Lukas Helles Lager as a base.
Lukas Radler will launch in keg at the end of summer, with Thornbridge planning a fuller release next year, including small pack.
Thornbridge is also launching Zehn, a 6% Festbier brewed as part of its Year of Beer programme and timed for Oktoberfest.
Looking ahead to 2027, Thornbridge said it would increase production in Bakewell, including more Favorito, continue its Year of Beer programmes for cask and keg, and open a new Thornbridge pub in Hull.
The brewer added that Jaipur cask remained its “number one focus”, with the business working with key operators to increase availability across the UK.
