Should Drinkers Care Who Owns Their Beer? | The Indie vs Craft Beer Debate

Should drinkers care who owns their beer?Can a brewery still be considered craft if it is owned by a global beer company? And what is the real difference between craft beer and indie beer anyway?In this episode of Branding for Breweries, Tim Weaver sits down with Neil Walker from SIBA and the Indie Beer campaign, alongside Jez Galaun, Co Founder of Brixton Brewery, to tackle one of the most debated topics in modern brewing.Together they explore the evolving definitions of craft beer and indie beer, the impact of brewery acquisitions, whether consumers really care about ownership, and why transparency matters more than ever. The conversation also dives into market access, pub taps, consumer behaviour, brewery growth, and what independent breweries can learn from larger beer brands.Whether you're a brewery owner, beer marketer, publican or passionate drinker, this episode offers a balanced and thought provoking look at one of the biggest questions facing the beer industry today.What craft beer actually means in 2026Why the Indie Beer campaign was createdWhether brewery ownership matters to consumersThe challenges facing independent breweriesAccess to market and the battle for pub tapsWhat breweries can learn from larger beer companiesWhy transparency and trust matterWhether ownership changes the beer in the glassABOUT NEIL WALKERNeil Walker is Head of Communications at SIBA and one of the driving forces behind the Indie Beer campaign, which aims to help drinkers identify and support genuinely independent breweries.ABOUT JEZ GALAUNJez Galaun is Co Founder of Brixton Brewery. Since launching Brixton in South London, he has helped build one of the UK's most recognised modern beer brands and has experienced first hand the opportunities and challenges that come with becoming part of the Heineken portfolio.Follow Branding for Breweries for weekly conversations helping brewery owners build stronger brands, attract more drinkers and grow more profitable breweries.USEFUL LINKS🍺 From Tim and Branding for BreweriesSign up to the Branding for Breweries newsletterhttps://thebrandweaver.co.uk/brewery-newsletterBuy the Branding for Breweries bookhttps://amzn.eu/d/00WWplaDFollow Branding for Breweries on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/BRANDINGFORBREWERIESConnect with Tim on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrandweaver/🍻 Neil Walker, SIBA and Indie BeerVisit the SIBA websitehttps://siba.co.uk/Check out the Indie Beer campaignhttps://indiebeer.uk/Follow Neil on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/neil_edward/🏭 Jez Galaun and Brixton BreweryVisit Brixton Breweryhttps://brixtonbrewery.com/Follow Brixton Brewery on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/brixtonbrewery/Follow Jez on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/mrbrixt0n/