Reigate, Surrey is full of brewing history. It was once home to Mellersh and Neale, one of the biggest breweries in South England outside of London and now home to Pilgrim Brewery, a microbrewery nestled down an alley way just off the main high street. A fitting location that overlooks Reigate Priory Cricket Club that has become a popular drinking spot for locals.

Established in 1982 Pilgrim Brewery is the oldest microbrewery in South East England, the name ‘Pilgrim’ is a reference to the old pilgrimage route from Rochester to Canterbury that runs along the foot of Reigate Hill. For a small town Reigate has many drinking spots and the Pilgrim beers are a popular tipple in many of them such as the Red Cross, Blue Anchor and The Bell.

I was given the chance to observe how the beers are made on one of their brewing mornings, the photos in this album are a snapshot of the process of what it takes to make their beer.