Ahead of Indie Beer Week, which runs from 10 to 19 April, the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) has announced that 700 breweries are now backing its Indie Beer Campaign. 

Launched in late 2024, SIBA began the campaign to help consumers identify true independent breweries after data from YouGov showed that many members of the public misunderstood what was and wasn’t independent. 

The polling showed that 75% of people believed consumers were misled when purchasing once-independent breweries now owned by global beer giants. 

Now, as part of the campaign, Indie Beer Week will launch a series of brewer events, tap takeovers, beer festivals and more across the UK. According to SIBA, this visibility all counts towards helping consumers identify true indie beer. 

Since launching the campaign, SIBA said that awareness is already spreading among consumers, with 31% of 18–24-year-olds now aware of it. 

The campaign has also recently been backed by premium retailer Waitrose, which has committed to creating an Indie Beer section within its online store. 

Neil Walker, head of marketing and communications at SIBA, said: “Indie Beer Week is a celebration of everything that is great about UK beer, with festivals, beer launches and beer events of all kinds taking place in all corners of the nation –  wherever you are, there is a brewery near you which is part of the Indie Beer campaign, many of which are running some brilliant events over the next ten days. And if you’re unsure if the ‘craft beer’ you’re buying is the real deal then use the brewery checker tool on our website and know for sure.”