no. 009 | Unity Brewing Co.

Unity Brewing Co. is a Southampton-based brewery with community at its core. However, founder Jimmy Hatherley’s education in beer came via his father.

For many of the brewery founders we speak to, their journey into beer began somewhere in the US. Whether on a road trip or stopping through for a holiday, they discovered West Coast-style beers and taproom culture and it gave rise to an obsession. However, for Jimmy Hatherley – founder of Unity Brewing Co. – it was his father that got him into craft beer. 

“When I was in my late teens and early 20s, my dad used to travel a lot for work and would bring me back beers from wherever he’d been”. From Belgian brews and DIPAs from Denver, to crisp Czech lagers, this was Jimmy’s education in beer and it ignited a passion that started with home brewing and led to the opening of Southampton’s Unity.

The brewery name also embodies its ethos. Proudly community owned, Unity aims to be as inclusive as possible and their extensive list of collaborations demonstrates this.

“Collaborating is hugely important to us”, says Jimmy. “It’s one of the things that makes our industry unique and is a great way to learn and develop as brewers”.

To-date, they’ve worked with an array of breweries, including Boxcar, Left Handed Giant and Track – names that will be familiar to long-term batch. subscribers. This delivery includes their latest collaborative beer, created with South East London’s Partizan Brewing.

Jimmy and the Unity team have also started a side project called May Provisions. An outlet for them to explore more niche European styles, traditional English beers, and wild ales, it's still in its beginning stages but may well be a brewery we return to for future a future batch.

The rest of their range is split into a collection of three core beers and an ever-changing selection of specials. The man responsible for the label that adorns each can is the very aptly named Matt Canning. His illustrations aim is to create a visual that always reflects the brewery and their beers, which Canning describes as “soft, friendly and delicious”.

Whilst their offering may change throughout the year, the three non-negotiables for Unity when it comes to brewing and serving their beers are approachability, quality and a sense of fun. We think the results speak for themselves.