no. 028 | Amity
3-year-old Amity brought together an enviable brewing pedigree when they set-up back in 2020. Today, they’re gathering momentum in their hometown of Leeds & beyond.
Founded in July 2020, Amity are relatively new on the brewing scene, but its owners have an enviable roster of experience. Between Tom, Russ and Rich they have spent time at Ossetian, Kirkstall, Vocation, BrewDog, Beerhawk and North Brewing Co, so when it came time to do their own thing, they weren’t jumping into the world of craft beer with their eyes closed.
“All of us had met each other through various jobs at other breweries and beer businesses and became firm friends”, says Russ. “It’s great because we all bring an experience to the table that most young breweries don’t get in the early days”. Having started contract brewing with friends across the north of England, Amity were continually on the look out for their first permanent site. “We wanted to build something that belonged and stood for a close community. We were contract brewing with friends all over the north of England, until our Brewpub was built in late 2020. From then on it’s been amazing bringing our vision to life”.
Their base for building that vision is Leeds. A city steeped in brewing history, it’s also home to a host of modern breweries too. “It’s one of the best beer and brewing cities in the UK”, enthuses Russ. “It’s got something for everyone and my favourite pubs in the whole world — Whitelocks and The Cardigan Arms — are both here, alongside more modern scenes like Brownhill & Co. Sure, Leeds doesn’t have the size of Manchester or Birmingham, but I think there’s much more of a community vibe here, and we all try and pull together”.
It’s clear that this friendly, convivial spirit is incredibly important to the brewery; so much so, it formed the basis of their name. “We wanted something that stood for friendship and community”, Russ confirms. “It’s something we’re very passionate about, and forms part of what brought us together”. And as for the beer itself, that’s certainly inspired by Leeds’ own traditional past. “For all of us there has been a journey through classic beer styles. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Augustiner Helles, Fullers ESB etc. — these are all inspirational beers that we love and appreciate, so we look to that kind of back catalogue first. That said, we love experimenting with new styles and techniques too, which your beer drinkers will soon see”.
As much the beers themselves, we love Amity’s unbridled ambition. Having been operating from their brewpub for three years, they’ve already outgrown it and their next objective is to find a new location. “It’s come much faster than we ever expected, but our sights are now set on a second venue, but as for where and what that looks like, we’re still working on the details with a few plans in motion — eyes peeled for the future though!”