no. 047 | Neptune
10 years in the making, husband and wife team Les & Julie are brewing unfined and naturtally conditioned beers in Liverpool as Neptune Brewery.
Not all good ideas start in a pub, but that was where Neptune Brewery took its very first tentative breath. Looking for a fresh direction after parting ways with a previous business, Les O’Grady found himself chatting with his friend Geoff Wainwright over a less-than-impressive pint. “Les had been home brewing for two years and gaining experience at other breweries,” explains co-founder Julie O’Grady, “and the feedback on his beers was really positive. That pub chat turned into the decision to start a professional brewery.”
By April 2015, Neptune Brewery was officially registered and the names above the door Les and Geoffs, alongside O’Grady’s wife, Julie. The name Neptune is a nod to Les’ former workplace in the aquatics industry, which shared the same name. “It just felt right,” Julie says. Based firmly in Liverpool, the founders wanted to be part of the city’s burgeoning craft beer revolution.
“Liverpool doesn’t always get the credit it deserves,” Julie notes. “It’s often overshadowed by other cities, but it has an incredible heritage—especially for cask ales— and a growing number of independent bars championing local brewers.”
Celebrating a decade of operation, Neptune has grown steadily and – rather aptly – now employs a team of 10 people in its brewery, plus an additional five at Neptune Beerhouse, its taproom in the city centre. With a brewing philosophy that combines tradition with modern innovation, all of their beers are naturally conditioned meaning no carbon dioxide is added at any point. Instead, they allow the yeast do its thing and carbonate each beer naturally.
“We’re passionate about quality”. says Julie. “From the malt and hops to every ingredient in between. As our beers are vessel conditioned, it’s also crucial they’re served at their best”. We’re happy to help there by getting them from Neptune to you as quickly as possible.
Like many independent breweries, running a small, independent brewery is not without its challenges. Competition from large macro breweries offering deals to bars can squeeze out smaller players. Rising costs, ranging from utilities to ingredients and VAT, also add pressure at a brewery and customer level. “We really need more government support on the duty front,” Julie adds.
However, the team’s future looks positive. Boasting proud partnerships with the likes of Liverpool’s Everyman, Playhouse Theatres and Liverpool Museums, Neptune continue to make traction. The next ten years, then, might not always be easy, but are underpinned by a simple objective: “Our goal is to keep spreading the Neptune word”.