no. 51 | Wild Horse
Founded on a love of good beer and great landscapes, Wild Horse Brewing Co is the story of a homecoming, celebrating a return to North Wales with big ideas and a tiny brew kit.
“We were brought up locally and then lived in Canada for 4 years,” explains Dave, who founded the brewery with his wife Emma in 2015. It was during that time abroad that he became, in his words, “a pretty accomplished home brewer”. Inspired by the vibrant North American craft beer scene, when he and Emma planned their move back to Llandudno, that hobby became a livelihood.
What began as an 80-litre DIY operation is now a fully fledged modern brewery: “a 1,600-litre brewhouse, 11 fermentation tanks and an automated canning line.” But despite the growth, their roots remain rooted firmly in the local landscape – as does their name. The first site they considered was an old stables, which sparked an idea. High above the town, a free-roaming herd of Carneddau wild ponies has lived for centuries, and the more they looked, the more the connection made sense. “Given our love of North Wales and the outdoors, the name felt like the right fit”, says Dave, before adding, “we’re super proud of our Welsh roots and we’d never want to be anywhere else”.
From day one Wild Horse committed to getting fresh, modern beer across North Wales. “We’ve now got over 90 permanent lines across North Wales and into Cheshire”. This is a particularly impressive as this has involved getting keg-only craft into pubs that had rarely poured it before. Along the way the team have found friends in equally rural places, including previous feature brewery Rivington (batch no 038). “We became mates through trying each other’s beers and just chatting all things brewing,” says Dave. Collaborations followed, and now the highlight of the calendar is the annual Farm Trip: “it’s a world class beer fest. I challenge anyone to find one better.”
Thirteen people now make up the brewery and taproom team, united by a clear brewing ethos. “At our heart is a simple aim: to brew modern, balanced, and flavourful beer that reflects both our North Wales home and the global craft beer community that first inspired us.” Doing things properly is a non-negotiable for Wild Horse. “Every part of the process happens on-site,” and everything sits cold-stored at 3°C until it reaches the tap.
As with every brewery we showcase, there are challenges. “We know things work in cycles so the good times will return”, but in the meantime costs continue to rise and incomes are tightening. Regardless, things look buoyant at Wild Horse. That can be seen in some of theexceptional collaborations with the likes of Siren, GlassHouse, Elusive and Thornbridge, and isi supported by exports that go well beyond the Welsh borders, with a presence in Switzerland, Norway and, now, Jersey.