Firebrick Brewery crowned North East indie beer champion after Gold win

Firebrick Brewery turned one gold medal into the North East’s top indie beer crown after Propa Belta Premium Session IPA was named Overall Champion at the Indie Beer Awards North East. The Blaydon-on-Tyne brewery won Gold for the 4.6% beer first, then took the biggest prize at Gateshead Rugby Club, where the judging was staged ahead of the Beer Festival.

For drinkers who want the beer that carried Firebrick to the top, Propa Belta is the one to seek out first. The session IPA uses international hop varieties for zest and pine aromas, backed by a biscuity malt base. It is the kind of pint that wins judges over without shouting, and that balance is exactly why it stood out in a field that stretched across Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Durham, Cleveland, Yorkshire and Humberside.

Anneli Baxter, chair of SIBA’s Competitions Committee, presented the medal as the North East winners were confirmed. Those gold winners now move on to the National Finals in Liverpool in March 2027, giving Firebrick a clear next stop after its regional win. For a small brewery tucked in Blaydon, the route from local gold to national finals is a sharp reminder that the North East still punches hard in indie beer.

Firebrick’s own story fits the result. The brewery was founded in 2012 and first brewed in December that year. It expanded from a 2.5-barrel plant to a 15-barrel plant in 2014, and now employs seven local staff while producing 16 beer brands. The brewery is also a member of the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates and is SALSA approved, which puts a little more weight behind the medal.

The location matters too. Firebrick says it is about 400 yards from the Tyne and under 5 miles from central Newcastle, with branding that nods to Blaydon’s industrial heritage. That mix of place, scale and ambition is part of the appeal, especially when a brewery like this lands a win that locals can actually claim as their own. With a party weekend set to follow the award, Propa Belta now has the sort of profile that turns a regional medal into a proper homegrown brag.