Brewery Insurance
Protect Your Brewery with SJL Insurance
Comprehensive Brewery Insurance for UK Brewers
At SJL Insurance, we understand the unique risks facing breweries — from microbreweries and craft producers to larger brewing operations. Whether you’re brewing on a small scale or supplying across the UK and beyond, our bespoke brewery insurance protects your business, equipment, stock and reputation, giving you peace of mind to focus on brewing great beer.
- Award Winning In-House Claims Team
- Lloyds of London Commercial Broker
- Independent Broker Since 2001
Why Your Brewery Needs Specialist Insurance
Running a brewery comes with complex risks that standard business insurance often doesn’t cover. Brewing equipment, valuable stock, public access areas like taprooms and tours, and product liability exposures are all unique to the brewing industry. Specialist brewery insurance ensures you’re protected against these challenges.
From accidental damage and liability claims to business interruption, spoilage and product recalls, SJL Insurance offers tailored solutions to meet your brewery’s needs.
Core Brewery Insurance Coverages
We provide comprehensive coverage options designed specifically for breweries and brewing-related businesses:
1. Property & Equipment Insurance
Protect your brewery premises, tanks, kettles, bottling lines, refrigeration systems and brewing equipment against fire, theft, vandalism, floods and accidental damage. This cover ensures your essential assets are safeguarded.
2. Stock & Raw Materials Cover
Breweries hold significant inventories – from hops and malt to finished beer. Our insurance can cover loss, spoilage or contamination of stock on-site or in transit, including seasonal stock increases.
3. Public & Product Liability Insurance
Protect your brewery from costly claims if customers or visitors are injured on your premises or if someone suffers harm linked to your product. This is essential for taprooms, tours, festivals and distribution.
4. Employers’ Liability Insurance (Legal Requirement)
If you employ staff, UK law requires employers’ liability cover. SJL Insurance ensures your brewery complies with legal obligations and protects against claims from employee injuries or illness.
5. Business Interruption Cover
If an insured event forces your brewery to close temporarily – like after a fire or equipment breakdown – this cover compensates for lost income and helps you keep operating costs covered.
6. Product Recall Insurance
If a batch of beer needs to be withdrawn from the market due to contamination, labelling errors or safety concerns, product recall insurance helps cover the associated costs. This can include notifying customers and distributors, logistics and disposal expenses, and protecting your brand reputation. For breweries distributing at scale, this cover can be critical in managing financial and reputational risk.
7. Optional & Specialist Add-Ons
- Goods in Transit Insurance for distribution vehicles
- Loss of Licence Cover
- Event & Festival Cover for taproom tours and markets
- Equipment Breakdown Insurance
- Seasonal Adjustments to Stock Values
How Brewery Insurance Works
- Risk Assessment: We assess your brewery’s operations, size, production levels and equipment value.
- Tailored Policy Design: Based on your risk profile, we craft a policy with the right mix of covers.
- Competitive Premiums & Clear Terms: Our team helps you understand pricing and policy specifics, with no surprises on renewal.
- Claims Support: If the unexpected happens, we’re here to support you through the claims process from start to finish.
Who We Cover
Our brewery insurance is suitable for:
- Craft Breweries & Microbreweries
- Large-Scale Brewing Operations
- Brewery Taprooms & Visitor Centres
- Distilleries, Cideries & Beverage Producers
- Festival & Market Stall Exhibitors
- Businesses with Brewing-Related Distribution
Key Benefits of SJL Brewery Insurance
- Tailored brewery risk management solutions
- Cover for both production and commercial risks
- Flexible policies that grow with your business
- Expert advice from insurance specialists
- Supportive claims handling when you need it most
FAQs – Brewery Insurance
What is brewery insurance?
Brewery insurance is a specialist type of business insurance designed to protect breweries, microbreweries and craft beer producers against industry-specific risks. It can include cover for brewing equipment, stock, public and product liability, business interruption, product recall and employers’ liability.
Standard business insurance policies often do not fully address the unique risks associated with brewing, which is why specialist brewery cover is recommended.
Is brewery insurance a legal requirement in the UK?
Brewery insurance itself is not legally required. However, employers’ liability insurance is compulsory in the UK if you employ staff.
If you operate a taproom or allow visitors onto your premises, public liability insurance is strongly advised to protect against injury claims.
How much does brewery insurance cost?
The cost of brewery insurance depends on several factors, including:
- The size of your brewery
- Annual turnover
- Value of brewing equipment
- Stock levels
- Number of employees
- Whether you operate a taproom
- Claims history
At SJL Insurance, we provide tailored quotes to ensure you only pay for the cover your brewery genuinely needs.
Does brewery insurance cover equipment breakdown?
Yes, cover can include protection for brewing equipment such as fermentation tanks, boilers, refrigeration units and bottling lines against mechanical or electrical breakdown.
Equipment breakdown cover is particularly important for breweries, as a single fault can halt production and cause significant financial loss.
Is my stock covered against spoilage or contamination?
Brewery insurance can include cover for stock deterioration, contamination or spoilage caused by insured events such as refrigeration failure, power cuts or equipment breakdown.
This helps protect valuable raw materials such as hops and malt, as well as finished products awaiting distribution.
Do I need product liability insurance for my brewery?
Yes, product liability insurance is strongly recommended for breweries.
If a customer claims that your beer caused illness, injury or property damage, product liability cover can protect your business against legal costs and compensation claims.
What is product recall insurance and do I need it?
Product recall insurance covers the costs associated with withdrawing a product from the market due to safety concerns, contamination, mislabelling or quality issues.
For breweries supplying retailers, pubs or exporting products, this cover is highly recommended. It helps manage the financial impact of recalling stock, handling logistics and protecting your brand reputation.
Can brewery insurance cover beer festivals and events?
Yes. If you attend beer festivals, markets or off-site events, your policy can be extended to include:
- Public liability for events
- Cover for portable equipment
- Goods in transit
- Temporary bar setups
Be sure to inform your insurer about any regular events you attend so the correct cover is in place.
Is beer covered while in transit?
Goods in transit insurance can protect your stock while being delivered to pubs, retailers or customers.
This is particularly important for breweries distributing locally or nationally.
Does brewery insurance cover business interruption?
Yes. Business interruption insurance covers loss of income if your brewery cannot operate due to an insured event, such as fire, flood or major equipment damage.
This can help cover ongoing expenses such as rent, wages and loan repayments while you recover.
Can microbreweries get specialist insurance?
Absolutely. Microbreweries face many of the same risks as larger operations, often with tighter margins.
SJL Insurance offers tailored cover for small and independent breweries, ensuring protection without unnecessary extras.
How do I get a brewery insurance quote from SJL Insurance?
You can contact SJL Insurance directly to discuss your brewery’s needs. Our team will assess your risks and provide a competitive, tailored quotation designed specifically for your brewing business.
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