Trading name London Fields Brewery | Type Private | |
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Industry Manufacture of beer (UK SIC Classification 2007) Predecessor London Fields Brewery Ltd Founded 13 July 2011 (2011-07-13) in London, UK Founders Julian de Vere Whiteway-Wilkinson (known as Jules Whiteway)
Ian Burges | ||
London Fields Brewery is a brewery in the London Fields area of Hackney, East London, in the United Kingdom. It was the first commercial brewery to open in Hackney since the 19th century. As of December 2014, the company has fallen into trouble following the arrest of co-founder Julian de Vere Whiteway-Wilkinson, on suspicion of tax evasion.
History
The brewery was founded by Julian de Vere Whiteway-Wilkinson (known as Jules Whiteway) and Ian Burges, around the time of the 2011 London riots, with approximately £10,000 of capital. Prior to founding the brewery, Whiteway had been jailed for 12 years for his part in a cocaine smuggling organisations. When founding the company, Whiteway still owed the crown £3.2 million, including £1.2 million in interest. Despite much legal manoeuvring, this would continue to heavily impact the ability of the company to operate.
The court granted Whiteway permission to create the company as a way to repay the courts whilst rehabilitating into a legitimate career, however, he was ordered to pay back £500 a month throughout this time. Whiteway's lawyer argued that a stay in repayments would allow his client to grow his capital more quickly, and asked the court to allow the company to fulfil export orders to 14 countries. As of December 2014, neither of these requests had been granted.
The brewery opened on 27 August 2011, at 374 Helmsley Place. It was the first commercial brewery to open in Hackney since the 19th century. Five beers were produced, named: Hackney Hopster, London Fields Bitter, London Fields Session Ale, London Fields Gold and Love Not War. Love Not War received especially favourable press due to its significance in relation to the London riots. It was promoted as "first brewed barricaded in the brewery during the London riots".
Alongside a wide and highly successful distribution of its products throughout London, the brewery itself worked alongside numerous entertainment companies and helped produce events in London. These included Background Cinema, Elsewhere Festival, and Festifeel.
Most recently, on 3 December 2014, Whiteway was arrested on suspicion of cheating HMRC in respect of VAT. On the same day, the brewery was searched, and a forklift truck was used by HMRC to remove equipment and stock. According to Whiteway, by 2014, both he and his wife were joint shareholders in the company, but presiding District Judge Elizabeth Roscoe was not convinced of this, asking to see evidence of "ownership and set-up", as promises of future payment "were often not fulfilled".