To some, it might seem like the craft beer scene in Northern Ireland is relatively new: nothing more than a response to the real ale resurgence currently underway in mainland Britain. But for those in the know, a small, family-owned, artisan brewery has been nestled by the River Lagan, far from the noisy streets of Belfast, for more than three decades.

The Hilden Brewery was founded in 1981 by Ann and Seamus Scullion; an English couple who upped sticks and moved their family to Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles.

Its setting was to be a former 19th Century linen mill, carved into an elegant brewery with the help of Peter Austin, of the Ringwood in Hampshire. Luckily for visitors today, the Scullions had taste, avoiding the temptation to modernise or redevelop.

The former stables became the main brewing room, while the cobblestone courtyard and rustic, whitewashed exterior were kept intact: a fitting homage to both Irish industry and Irish brewing.

Tradition runs deep at the Hilden Brewery, and the beer is testament to that. Nutty, deep, dry stouts and light, hoppy ales; the portfolio is almost a lesson in Irish brewing styles.

As if to make the point, the business has been kept firmly in the family, with the torch being passed to Seamus and Ann’s son, Owen, who now runs the brewery. “I was born in England, but we moved over to Northern Ireland when I was two,” he says.

“My parents had been living there for about nine years and had got a taste for ales and craft breweries. That scene had just begun to kick off in those few years, when they suddenly moved to Northern Ireland, right in the middle of the hunger strikes, and decided to start their own.”

Owen remembers the obstacles his parents faced when presenting their dream to Lisburn Council, who weren’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of having a brewery on their doorstep.

“I don’t even think they were aware of what craft beer was,” he laughs. Hilden produces nine beers in total, including a red ale called Hilden Halt, a hoppy, honey number named Scullion’s Irish and Barney’s Brew; a golden fruity wheat beer in the Hefeweizen style.

“We would mostly be quite conservative in our choice of hops, using the traditional varieties like North Down, Goldings, WGV, things like that,” he says. “We also use German varieties like Hersbrucker and Saaz, which are also very traditional.

“But we are just now starting to look at the new world hops. I was at a craft brewers’ conference in Washington recently, which was just phenomenal. There are a lot of exciting things happening in the US in terms of craft beer. Over there, it can often be a struggle to get a beer under 6% in some places. It really is an excellent flavour experience, and people do look for that. But, equally, people also look for a good session beer.”

“My parents had been living there for about nine years and had got a taste for ales and craft breweries. That scene had just begun to kick off in those few years, when they suddenly moved to Northern Ireland, right in the middle of the hunger strikes, and decided to start their own.”

Currently, Hilden supplies to the UK and Ireland, but the family has plans to export in the future. At a maximum capacity of 600,000 litres and with five fermenters on-site, the business is certainly in a comfortable place to continue expanding as the beer boom continues. And it seems like Owen is only too eager to redevelop and experiment with his art, creating more diverse brews to challenge drinkers’ preconceptions and taste buds.

“I am keen to go down that road because it’s interesting; it’s what people are doing. It’s also keeping with the traditions of a small brewery, which should be constantly experimenting and trying new things; not just churning out the same old beers,” Owen says.

“We still have a reasonable amount to grow into and we will have to see what the future brings,” says Owen. “Nowadays, I will take myself off. I can tell myself I am not skiving and go and try some new beers, look at ingredients and think about the possibilities.”

And with Hilden’s acclaimed Tap Room restaurant and popular August Ale Festival, it seems Owen won’t be finding himself short of willing guinea pigs any time soon.

---

---