James Buchanan is the General Manager at Thornbridge Brewery.
In 2025, Thornbridge Brewery will mark an incredible milestone – 20 years of brewing excellence. From humble beginnings in the Stonemasons Workshop at Thornbridge Hall to a state-of-the-art Riverside Brewery in Bakewell, Thornbridge has become a cornerstone of the UK beer scene.
Producing an impressive 9 million pints annually and welcoming over 100,000 visitors to their Taproom each year, Thornbridge has built a reputation on quality and innovation. We caught up with James to hear more about the brewery’s longstanding appeal and plans for this landmark year.
Hi James! First of all, could you tell us a little bit about your role at the brewery?
I’m General Manager and look after a number of areas, including marketing, off-trade and export.
What’s the most enjoyable thing about what you do?
Hard to say just one! It’s a fantastic place to work – the people, location and, of course, the beer, just to name a few.
Thornbridge reaching 20 years is a huge milestone for the brewery. What do you think are the key reasons behind its longevity?
The focus on quality and consistency – this is really key to everything that we do. Providing everyone who enjoys our beer with the assurance that we have a dedicated brewery team committed to providing the best pint every time.
How will you be celebrating your anniversary year?
Lots of things are in the pipeline. We have a new anniversary logo, which will adorn glassware, beer mats and seasonal beers throughout 2025, announcing the milestone. We always keep track of the beers people loved and would like to see return – lots of these Thornbridge favourites will be back. All our events will focus on the celebration, and our flagship beer, Jaipur, has its own 20th birthday in June, so we’ll be throwing a party! Also in 2025, we’re very excited to be opening our latest Thornbridge & Co site, right in the heart of Sheffield on Fargate.
What have been some key highlights for you since working for Thornbridge?
It might be recency bias, but seeing us turn 20 years old is really cool. Launching our beer in numerous new countries and seeing people tag us in photos from all corners of the globe is always wonderful. The opportunity to collaborate with incredible giants of the brewing industry, such as Sierra Nevada and Brooklyn, has been another highlight.
Finally, what’s your go-to Thornbridge tipple?
My go-to is Lukas or Green Mountain; however, Jaipur on cask is my absolute favourite!
