Fuller’s Brewery tour

Although Fuller’s beers are available throughout the world, the brewery’s main focus is traditional cask ales that are served in the company’s own pubs, which are based mostly in London and elsewhere in the south of England.

The Fuller’s Brewery has been brewing beer in Chiswick since 1845, although Fuller’s Griffin Brewery started operations back in 1816 and beer has been brewed on this site since the 17th century. Fuller’s was acquired by Asahi in 2019 but they continue to brew beer at the Griffin Brewery.

What to see at Fuller’s Brewery

The brewery tour is a great opportunity to learn about the brewing process and the tour finishes off with a tutored beer tasting where you can try various Fuller’s beers such as their famous London Pride as well as ESB, Oliver’s Island, Honey Dew and Frontier lager.

Visitors to the brewery can see heritage brewing vessels including the oldest, which was installed in 1823. The brewery is also noted for having the United Kingdom’s oldest wisteria plant, which is best seen in May when in full bloom.

The Hock Cellar, where the end-of-tour tasting takes place, is also home to museum displays with artefacts from the brewery’s history.

If you’ve grown up drinking mostly lager or pilsner-style beer, a visit to Fuller’s Brewery is a great way to learn about traditional ale and to develop a greater appreciation for this quintessentially English style of beer.

Visiting Fuller’s Brewery

The Fuller’s Brewery is located by the River Thames in Chiswick in West London. The closest tube stations are Stamford Brook and Turnham Green (both on the District line), which are both around a 15-minute walk away. You can also get here by bus with bus route 190 stopping just a short walk away at the Hogarth Roundabout.

Tours operate Tuesday to Sunday but they do not run on public holidays.

The admission charge is a fairly hefty £25 but that includes tastings and tours are free if you have a valid London Pass.

The brewery tour is restricted to people aged 18 or over.

If the brewery tour has made you thirsty, it’s only a one-minute walk to the closest Fuller’s pub, the Mawson Arms, and there are also some very nice riverside pubs just a short walk from here.

The brewery backs onto the River Thames and there is a lovely riverside walk along Chiswick Mall (although the view of the river is sometimes obscured by houses and tall hedges) that you can take as far as Fulham Palace and Putney Bridge. This walk takes you past several lovely riverside pubs. Nearby points of interest include Hogarth’s House and Emery Walker’s House, which are both around a 6–7-minute walk from the brewery.

The brewery tour takes around two hours and this is followed by a half-hour tasting session.