End of an era as iconic Sussex brewery closes

Rother Valley Brewing Company based at Northiam, near Rye, is significant in that it was the first new independent brewery to open in Sussex with the only breweries at the time being Harveys in East Sussex and King and Barnes in West Sussex.

It was opened in 1993 by John Cyster at his dairy and hop farm, overlooking the River Rother and Kent and East Sussex steam railway.

The first beer they produced was Level Best, which was still being served up on Saturday when the Twelve Hundred Postcards pub in Hastings held the Rother Valley Brewing Company’s Last Stand Tap Takeover, to drink the last few barrels and as a farewell party for Colin Smith.

Also available in cask was the aptly named Last Exit, a strong pale ale and the last beer to be produced by the brewery.

Colin said: “We were a traditional brewery who stayed very close to what we do and the core values of brewing. It’s been a great journey but all good things come to an end. I am in my 60s now and my partner is 80. Brewing is really hard work.”

The event at Hastings saw Colin presented with a giant card, signed by local beer lovers, and a chocolate cake made with his Rother Valley Blues dark beer.

In 2023, Level Best was named Beer of the Year by the South East Sussex branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

The brewery produced a wide range of beers in its time, including a dark beer made with elderberries that were growing around the brewery. It also brewed special beers for the nearby Kent and East Sussex Steam Railway which were available on its trains.

Rother Valley Brewing Company was best known for not following craft beer trends and using mostly traditional English hops such as East Kent Goldings, Fuggles and Bramling Cross.