About Us
The story of Vocation Brewery began when John Hickling left his job to follow his calling - to brew the big, flavourful beers he loves.
Based in Hebden Bridge, our brewery sits high above the town in an old chicken shed, 1,000 feet above sea level. Surrounded by the rugged hills, windswept moorland and steep valleys of the South Pennines, it's a place shaped by the landscape as much as the people who call it home. Here, dry stone walls trace the hillsides, weather rolls in without warning, and every season leaves its mark.
John found the perfect spot. Perched at the very top of England's longest continuous incline, where the wind carries the aroma of malt and hops, and the water is pure and fresh. A place that's truly out on its own.
It’s not the easiest place to get to. We get the best and the worst of the weather but when you are at the brewery, you feel like you’re on top of the world. At the centre of something big, epic, ever changing and ever inspiring. You get a feeling of space and freedom... to be, to think, to brew, and to explore.
And all of this is in our beers.
We brew bold and flavourful beer for the many because we believe beer should be an experience and there should be a beer for every occasion, whether celebrating a milestone, reminiscing with friends or the first cold sip after a long day.
From exemplary IPAs and indulgent stouts, to crisp, refreshing lagers and tangy sours, there is a bold and beautiful Vocation beer for the many.
Whatever their style, all our beers are distinctly Vocation Brewery. Beers with a boldness of flavour, breadth and depth. Interesting beers, worthy of comment, a pleasure to enjoy, never thin, timid, watery, empty, gimmicky. We brew beers of substance.
Every brew continues to be nurtured with the same craft and care as the day we started. Our many skilled hands and passionate hearts pour their all into every beer in the relentless pursuit of being the best they can be and of brewing beer that is the best of its kind.
