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UK’s first all-natural gluten free brewing company launches in County Durham

North East entrepreneur Peter Briggs has launched a new Durham-based brewing company, specialising in the production of gluten-free beers and lagers.

The first company to have all of its beers and lagers brewed in the UK using only naturally gluten-free grains and brewing malts, Autumn Brewing Co. comes to life after a friend of Mr Briggs’ was diagnosed with Coeliac disease - a lifelong autoimmune disease caused by a reaction to gluten.

Today (February 27) the business has launched its first commercial brews as part of its ALTernative BREWing range: ALT BREW NO.01 Bavarian Style Pilsner and ALT BREW NO.02 English Pale Ale.

Company founder Peter Briggs believes that the new range offers beer drinkers a great alternative to mainstream barley-based beers.

He explained: “After two years of research, training and many small scale trial brews using different combinations of naturally gluten-free grains, we are proud to have created ALT BREW, our first range of great tasting gluten-free beers.

“The range is now available to purchase and the feedback we’ve had so far has been great. For those who follow a gluten-free diet, out of necessity or choice, finding high quality, great tasting gluten-free beers brewed from naturally gluten-free ingredients, is a real joy.”

All Autumn Brewing Co,’s beers and lagers are certified through the Coeliac UK Crossed Grain Symbol scheme, a recognised certification for people diagnosed with Coeliac Disease or who are sensitive to gluten.

To give drinkers extra peace of mind, every batch of beer brewed is tested by a United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited laboratory, to make sure it is below the recognised gluten-free standard of 20 parts per million (ppm) before being sold.

Mr Briggs continued: “As well as offering a range of high quality, and flavoursome, beers which are suitable for people who observe a gluten-free diet, we give all beer drinkers a great alternative to the barley and wheat based beers currently available in the mainstream UK beer market.

“We’re excited to bring these brands to the market and are looking to grow the number of retail outlets across both the on and off trade, whilst further developing the business.

“The fact that ALT BREW NO.01 Bavarian Style Pilsner has already been shortlisted in the FreeFrom Food Awards 2017 is a huge compliment and we’re really looking forward to seeing what the future holds for us.”