Skinner's bottling line

Six of Cornwall-based Skinner’s Brewery’s core range of beers have been certified as vegetarian and vegan friendly.

Commercial director, Mike Pritchard, said: “Over the past few months, we’ve worked closely with the Vegan Society to check which of our ales pass their strict guidelines. With the exception of Hops ’n’ Honey and Penny Come Quick, which include honey and milk respectively, all of our ales are vegan and vegetarian.”

Vegetarian and veganism has seen a rise in recent years in the UK due to growing concerns with animal welfare and the effect of the meat industry on the environment.

Mike said that Skinner’s chose to seek certification because “we know from talking to our stockists and customers that there is a growing consumer-interest in vegan and vegetarian options in the food and drink category.

“With 12% of the UK population now identifying as either vegan or vegetarian, it’s important our beers are labelled clearly to help these customers when shopping or buying at the bar”.

During the ale brewing process, finings are added during racking to clarify the beer. While some breweries use isinglass (fish based) or gelatin as finings, the Skinner’s brewing process has always used plant-derived finings, meaning that most of its ales are vegetarian and vegan-friendly.