Block Brew Journey
Block Brew is a project born from three friends out of a love of pubs, beer and community. The owners of the brand Hak, Leon and Tayla grew up in the Isle of Dogs in the heart of East London, a place where people looked out for one another, whether it be down the youth club, the basketball court or the pub. The Three friends, friends from 11 years old regularly let go of daily stresses over a crisp, cold pint down the boozer.
The Isle of Dogs has always had a decorated history. Whether in its ten day sovereignty of independence during the 70s due to dire and unfair living conditions, its colourful dance of multiculturalism due to the docks and inhabitants that worked and stayed here – or its plethora of pubs! The Island of dogs has always been a magnet for hard workers, identity, independence and a jolly!
brewed with purpose
The boys, lads, friends hold immense pride in where they are from, what they have wrestled for and even more pride in being the first black owned beer company in Britain, born, bred and brewed like them in their East London home. Today they grow ever closer to seeing their dream come to fruition, seeing those dreams pouring through beer taps all over their home town, stamping their belonging on a city that is being ripped from beneath their feet. Reef House Lager was born from the same blocks the boys lived and grew up in and drunk in as curious youth. The Plot thickens as we reveal it was the same Block they were photographed by Cult British Photographer Simon Wheatley in Twenty years back and have no returned to express their joys of community and egging it to live on.
The final piece of the puzzle was completed when popular artist Rueben Dangoor hand painted Simon’s photos of the Block Brew lads and birthing the artwork for Reef House Lager, the tool they needed to represent where they are from, what they love about pubs up and down the country and putting emphasis on the communities that those pubs stand for, thus Reef House Lager born & bred in London has arrived.