Northern Monk: Inside the independent Leeds craft beer brewery and taproom aiming for the top
From brewing beer in his mum’s Bradford basement 12 years ago, co-founder Russell “Russ” Bisset now leads one of Leeds’ most recognisable craft breweries, Northern Monk, with ambitious plans for European expansion.
Russ first conceived the idea of a brewery celebrating Northern identity during a young entrepreneurs contest in 2008. While the contest didn’t yield immediate success, it laid the groundwork for Northern Monk, launched five years later.
A pivotal moment came when Russ’s grandmother gifted him £5,000 after selling her home, allowing him to take the first step toward turning his dream into reality.
Russ told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "My granny decided to pass down £5,000 to each of her grandchildren, after selling her property. She downsized and got a bit of a doer-upper."
With this funding, Russ teamed up with head brewer Brian Dickson, and Northern Monk was born.
The name Northern Monk pays tribute to the North’s rich brewing heritage, and takes inspiration from Cistercian monks at nearby Kirkstall Abbey, who brewed beer for the local community centuries ago.
Russ said: "It's really about a deep sense of place and pride in our Northern identity, in the communities of the North and what it means to be Northern. It is deeply meaningful to us."
The former mill where drinks like "Faith", "Heathen" and "Fresh from the Old Flax Store" are made is located just down the road from Kirkstall Abbey, where Cistercian monks would brew beer for the local community for centuries.
Describing Northern Monk's wide selection of beers, Russ said: "First and foremost, we always show up as fresh from the North.
"We celebrate, celebrate the best of the North as we see it, the creative community, and the history and heritage of brewing, but bring a fresh and innovative take on it.
"[Northern Monk] produces a variety of beers, but at the centre of that is hazy pale ales. So expect big, tropical, juicy flavours, taking some inspiration from beers brewed in New England, the Vermont region of the states, which, in turn, their inspiration came from British brewers and evolved.
"So it's all quite cyclical, but essentially: fresh, progressive, contemporary, Northern beer."
Today, Northern Monk is among the fastest-growing breweries in the UK, and its most popular beer, “Faith,” is one of the country’s top-selling hazy beers.
Leeds’ thriving craft beer scene includes notable names like Horsforth, Amity, DMC, and North, and Russ is proud to see Northern Monk as part of this vibrant community.
Russ said: "There are some fantastic breweries in Leeds, and we are really proud to be amongst them.
"We have a lot of respect for Kirkstall [Brewery], and it's great that they offered support and ultimately acquired North after they went through some challenging times.
"There continues to be a supportive brewing community in the city, and we're proud to sit alongside some fantastic breweries.
"It feels like, ridiculously, we are becoming one of the older brewers in the mix, and also being based in Bradford originally we probably see ourselves as more of a Northern craft brewery.
"Our heart is in Leeds, don't get me wrong, but we are probably in a bit of a different place to some of those other breweries, with nationwide supermarket distribution and things like that."
Since 2014, the Grade II-listed Old Flax Store in Holbeck has served as the brewery’s home. The historic building, located a short walk from the city centre, houses some of the brewery’s production facilities as well as its Refectory taproom. The site’s unique event space and beer garden add to its appeal as a destination for both locals and tourists.
Russ said: "We were feeling privileged to have that space. We've got an incredible beer garden, and it's a really unique building.
"I got married there as well, in the event space. So all those things we take a lot of pride in, and it's a really special space.
"We're in the process of putting some more investment into it and we want it to become a real tourist destination for Leeds and in the North."
With the the addition of Northern Market, its second site in Leeds, and a taproom in Manchester, Northern Monk is now eyeing opportunities in London, York, and Edinburgh. But Russ’s ambitions don’t stop there - his sights are firmly set on the European craft beer market.
Russ said: "We do believe that we've got a voice and a platform and a story to tell that's a little bit different.
"We want to play amongst the biggest brewers, certainly craft breweries in Europe and continue to bring our product to people and to tell our stories and hopefully, delight a few people with our beers and spread a bit of positivity.
"We do want to see ourselves as one of, if not the biggest craft brewery in Europe, by 2035. So we're going to continue marching on and seeing how far we can get."