Signal Brewery Tap Room, Croydon

Official site of Signal Brewery - signalbeerco.com

Official site of Signal Brewery - signalbeerco.com

Established at his location for some time now, this industrial estate-based brewery has never really been all that keen to invite customers around to drink on the premises but was very much open and doing a roaring trade when we popped round to visit the neighbouring Anspach & Hobday brewery recently. The barman explained that they open Saturday afternoons if the weather is good enough, and you can see why, as there is virtually no internal space for drinkers, mainly because of the way the large, smart servery has been set up right in the main entrance, taking up much of the front part of the unit. The seating is therefore all found outside, in the loading bay area, with a good mix including three canteen tables and benches, a couple of garden tables and chairs and plenty of padded kegs. Also present was a delicious smelling pizza truck which was dishing out tasty looking pizzas with interesting toppings for £9 a pop. A small group were being given a tour of the brewery, which can be organised in advance and there was even a stag-do group who turned up at one point, despite the highly unpromising location. A stereo system on the end of the bar was pumping out a decent range of 90’s tunes which helped generate a bit of atmosphere and attracted a much larger crowd than their neighbour. The friendly barman talked me through the keg range which comprised Signal Lager, Pale Ale, Joost IPA and one other that I forgot to note. Further options were available in bottled form from the well-stocked fridges. The Joost IPA was a tasty enough brew and served reasonably cold, which was blessed relief on a very hot summer’s afternoon. This brewery have made a big name for themselves in a relatively short space of time, going so far as to open their own bar in the O2 Arena, so I was pleased to find their brewery bar open, giving me a chance to sample their beer at source. Of course, that is about the full scope of the place, unless you intend to take a tour, so don’t come expecting a proper pub experience, but it’s worth a stop-off if you’re travelling on the tram between Croydon and Wimbledon – just make sure you confirm their opening plans before you set-off.