We sat down with Charlie Buckle, owner of Mauldons Brewery, to hear how Suffolk’s oldest brewery continues to craft award-winning ales while honouring its rich heritage and driving sustainable innovation.

Tell us about Mauldons Brewery… 

We’re the oldest brewery in East Anglia, based in Sudbury, Suffolk. Our rich heritage dates back to 1795 when Anna Maria Mauldon began brewing beer at the Bull Hotel in Sudbury. Today, we remain a family-owned brewery with a passion for crafting exceptional, traditional beer.

What brews do you offer, and what makes them so special?

Mauldons’ core range includes six award-winning ales, complemented by seasonal small-batch brews crafted throughout the year.

Recently, our Suffolk Pride took home Bronze in the Best British Bitter category at the SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) National Independent Beer Awards—a moment we’re incredibly proud of!

One of the key reasons our beer is so unique is thanks to Steve Birch, our exceptional Head Brewer, who has been with Mauldons for over 40 years. His skill, dedication, and deep understanding of our ethos have been paramount to our success. Quite simply, we wouldn’t be here without him.

You’re on a mission to become one of the greenest breweries in the UK. What are you doing to pave the way?

We’re passionate about creating beer with sustainability at its core. Mauldons is part of the wider Nedging Hall Estate, and we love that our businesses work full circle. We craft the ales served in our three Suffolk pubs: The Lindsey Rose, The Bildeston Crown, and The Brewery Tap. 

We use malted barley grown on our own farm and premium hops from the UK, which not only enhances quality but also reduces our carbon footprint. Spent grains from the brewing process are fed to Red Poll cattle, a rare Suffolk breed, with the beef then served in the estate’s establishments. We’ve also installed solar panels across our buildings, providing electricity to brew our beer, power the offices, and soon, charge our forklift trucks. 

Looking ahead, we’re striving towards net zero, with plans to introduce electric delivery vans. If our bottled beer sales continue to grow, we aim to invest in an in-house bottling facility, allowing us to manage the entire process sustainably.

The business began over 200 years ago. Tell us about its journey…

Mauldons was founded in 1795 by Anna Maria Mauldon, a true trailblazer in a male-dominated industry. We’re incredibly proud of her legacy, which we recently honoured with a special brew for Women’s History Month.

She started brewing at the Bull Hotel in Sudbury, and over time, the business expanded to include a brewery, around 30 tied public houses, a wine and spirit business, and a small farm. As Mauldons prospered, it acquired additional pubs and hotels. In the early 1800s, the brewery moved to a larger site on Ballingdon Street.

Fast forward to today, Mauldons has doubled in size with the addition of a large, purpose-built cold store and Bottle Shop—an expansion we’re confident Anna Maria would be proud of!

Tell us more about the special brew you made in her honour!

To celebrate Anna Maria’s pioneering legacy, we crafted a traditional-style bitter using England’s oldest hop variety, Fuggles, and the renowned Maris Otter malted barley, a 60-year-old variety known for its rich, deep flavour.

The result is a dark, malt-driven beer, reminiscent of the ales from Anna Maria’s era. It’s been incredibly popular, and you can find it on tap at any of our three pubs!

Finally, what’s your favourite brew?

It has to be Silver Adder, our best seller. It’s a super pale ale with powerful hops that deliver a lovely citrus burst, followed by a crisp, clean finish.

I’m also a big fan of our gluten-free brew, Ploughmans. It’s a 3.9% golden ale with a clear, crisp taste and a sweet, refreshing finish—perfect for a summer’s day.

Over winter, my go-to is our stout, Black Adder. It’s a dark ruby “bitter stout,” brewed with Maris Otter, Pearl pale malts, crystal, and black malt, along with Fuggles hops. The result is a bold, roasty beer with big cocoa and slightly sharp, drying notes—a rich, satisfying winter warmer.

Check out Mauldons full range at: www.mauldons.co.uk