The Brewery hosts conferences, product launches, company dinners and receptions for groups from 30 guests up to 1,600 when the whole venue is taken over. It occupies the Grade II listed buildings of a former Whitbread brewery at 52 Chiswell Street, in the City of London.
Seminars and company events
The range of rooms is the main reason to consider it for business events. The Porter Tun is the largest, with a stated maximum of 900 guests, which suits a plenary session, an annual meeting or a large launch. King George III takes up to 500 and Queen Charlotte up to 200, so a mid-sized conference can run a main session in one room and a reception or breakout in the other. Smaller teams can look at James Watt for up to 100 guests, the Sugar Rooms for up to 120, or the Smeaton Vaults for up to 112.
The venue offers theatre, cabaret, classroom, dinner, reception and exhibition layouts. The website gives one maximum per room, not a figure per layout, so ask the events team for the seated numbers in your format before you shortlist a room. Event design, IT and audio visual services are provided on site, and the website carries a virtual tour and floor plans, which helps when the decision involves several people who cannot visit together.
Rooms and capacities
All maximums below are the figures the venue states. The Porter Tun holds up to 900, King George III up to 500 and Queen Charlotte up to 200. The Sugar Rooms hold up to 120 across an upper and a lower level linked by a private staircase. The Smeaton Vaults hold up to 112 in two adjacent vaulted rooms, and were recently refurbished. James Watt holds up to 100. The Grubstreet Cellars hold up to 88 across three spaces, one of which is a small vintage cinema, and were completely refurbished in 2018.
Rooms can be hired one at a time or combined. The smallest space works for about 30 guests. A full takeover of the venue reaches 1,600 guests, which makes it relevant for exhibitions and multi-room corporate days.
Catering
Catering is run in house. The website does not list menus on the venue page, so ask for the food and drink options that match your format, from a working lunch to a seated dinner. The venue also provides a complimentary cloakroom, which is useful for winter conferences and evening receptions.
History and setting
The buildings belong to the eighteenth-century brewery of the Whitbread company, and the Grade II listing covers the site. Room names such as Porter Tun, King George III, Queen Charlotte and James Watt refer to that brewing past. The vaulted cellars and the older halls give the venue a character that a modern conference center does not have, while the City location keeps it close to the offices of many corporate clients.
Getting there
The address is 52 Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4SD. Barbican and Moorgate stations are each about a 5-minute walk, Farringdon is about 10 minutes, and Bank and Liverpool Street are about 15 minutes on foot. At least ten bus routes serve the area. There is no on-site parking: the nearest car park is the NCP at the Barbican, and street pay-and-display parking is limited. Bicycle parking is available at the venue.
