Bishop Nick

Bishop Nick is not a new name in Essex brewing, even if the brewery is relatively young. The brand was founded in 2011 by Nelion Ridley, reviving a family brewing lineage that stretches back to Thomas Dixon Ridley, who established a brewery on the River Chelmer in 1842. That operation ran for six generations before being sold in 2005. The Bishop Nick name itself reaches further back still, to Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London in the sixteenth century, who was burned at the stake in 1555 for refusing to recant his Protestant beliefs. His name and story run through the brewery's branding in ways that feel earned rather than decorative.

The brewery relocated from Felsted to Braintree in 2013 and now produces a range of traditional real ales alongside keg and canned beers. The core range includes Ridley's Rite, a 3.6% pale ale that picked up recognition at the CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain awards in 2017, along with darker and stronger options like 1555, named after the year of Bishop Nick's martyrdom.

For those looking to drink alcohol-free, the offer is focused: Martyr 0.5 is a 0.5% American pale ale using US hops, carrying a floral nose and some bitterness balanced against a malt backbone. The name is a quiet nod to the brewery's history. It is available direct from the brewery shop and online.

Bishop Nick is a small, traditional brewery with a specific identity rooted in place and history. The AF range is limited, but what exists is consistent with the brewery's character.

The Collection

Martyr Pale Ale