Left Handed Giant

Left Handed Giant began in 2014 with Rich Poole handing some homebrew to Bruce Gray and Jack Granger at Small Bar in Bristol. They started brewing on a 200-litre kit at the back of that same bar, moved through a cuckoo brewing phase, and by 2017 had raised over a million pounds through a Crowdcube campaign to establish a proper production facility. The brewpub at Finzels Reach, overlooking the floating harbour, opened in 2019 and became one of the more credible craft beer destinations in the city.

What makes LHG unusual is the ownership model. Around 1,500 shareholders hold stakes in the business, with more than 80% carrying Bristol postcodes. They describe themselves as founder, employee, and community-owned, and the long-term ambition is a full employee buyout. This is relatively rare in brewing, where most crowdfunded craft brands eventually sell to larger operators.

The brewing output runs to around 7,000 hectolitres a year across two sites. The range covers IPAs, pale ales, West Coast styles, radlers, and a table beer, distributed primarily through independent pubs, bottle shops, and their own venues. They don't chase supermarket listings.

Their alcohol-free offering is Run Free, an AF pale ale available in cans. It's a single product rather than a broad AF range, which reflects where LHG's core energy sits. For drinkers who want something from a serious craft operation with genuine Bristol roots, Run Free is a reasonable option.

The Collection

Nothing Ventured

Run Free

Run Free IPA

Sicilian Lemon Radler