Docks Beers

William Douglas and Shahram Shadan ran the Axholme Brewing Co in Crowle, North Lincolnshire from 2013, making hundreds of beers across old and new styles before relocating to Grimsby with a more focused brief: build a dedicated craft beer brand in a city that rarely gets credit for having one. A £64,000 start-up grant from local business support organisation E-Factor helped fund the move. The King Edward Street church site houses a 25-hectolitre brewing plant and taproom, and in 2020 the space extended further when Docks Academy opened as a live music and events venue.

The core range covers pale ales, IPAs, and stouts. The alcohol-free line is represented by a 0.5% hazy pale ale brewed with wheat and oats, vegan-friendly and packaged in 440ml cans. Weeknight drinkers looking for a craft-independent AF option in the hazy pale category will find Docks Beers sitting in the mid-range bracket.

In 2025, Douglas and Shadan stepped down as co-founders and their shares were acquired by Kirkham Holdings Ltd. The brewery continues to operate under the same name. Distribution of the AF product is through specialist alcohol-free retailers.