The origins of Bell’s Brewery date back to the 18th century. Our founder John Bell (formerly a Wine & Spirit Merchant) operated one of the first-known breweries in Belfast and helped kickstart the beer revolution in the city during that time. Lower Garfield Street was once known as Bell’s Lane in his honour as he lived and brewed here, in the heart of Belfast’s Brewery Quarter, since 1778.

At the time that John Bell was in operation, there were several booming breweries on neighbouring streets including North Street, Royal Avenue and Smithfield. Belfast soon became the biggest exporting port in Ireland in the 1800s, partly due to the thriving distilling and brewing industries.

Following the industrial revolution however, the Guinness family had the vision to invest heavily and brewing became focused in Dublin. Sadly, this meant that many Belfast breweries disappeared. Today, we’re passionate about reviving the old Brewery Quarter in Belfast.