A New Sussex Brewery Joins the Line-up
Sussex has a new brewery on the way. Draft Pick Brewing Company, based in Arundel, is a new brand from the same team now running Goldmark — a direct-to-trade operation built around keg beer, with a handful of signature cask lines alongside. The aim, in the team's own words, is to bring bold flavours and styles to Sussex and the surrounding area, balanced with classic, familiar styles to keep the roster well rounded.
The name is also the method. Draft Pick treats its beer list the way a sports franchise builds a squad: every recipe is scouted, tested and selected for what it adds to the line-up rather than chosen in isolation — hence the tagline, Every Pick Counts. Sussex ingredients come first wherever they fit, but the brewery is unapologetic about going further afield when a particular hop does the job better. Its guiding line, Sussex Born, Nation Bound, sets out both where it's from and where it intends to go.
The team
The brewery is run by the same small team behind Goldmark. Ethan Belfield is Head Brewer, qualifying in early 2026 after an apprenticeship at Brolly Brewing, with West Coast and hazy IPAs as his specialism. Spence, an RAF veteran with a background in corporate transformation, looks after brand and direction. Marta Spencer joins, bringing account and client-management experience to the customer-facing and administrative side. Overseeing morale, and lending their names to the flagship beer, are Leonard and Benson; the owners' dogs and full-time brand ambassadors.
The launch roster
- Lenson — Hazy IPA (NEIPA), 4.2%. The flagship, named after the two brewery dogs. Hopped with Crush, Citra and Nectaron for aromas of mango, passionfruit and fresh peach; soft and pillowy on the palate with low bitterness and a clean, gently dry finish. Juice-forward and built for a second pint.
- My Name's Jeff — West Coast IPA, 5.5%. The uncompromising one. Chinook-led and properly bitter, with pine resin, grapefruit pith and a crack of white pepper; lean, dry and bracing through a long, clean finish.
- One Club Man — Traditional Sussex Bitter (cask), 4.0%. The straight-down-the-line cask beer of the range: a smooth, traditional Sussex bitter, amber in colour and biscuit-malt forward, with a nutty finish and an earthy note from the hops. Balanced, restrained and sessionable, with a clean finish.
- Until They Come Home — Flemish Brown Ale, 4.5%. A Remembrance release available in October and November only. Dark and rich in colour, with a light, bready maltiness and flavours of toffee and a touch of chocolate. A quiet, unshowy beer for the season, with a donation from every cask sold going to a veterans' charity.
Draft Pick Brewing Company, Arundel, West Sussex. A direct-to-trade brewery — look out for the pump clips on untied bars across Horsham, Arundel, Worthing and Brighton as the range rolls out. Call 01903 297838 for enquiries.