Bellwoods Brewery was founded by Mike Clark and Luke Pestl in 2012. Inspired by breweries around the world, they set out to bring fresh, innovative styles to Toronto’s growing beer scene. Framed by a charming white picket fence, our original small-batch brewery and restaurant opened on Ossington Avenue with a primary goal: brew beers we were genuinely excited to drink, and create a gathering space for locals and beer lovers alike. From those early, experimental batches poured in our cozy restaurant, we’ve stayed deeply connected to our roots, growing alongside the neighbourhood that first welcomed us.
In 2016, we expanded to our Hafis Road location, growing into a passionate team of over 100 individuals committed to exceptional quality. Our creative team leads innovation, relentlessly dedicated to the pursuit of perfect beverages. Driven by curiosity, we never stop learning, experimenting, or attempting what might seem impossible: releasing hundreds of unique beers, non-alc beers, and seltzers each year.
Crucial to that creative process is our visual identity. In the early days on Ossington, local design studio Doublenaut worked down the street from us, making them our neighbours and friends. Together, we built the look and feel of Bellwoods, collaborating on every single piece of label artwork we have released to date. Their bold, imaginative artwork gives our products a distinctive personality that keeps things fun and approachable, without taking itself too seriously.
At the core of what we do is a love for collaboration and sustainability. From our limited-releases to our seasonal restaurant menu - thoughtfully designed around what local Ontario producers are harvesting - we partner with fellow farmers, brewers, and creators in our community. We bring that same responsibility to our packaging philosophy. Through investment in technology like CO₂ recapture systems, we capture emissions generated during fermentation and reuse them throughout the facility – one of many ways we're working to protect the environment we rely on.
From those first batches on Ossington to hundreds of new releases today, our goal has always been simple: make great beverages that bring people together. So whether you’re sharing a meal on our patio, stocking up at Hafis, or having a pint at your local pub - cheers to being part of the journey with us.