RedWillow Alcohol-Free Beers

RedWillow is an independent brewery in Macclesfield, Cheshire, started in 2010 by Toby and Caroline McKenzie, who still own it. Its alcohol-free beers are the 0.5% Less is More series, and the Mosaic edition took silver in its category at SIBA’s national awards in 2026.

Who are RedWillow?

Toby McKenzie’s homebrewing went professional in 2010, when the McKenzies leased a small warehouse in Macclesfield, bought a 10-hectolitre kit and were selling casks to the trade by Christmas, Pellicle reported. Toby had worked in IT; “I was enjoying brewing more than I was enjoying I.T.”, he told The Brewers Journal. Caroline left a job as a research scientist at AstraZeneca, Pellicle says. The name joins their two children’s middle names, Willow and Red, and its first beer was Directionless, a 4.2% cask golden ale, according to Pellicle.

Most RedWillow beers have names ending in “-less”: Wreckless, Shameless, Feckless, Perceptionless and more. It started as a cask-only brewery, and keg came later, The Brewers Journal and Pellicle say. In September 2015 it moved to its current site on Byrons Lane, less than half a mile south of Macclesfield station and beside the West Coast Main Line, Avanti West Coast’s newsdesk said in 2020, when RedWillow’s Tilting Ale, made for Avanti’s trains, went back on sale on board.

Companies House lists Toby and Caroline McKenzie as its owners and only directors, so we list it as independent. Toby McKenzie is co-founder and head brewer, a RedWillow press release says.

What RedWillow brews

“Love and respect for the great British cask pint started the brewery and honed its reputation,” RedWillow says. Its range runs from Effortless, a 3.7% pale, and Feckless, a 4.1% best bitter, to Wreckless, a 4.8% American pale ale, Perceptionless, a 6.6% New England IPA, Breakfast Stout and Restless, an 8.4% imperial milk porter. It has made lager since 2013, Pellicle says, and its lagers get “a minimum of 6 weeks lagering time”, the brewery says. In spring 2026 Beer Guild and Food & Drink Technology reported that Feckless is now in bottles at selected Co-op stores in the North West of England, with the Stockport brewer Robinsons handling packaging and production.

At SIBA’s North West awards in October 2026, SIBA’s own results list RedWillow category champions including Shameless, Breakfast Stout, Guileless and Godless, among more medals than the seven the brewery’s press release counts. Three of its beers, though not Less is More, are certified gluten-free, the brewery says.

How big is RedWillow?

It brews on a 30-hectolitre three-vessel brewhouse installed at the end of 2021, with two 60-hectolitre tanks kept for lager and two oak foeders for mixed-fermentation beers, Pellicle reported. It runs bars in Macclesfield and Buxton and sells through “national pub distribution”, it says; “We deliver to most of mainland UK.” We didn’t find its output or staff numbers.

RedWillow’s bars

The first bar opened in 2013, at 32A Park Green in Macclesfield town centre, Pellicle says; CAMRA calls it a “Sensitive conversion of former shop premises”, with five RedWillow cask beers on handpump and 11 keg lines. RedWillow Buxton, at 1 Cavendish Circus, is “located within a converted RBS bank”, CAMRA says. Pellicle says it opened in 2016; CAMRA says late 2017.

RedWillow’s alcohol-free beers

The first Less is More was a 4.2% session IPA, listed on Untappd in 2018; the name now covers RedWillow’s 0.5% beers, in hop and style editions. A 0.5% Talus Idaho 7 edition from 2022 is no longer made, Untappd shows. Less is More Mosaic has been on Untappd since August 2023: “All hop, no compromise. This punchy, Mosaic packed, 0.5% IPA proves that less can be more,” RedWillow says, with “Bright citrus and tropical character with a clean, elegant finish”. Its spec line calls it a pale ale. It comes in 440ml cans; RedWillow gives 126 kJ and 30 kcal per 100ml, about 132 kcal a can (our sum), and says it’s vegan. It contains gluten from malted barley.

SIBA’s own results pages confirm most of its awards. At SIBA’s North West awards in October 2025 it won gold and was category champion for keg non-alcoholic and low-ABV beer, and took silver in the judging for overall keg champion, against full-strength beers. At SIBA’s national awards, at BeerX in Liverpool in March 2026, it took silver in that category, behind Adnams Ghost Ship Alcohol Free; the Morning Advertiser reported the same. At the North West awards in October 2026 SIBA lists it as bronze in keg alcohol free (up to 0.5%); RedWillow’s press release and Beer Today say silver. RedWillow also says it won “Silver in Can and Silver in Keg” at SIBA’s awards, in a press release dated April 2025, and a Great Taste award in 2026; we haven’t matched those to the results.

RedWillow’s own shop has also sold a Less is More Helles since August 2026, “our new Less is More Helles 0.5% AF lager”, with “Delicate floral hops” and “soft, biscuity malt”, it says. Its page gives the same 30 kcal per 100ml as the Mosaic, which may be copied across. Untappd lists a Helles from September 2025. The UK shops we link to don’t sell it. RedWillow doesn’t say how it makes either beer.

How Less is More Mosaic compares

Alcohol-free pale ales and IPAs from UK breweries in our directory, including Adnams Ghost Ship, which won gold in Less is More Mosaic’s category at SIBA’s 2026 national awards. Calories per 100ml, as on each beer’s page (some are our sums from a per-can figure); checked 31 October 2026. Scores are Unhopped ratings out of 10.

The RedWillow beer in our directory

Checked 31 October 2026. Calories are from RedWillow’s website. Scores are Unhopped ratings out of 10.

Where to buy RedWillow

On 29 October 2026 The Alcohol Free Co had Less is More Mosaic at £29.12 for six (an affiliate link). RedWillow’s own shop listed single cans at £2.90 (its page showed sold out; its product data listed singles as available), and the Helles at the same price. For more, see our guide to the best alcohol-free pale ales.

Facts checked against RedWillow’s own website, Companies House, SIBA, the Morning Advertiser, Pellicle, The Brewers Journal, CAMRA, Avanti West Coast, Beer Today, Beer Guild, Food & Drink Technology, Untappd and The Alcohol Free Co, 31 October 2026.