Valhalla Brewery

Valhalla Brewery is a small independent brewery associated with Unst in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It was established in December 1997 by husband-and-wife team Sonny and Silvia Priest. The brewery took its name from Valhalla, the hall in Norse mythology where fallen warriors were received by Odin, a reference that reflected Shetland’s strong Norse cultural heritage and the brewery’s focus on ale. The business began in a large shed in Baltasound, in the centre of Unst. Its location on Britain’s northernmost inhabited island gave the brewery a distinctive geographical identity and made it a notable part of Shetland’s local food and drink economy. Valhalla’s beers were produced on a small scale and included both traditional and locally themed styles. Reported varieties included Auld Rock, a dark ale brewed with malt and hops; Simmer Dim; Sjolmet Stout; White Wife; Old Scatness; and Island Bere, a later beer made with bere barley. Bere is an ancient northern barley variety associated with the Scottish islands, giving Island Bere a particularly strong local connection. In 2012, Valhalla Brewery moved from its original Baltasound shed to a larger building at the former RAF Saxa Vord radar station near Haroldswick, also on Unst. The move expanded the brewery’s production capacity to approximately 144,000 litres per year, or about 32,000 imperial gallons. This represented a doubling of the brewery’s previous capacity and provided more suitable premises for a growing regional operation. The brewery closed in spring 2017 because of the ill health of its owners. In 2018, it was reported to have reopened under new management at the former Olnafirth Primary School in Voe, Shetland. Publicly available reference material does not establish the identity of the new operators, the precise ownership structure, the full post-2018 product range, or whether the business remains active today. Valhalla Brewery is therefore best understood as a locally rooted Shetland brewing brand with a documented interruption in operations and a later reported revival.

Valhalla Brewery was founded in December 1997 on Unst in the Shetland Islands by Sonny and Silvia Priest. The founders were a husband-and-wife team, and the brewery began production in a large shed in Baltasound, the main settlement in the centre of Unst. Its name refers to Valhalla, Odin’s hall in Norse mythology, where fallen warriors were welcomed with drink. The choice of name connected the business to Shetland’s Norse historical and cultural traditions. From its Unst base, the brewery developed a range of small-batch beers associated with traditional brewing and the distinctive environment of the northern Scottish islands. Its documented range included Auld Rock, a dark ale made with malt and hops; Simmer Dim; Sjolmet Stout; White Wife; Old Scatness; and Island Bere. The last of these was made with bere barley, an old barley variety linked to northern Scotland and the island communities. The product names also drew on Shetland places, seasons and local culture, reinforcing the brewery’s regional identity. A major operational change came in 2012, when Valhalla moved from its original Baltasound shed to a larger facility at the former RAF Saxa Vord radar station near Haroldswick. The new premises increased the brewery’s reported annual capacity to 144,000 litres, equivalent to approximately 32,000 imperial gallons or 38,000 US gallons. This was described as a doubling of production capacity and marked the brewery’s expansion from a very small initial operation into a more substantial regional producer, while retaining its Unst base. The founders’ health subsequently affected the business. Valhalla Brewery closed in spring 2017 because of the ill health of Sonny and Silvia Priest. The closure ended the first phase of the brewery’s operation under its founders. In 2018, reference material reported that the brewery had reopened under new management in the former Olnafirth Primary School in Voe, on Shetland’s Mainland. The available account does not identify the new management, document the ownership arrangements, describe the full scale of the revived operation, or confirm its present trading status. Consequently, the historical record supports a clear account of the brewery’s founding, relocation, closure and reported reopening, but not a definitive statement about its current operations.

• 2018

  The brewery reportedly reopens under new management

  [1]Valhalla Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Valhalla Brewery is reported to have resumed operations at the former Olnafirth Primary School in Voe, Shetland.

• 2017

  Operations close

  [1]Valhalla Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  The brewery closes in spring because of the ill health of its owners.

• 2012

  The brewery relocates to Saxa Vord

  [1]Valhalla Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Valhalla moves to a larger building at the former RAF Saxa Vord radar station near Haroldswick, reportedly doubling annual production capacity to 144,000 litres.

• 1997

  Valhalla Brewery is founded on Unst

  [1]Valhalla Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Sonny and Silvia Priest open Valhalla Brewery in December in a large shed in Baltasound, Shetland.

A small, independent Shetland brewery emphasizing traditional beer styles, island identity and Norse-inspired branding, with additional local distinctiveness through the use of bere barley.

• Dark ale

  Auld Rock

  A dark ale identified as one of Valhalla Brewery’s original or established beers. It was brewed with malt and hops and represented the brewery’s traditional ale-focused approach.

• Ale

  Simmer Dim

  An ale in Valhalla Brewery’s documented range. Its name refers to the summer twilight phenomenon associated with Shetland’s far-northern latitude, linking the beer to local geography and seasonal culture.

• Stout

  Sjolmet Stout

  A stout listed among the brewery’s beers. It formed part of Valhalla’s broader selection of traditional styles alongside dark ale and other island-themed offerings.

• Beer

  White Wife

  One of Valhalla Brewery’s named beers and a cited flagship offering in descriptions of the brewery. The available reference material does not provide a confirmed style, recipe or launch date.

• Beer

  Old Scatness

  A beer named after Old Scatness, a Shetland archaeological site and settlement. The product illustrates Valhalla’s practice of using local place names and island heritage in its branding.

• Ale

  Island Bere

  A later addition to the range brewed from bere barley, an ancient barley variety associated with the northern Scottish islands. It was the clearest example of the brewery incorporating a locally connected agricultural ingredient into its beer identity.

• 2017

  Closure because of owners' ill healthOther

  Background

  The health of founders Sonny and Silvia Priest affected the brewery’s ability to continue operating.

  Action taken

  The brewery closed in spring 2017.

  Aftermath

  The business was later reported to have reopened under new management in 2018, although details of the transition are not available in the cited material.

  Source

• 2012

  Relocation and production expansionStrategy

  Background

  The original Baltasound shed limited the scale of the brewery’s operations.

  Action taken

  Valhalla moved to a larger building at the former RAF Saxa Vord radar station near Haroldswick.

  Aftermath

  The new premises reportedly doubled annual production capacity to 144,000 litres.

  Source

• 2018

  Valhalla Brewery reopens under new management[1]Valhalla Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change · Other

  The brewery was reported to have resumed operations under new management at the former Olnafirth Primary School in Voe, Shetland.

• 2017

  Valhalla Brewery closes because of owners' ill health[1]Valhalla Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Operations were reported to have ended in spring 2017 because of the ill health of founders Sonny and Silvia Priest.

• 2012

  Valhalla Brewery moves to larger premises at Saxa Vord[1]Valhalla Breweryen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The brewery relocated from its original shed in Baltasound to a larger building at the former RAF Saxa Vord radar station near Haroldswick. The move reportedly doubled annual production capacity to approximately 144,000 litres.

1. 1Valhalla Breweryen.wikipedia.org