Sierra Leone Brewery Limited was established on 10th November 1961 at the Wellington Industrial Estate. It is one of a number of Breweries operating in West Africa with Heineken Technical Beheer as Commercial and Technical Advisers and with a share holding of 83.1%, Guinness Overseas 11.6% and Paterson Zochonis(PZ) 3% and Sierra Leoneans fully paid as at 18th June 2001 2%.

Sierra Leone Brewery Limited started producing samples of beer for test marketing in 1962 and began selling Star beer in January 1963. Despite the Political upheaval in 1996 and in January 6 1999 the Brewery has progressed to the extent that it now produces three brands ? namely Star Lager Beer, Guinness Stout and Maltina non alcholic Malt drink; Guinness is being produced under licence from the patent owners overseas. With this three brands Sierra Leone Brewery Limited now enjoys a very large Share of the beer and stout market in Sierra Leone.

With the restoration of President Kabbah?s SLPP government into power by the West African Intervention Force (ECOMOG), the company resumed operation after being shut down because of the Freetown invasion in January 1999. With support from its major shareholders, Heineken InternationalDiageo / Guinness and PZ, the Sierra Leone Brewery can now boast of a state of the earth machine that has the ability of producing 24,000 bottles per hour.

In reality, the installation of this modern machine has gone a long way in addressing the acute shortage of our product in the market as was the case in the past especially during festive seasons.

The company has also expanded its operations by the growing of sorghum (Raw Material) locally in the northern region for brewing . Plans are on going for the installation of modern brewing machinery for production to meet the needs of the population nationwide.

Heineken, Club Shandy and Climax energy drink which are being produced by Heineken Technisch Beheer are imported into Sierra Leone by Sierra Leone Brewery Limited to compliment the other products. As an evidence of its excellent quality products, Star beer won a Gold and Bronze medal overseas.

Apart from this success Sierra Leone Brewery Limited has played a formidable role in the social life in Sierra Leone. It initiated the National Amateur Boxing Tournament in 1970 and has sponsored it annually since then. It also sponsors other competitions notably Golf, Table Tennis and Volley Ball. The company is also associated with local musicians in their drive to create a good entertainment climate. The company has also pursued a policy of training Sierra Leonean to take up positions of responsibility.