The first pint of Ballard’s was brewed in 1980 in the old cow house on the family farm in Sussex. The brewery remained at the farm until 1985 when Ballards took over the old Railway Pub at Elsted, 2.5 miles from the original site, reopening after several months of closure as the Ballards Pub.
The brewery was then installed in an outhouse behind the pub allowing increased production. When the pub was sold in 1988 the Brewery moved to new premises at the Old Sawmill in Nyewood 3 miles away. Since 1988 the brewery has continued to expand by purchasing additional neighbouring units at the Old Sawmill where it is still operating from to this day.