What to drink instead of Stella Artois
Stella Artois is sold as Belgian and brewed in Britain, at Magor, Monmouthshire, South Wales and Samlesbury, Lancashire, at 4.6%. The version sold in Belgium is 5.2%, 0.6 percentage points stronger.
By Mark Porter. Last checked 9 September 2026. Where Stella Artois is really brewed, with the pack wording and the sources.
What the front says, and what the back says
Leuven 1366 heritage on the label, Belgian name and chalice serve
Country of Origin: United Kingdom. Manufacturer: AB InBev UK Limited, EC4A 1EN; InBev Belgium, Bd Industriel 21, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium
Where it is brewed, against where the brand comes from
| The brand comes from | Belgium, from 1926 |
|---|---|
| Owned by | Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium |
| Brewed for the UK at | Magor, Monmouthshire, South Wales and Samlesbury, Lancashire (AB InBev UK Limited (Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I)) |
Strength, and what it means in a pack
A 4 x 568ml can pack of Stella Artois at the UK strength of 4.6% holds 10.5 units. At the 5.2% sold in Belgium it would hold 11.8, so the British pack holds 1.4 fewer units than the same quantity of the beer sold in Belgium.
Instead of Stella Artois
| Beer | Why it is on the list | Strength here |
|---|---|---|
| Budweiser Budvar OriginalThe same style, genuinely imported from elsewhere | Brewed at Ceske Budejovice in the Czech Republic. 5.0% here, 0.4 percentage points stronger than Stella Artois. | 5.0% |
| Heineken SilverThe same style, genuinely imported from elsewhere | Brewed in the Netherlands. 4.0% here, 0.6 percentage points weaker than Stella Artois. | 4.0% |
| Pilsner UrquellThe same style, genuinely imported from elsewhere | Brewed at Plzen in the Czech Republic. 4.4% here, 0.2 percentage points weaker than Stella Artois. | 4.4% |
| Bitburger Premium PilsThe same style, genuinely imported from elsewhere | Brewed at Bitburg in Germany. 4.8% here, 0.2 percentage points stronger than Stella Artois. | 4.8% |
| Krombacher PilsThe same style, genuinely imported from elsewhere | Brewed at Kreuztal, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. 4.8% here, 0.2 percentage points stronger than Stella Artois. | 4.8% |
| Warsteiner Premium VerumThe same style, genuinely imported from elsewhere | Brewed at Warstein in Germany. 4.8% here, 0.2 percentage points stronger than Stella Artois. | 4.8% |
Chosen by rule, not by taste, and no beer pays to appear: how the list is made.
Where Stella Artois is stocked, and when we last checked
| Supermarket | Product page | Last checked |
|---|---|---|
| Morrisons | The listing | 9 September 2026 |
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