Breweries and Beers of Bedfordshire - History and Information on the Brewers, Breweries, Beers, Labels and Pump Clips

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Charles Wells Ltd.
Charles Wells was born in Bedford in 1842. At the age of 14 he left school and boarded the 'Devonshire' frigate, bound for India. Right about the time he was promoted to Chief Officer in the late 1860's, he fell in love and proposed to Josephine Grimbley. However, his prospective father-in-law put paid to his plans when he announced that no daughter of his would marry a man who would be away at sea for months at a time. And so, Charles, desperate to marry his sweetheart, left his sea-faring career and in 1876 established the Charles Wells family brewery to provide beer to the local Bedfordians. It was in the previous year that a site came to auction on the banks of the River Ouse as it ran through Bedford. The site contained a coal depot and a brew house. Included in the price were 35 pubs, most of which were in Bedford and the surrounding area. Charles Wells brewery was one of the largest independent family-owned breweries in the UK when, in 2006, the company teamed up with Young's of Wandsworth. Despite their considerable output, Charles Wells can still brew decent ale - I still get a headache thinking about the times I have consumed Bombardier all day at the Cambridge Festival. Top Tip: When in hot sunshine, treat this beer with more caution than I do. The brewery has its own well which accounts for the distinct flavours of their ales. Charles Wells has around 300 tied houses and also supplies over 600 outlets direct. The brewery introduced a bottling plant in 1996 and now exports its beers to over 23 countries. This earned the company a Queen's Award for Export in 1997.
© Copyright. Images supplied by Charles Wells Ltd and reproduced with kind permission.

Founder Charles Wells

The Old Brewery

Dray Vehicles

Bombardier 4.3%

Eagle IPA 3.6%

Banana Bread Beer 4.5%

Burning Gold 4.7%

John Bull Bitter 4.1%

John Bull Finest Bitter is a a refreshing, traditional ‘London-style’ premium with a distinctive hop bitterness brewed to a recipe originating from the early 1900’s. "The golden tawny brew has a depth of flavour drawn from an infusion of English malt and the citrus fruit of the unmistakable East Kent Goldings hop. Overlaid with this rich character is a distinct crispness." The distinctive John Bull pump clip, the shape of which reflects old ‘Thrupenny Bit’ coin, which was used during the period when John Bull first originated, provides excellent stand out at the bar. It contains an icon reference to John Bull, who first appeared as a satirical character in 1712 and was used to represent the strong, good-hearted, honest, good humoured and patriotic Englishman. John Bull uses English 'Challenger' and 'East Kent Goldings' hops. Sampled by hand, only the most flavoursome part of the ripest hops are used, guaranteeing a distinct hop bitterness and tempting citrus fruit aroma. The English 'Crystal' malt is carefully crushed rather than ground. This helps to bring out the ‘tang’ of a traditional ‘London-style’ bitter and its golden tawny colour. Charles Wells' Master Brewer insists on employing the ‘Holy Brewing’ method, fermenting these fine ingredients for a full 7 days, delivering the consistency and character that John Bull Bitter drinkers rightly demand and which reflect the timeless qualities of John Bull himself.

1940's Beer Label

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