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Breweries of Staffordshire - History
and Information on the Brewers, Breweries, Beers, Labels, Pump Clips and Tasting
Notes


Staffordshire |
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History and Information on the Breweries for Local Historians, Family Research
and Genealogy |
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Samuel Allsopp and Sons Ltd.
Based in the High Street of Burton-on-Trent,
the history of this company can be traced back to the 1740's. Samuel
Allsopp acquired the brewery in 1807. A new
brewery and offices were constructed in 1859-60 close to the railway
station. Throughout the 19th century Allsopp's brewing business was second only to Bass in size.
The new brewery site alone stretched between Station Street and Horninglow Street. They
retained the original
brewery in High Street, built a large maltings at Shobnall and numerous premises elsewhere.
Samuel Allsopp was the first to export Burton Pale Ale to India in 1822. By
1890 their output had reached 460,000 barrels and they had a workforce
of 1,750. However, the 20th century was not so favourable for the
company and they went into receivership in 1913. Allsopp's was
eventually merged with the neighbouring Ind Coope & Co.Ltd. to form Ind
Coope & Allsopp Ltd. The offices of the new brewery were later used
as the headquarters of Punch Taverns and the Spirit Group.
© Copyright
Beer label images from
Digital Photographic Images
Brewery images from
Staffordshire Past-Track
and reproduced with kind permission. |
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Daniel-Batham
and Son Ltd
The
first beers produced by the Batham's family were by Charlotte Billingham who had
married Daniel Batham. They had set up home together in Corngreaves Road, Cradley Heath,
close to The Plough and Harrow public house. Daniel worked in a local mine whilst
Charlotte kept a house with three lodgers. It was there
that she cultivated her talent for
brewing ale. In the 1870's the couple moved to Cradley High Street and soon began working
at the White Horse Inn. This pub has long since vanished but stood
almost opposite the Rose and
Crown. Daniel Batham took over the licence from John Attwood in 1882. And so the legend
that has become Batham's brewery was officially born - Charlotte brewed the ales and
Daniel kept the pub, though it is thought he started to become a brewer himself. Sons Daniel and Caleb entered the business which had begun to flourish. In
1904 Daniel took over the King William in Cole Street, Netherton, where production of Batham's beer continued for another 17 years before it was sold to Julia Hanson's brewery
at Dudley. In 1905 Daniel Batham bought The Vine on The Delph which was previously owned
by Caroline Fox, a close friend of the family [she was an Attwood, the family who had kept
the White Horse Inn]. Because Daniel was busy brewing at the King William, he decided to
lease The Vine but interest was minimal - competition was fierce on The Delph which
already had the large Elwell's Brewery. Production of Batham's beer was slowly transferred
to The Vine from the King William which was sold in 1921. Another pub was added to the
estate in 1923 when they acquired The Royal Oak in Lye. In 1926 the brewery bought The
Bird in Hand at Oldswinford and The Brickmaker's Arms in Lye and also leased
the
Spread Eagle Inn at Brierley Hill. Another pub was bought in 1931 - The Fountain Inn at Quarry Bank
and a year later the company took the lease of The Railway Tavern in Cradley Heath, a pub
that was not too far from where Charlotte Batham first began brewing ales. A family dispute in the 1930's between Daniel and Caleb Batham led to the
sale of many of their pubs to larger breweries. However, they were back into taking on
pubs again in the following decade when famous names like the Royal Exchange and The Lamp
Tavern were added to the estate. It was in 1951 that the really significant move was made. The Swan Inn at Chaddesley Corbett, which was acquired
by the Trustees of King Henry VIII in 1927, was leased it to Batham's on 27th July
1951. At that time the brewery only brewed traditional Black Country Mild. The locals of
Chaddesley Corbett however were used to a paler drink and would have been up
in arms were it not for the company introducing their first bitter to
satisfy the palates of the North Worcestershire folk. The company almost amalgamated with Holden's during the 1950's but
thankfully remained independent. The joint venture would have meant the closure of the
brewery at The Vine and all production would have been moved to Woodsetton. Now with
Matthew and Tim Batham at the helm, the brewery is now in its fifth generation of family
ownership. In 1991 Batham's Bitter was voted Champion Beer of Britain by CAMRA. Batham's
has ten tied houses in the Midlands plus a pub in Wales. The company sells to an
increasing number of free houses in the region although brewing is near to capacity.
© Copyright. Images supplied by
Digital Photographic Images. |
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Bent's-Brewery
Co. Ltd.
Founded by William Bent during the 1790's in
Newcastle-under-Lyme, Bent's Brewery tends to be more associated with
Stone because the company acquired the large brewery of Montgomery and
Co. in 1889. This was when the company's name was established and
registered as Bent's Brewery Co. Ltd. to
acquire R. Bent and Co. and the Montgomery Brewery. The head office and main brewery was
based in Liverpool's New Brewery at Johnson Street. The acquisition of the Montgomery
Brewery included an estate of 23 tied houses. The brewery at Stone was altered and
enlarged throughout the early 20th century. Production at the site ran around the clock
during the Second World War to counteract the bombing of the Liverpool brewery. By the
time Bent's was absorbed by Bass Charrington in 1967 the company operated 514 public
houses.
© Copyright. Images supplied by
Staffordshire Past-Track and reproduced with kind permission. |
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Bindley & Co. Ltd
Founded in 1873, this brewery was based in
New Street, Burton-on-Trent. I first came across the name when writing
up the history of the Bush Inn at Lower Gornal. The old Georgian pub was
sold by its owner, the Earl of Dudley, to Bindley & Company Ltd in
November 1898. The sale was part of a bundle of nine local pubs that
included two Court Houses at Sedgley and Kingswinford. The deal cost the
expanding Bindley & Company Ltd £18,000.0s.0d. The company was
registered in 1888 but by the time it had an estate of 63 public houses
it was acquired by rival Burton brewers Ind Coope in 1914. Bindley's
brewery was closed shortly after the acquisition. This image
below shows the brewhouse, viewed from the cooperage yard.
© Copyright. Images supplied by
Staffordshire Past-Track and reproduced with kind permission. |
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Bindley's Brewery
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Booth's [Red Lion] Brewery
Booth's Brewery was located behind the Red
Lion Inn at Gornal Wood. The pub had a brewery long before Thomas Booth
bought the premises. These included the legendary Thomas Malpass who held the licence for 38 years
and whose antics led to a nickname of Pokeymon and the street became known as Pokey Row.
He sold the Red Lion Inn to brewer William Thomas Clewes of the Home Brewery based in
Quarry Bank who paid £2,500.0s.0d. William Jones was appointed as licensee. He succeeded
in the difficult task of following Pokeymon and became another Gornal legend. They called
him Billy on the Ob. Black Country brewer Tommy Booth bought the Red Lion Inn on August
4th 1935 for £3,650.0s.0d. He later rebuilt and extended the ancient brewery which he
needed to supply his seven local houses and expanding free trade. His wholesale prices
were probably the lowest in the Black Country and he had a reputation for 'the long pull'
where the licensee gave a quart measure for the price of a pint. The brewery was rebuilt
in the 1920's, when most of the adjacent terraced houses called Pokey Row were demolished.
The Red Lion and Brewery was acquired by
Julia Hanson's brewery at Dudley in 1953.
© Copyright. Images supplied by
Digital Photographic Images. |
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The Red Lion
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1930's Beer Label
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William-Butler
and Co. Ltd.
I took
some photographs of this site in the summer of 2004 when the old
Springfield Brewery of William Butler and Co. Ltd still stood but only as
a sort of ghost town. Plans for a redevelopment of the extensive site
were being mooted. It was hoped that some of
the historic buildings would be retained and
incorporated into the designs. Soon after the whole place went up
in smoke - probably the result of yet another arson attack. The company
was founded in 1840 and registered in April 1891. Much confusion still
exists about the name of the brewery because the company was acquired by
Mitchell's and Butler's in 1960. The former managing director of this company
was a completely different William Butler. I can remember drinking in some M&B pubs in
the Black Country during the late 1970's and if they sold beers produced at the
Springfield Brewery it was always preferable to those brewed at Cape Hill. The Springfield
Brewery was eventually closed around 1990.
© Copyright. Images supplied by
Digital Photographic Images. |
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Darby's Brewery
Ltd
The
Dunkirk Brewery operated by Darby's was based in Whitehall Road in
Greets Green, to the west of Guns Village. Founded in 1894, the company
enjoyed moderate growth by acquiring small scale breweries in the Black
Country. Their tied estate numbered more than 100 public houses when
they were taken over by
Mitchell's and Butler's in 1951.
© Copyright. Images supplied by
Digital Photographic Images. |
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James
Eadie Ltd
Established in Burton-on-Trent in the middle of the 19th century, this
company operated an extensive estate of public houses throughout South
Staffordshire. Born in Perthshire in 1827, the young James Eadie travelled south in 1842 to work for his uncle John Eadie, a tea
dealer trading in Fazeley. Once settled, James Eadie started a business
supplying malt to homebrew houses and common brewers in and around
Fazeley. This enterprise proved very successful and the firm's sales
area extended to Burton-on-Trent. Making frequent visits to the brewing
capital of the Midlands, James Eadie decided to implement a forward
extension strategy for his business and established a brewery in Cross
Street in 1852. Despite fierce competition, the brewery flourished and
the company's growth was rapid. However, the company
foundered shortly after it was registered in 1893 and went into
liquidation in the summer of 1896. The brewery survived following
restructuring. James Eadie was a benefactor of Fazeley and Burton
and was responsible for the construction of chapels in both towns. When
he died in June 1904 his personal estate totalled £337,966 [that's over
£24m in today's money]. The company and its tied estate of 308 public
houses was acquired by Bass, Ratcliff and Gretton Ltd. in 1933.
© Copyright. Images supplied by
Digital Photographic Images. |
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George-Elwell
[Delph Brewery]
This brewery was established in 1876 next to
the Duke William Inn on The Delph. A rebuilt pub stands on the site - today it is
called the Dock and Iron. The company was registered in
December 1895. During the following year the Delph Brewery amalgamated
with
Bucknall's Brewery of Kidderminster to form the Worcestershire Brewing and Malting Co.
Ltd.
Towards the end of the Edwardian period, the old brewery
buildings at the Delph collapsed through subsidence of the Dock-o-Nine pit owned
by the Earl of Dudley. Brewer George Elwell was running
the Stewponey and Foley Arms at Stourton by the end of the 19th century,
Born in 1839, he spent his early years working as an iron moulder but
somehow made good in his middle age years. He retired to Greyfields
Court in Kinver in the early 20th century and died in April 1908.
© Copyright. Images supplied by
Digital Photographic Images. |
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Delph Brewery c.1900
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Enville-Brewery
Beer production in Enville ceased in 1919
but was restored, albeit slightly out of the village, in 1993 when the
Enville Brewery was founded at an old farm in Coxgreen. The brewery was
established by former glass designer, Will Constantine-Cort, who had
been made redundant from his job as head of design at Royal Brierley
Crystal. Basing his first beer on a recipe he had used for a
home-brewing hobby, he first produced his Enville Ale at the Chainmaker
brewery in Stourbridge's Mill Race Lane. The first barrel was sold at
his local pub, the Robin Hood Inn at Amblecote. Using the same water as
the original brewery at Enville, the beers are made using several tons
of honey a year, all of which is produced on the site's farm. The
brewery also grows its own barley and its beers are now sold in many
outlets around the Midlands region. Apparently, Will Constantine-Cort
originally intended to keep bees on a full-time basis but somewhere
along the line diversification into beer production led to a change of
direction within the company.
© Copyright. Images supplied by
Enville Ales and reproduced with kind permission. |
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The
Fazeley-Brewery
Established by George Thorneloe in 1845, The Fazeley Brewery was set up
a short distance from the
George Inn on Coleshill Street. Indeed, the
George Inn was kept by George's son Francis who followed in his father's
footsteps and continued the brewery business along with his brother
Thomas. The Fazeley Brewery was acquired by Arthur Evans in 1872. Born
in the Herefordshire town of Kington, he was the son of a wealthy
farmer. He possibly sourced his hops from the family's farm. Enjoying
success, he moved from the premises to a house in Drayton Bassett where
he and his wife Edith employed a governess, nurse, gardener and domestic
servant. The Fazeley Brewery ceased production in 1907 and when the site
was placed on the market it was described as having a "large stores, a
yard with gateway entrance, stabling, lofts and premises, together with
engine, pump, boiler and certain fixed plant in addition to substantial maltings for 24 quarters with three floors and kiln." |
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Holden's-Brewery
Son of a boot and shoe
maker, Edwin Alfred Holden was born in Rowley Regis in March 1875. He
followed the family business moving to Netherton and taking lodgings in
Northfield Road. In Netherton he met and married a publican's daughter,
Lucy Blanch Elizabeth Round at St.Andrew's church on October 25th 1898.
Lucy's father, who had a long-established reputation in the licensed
trade, persuaded them to take the tenancy of a public house. It was the
beginning of the link with the Holden name and beer. Two months after
their wedding, Edwin and Lucy Holden moved into the old Britannia Inn, a
short distance from their rooms in Northfield Road. They stayed there
for six years, moving to the Struggling Man Inn at Shavers End. Three
years later and the Holden's were on the move again to take the
Atkinson's-operated Horse and Jockey in Dibdale Lane, Lower Gornal, some
half a mile away. Son Teddy was born at the pub on November 13th 1907.
Their fourth house, again run by Atkinson's, was the Bloomfield Inn at
Bloomfield Road in Tipton which they took over in October 1909. However,
they only remained there for a short period. Within a year, the family
had taken over a free house - The Summer House at
Woodsetton, where they
remained until 1920. In 1916 Edwin Holden, now in failing health, bought
the Park Inn in George Street, Woodsetton, taking the license in 1920,
shortly before his death. It was, like the Summer House, a home-brew pub
with a small brewery at the rear and in the cellar. This proved to be an
exciting new turning point for the family and after developing a popular
ale for the locals the brewing equipment was enlarged from within the
cellar to adjoining buildings, which had been previously been used as a malt
store by Atkinson's Brewery. Lucy proved to have a strong business
head on her shoulders. Over the next three years and through great
personal endeavour she was able to purchase a second pub,
the Painter's
Arms in Coseley, which was owned by Butler's Brewery. This acquisition
was principally for her son who had returned from Birmingham University
after earning his brewing colours. From the traditional dark strong mild
brewed twice a week on the premises, the brewery developed during the
1950's and 1960's to its present size, with a capacity of 250 barrels a
week. There is a large bottling plant at the brewery, the last remaining
such plant in the Black Country. Holden's brews and bottles beers for
PDH [formerly Davenport's]
in addition to its own range.
© Copyright
Brewery images from
Digital Photographic Images
Other images supplied by
Holden's Brewery and reproduced with kind permission. |
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Home-Brewery
The Home Brewery was based in Quarry
Bank's Evers Street. It's no good wandering down to see the old
buildings - the spiritual home of Simpkiss beers has been lost forever. The Simpkiss story didn't start
here and, indeed, didn't end here. But for a number of years
[1903-1916] this was where
the nectar was brewed. The first photograph
below was once the only known image of the Home Brewery. It was unearthed by
Doris (Dolly) Proctor whose father worked his way up the ranks to become head brewer.
Originally called the Swan Brewery, the main outlet for the beers in the early days was an
off-licence in Evers Street. This was operated by the Cartwright family; John Cartwright
had purchased the site from William King in 1851. The street was named after Samuel Evers
who operated Cradley Forge during the 1830's and 1840's. The thoroughfare leads down to
the forge on the River Stour. The Evers family later owned Homer Hill colliery in Cradley
and established a brickworks in Netherend. Following John Cartwright's death in the
1880's, the Evers Street brewery and shop was bequeathed to widow Phoebe Cartwright; she
subsequently leased it to John Mason who, in the agreement, was described as a brewer's
clerk. The agreement provided an insight into the scale of the business at this time. He
leased two houses, a coach house, stables, outbuildings and other premises in Evers
Street. Helped with mortgages from other maltsters and brewers, John Mason acquired
adjacent land and established a larger enterprise. He had three tied houses - the Maypole
Inn at Cradley Forge, the Red Lion at Wollescote and the Rising Sun Inn at The Lye. Four
more pubs were added before the business was acquired by brewer John Samuel Arnold Bell of
Kensington, Middlesex. He paid £1,900.0s.0d. for the going concern. Thomas Cornelius
Homer was a financial backer during this period and it is thought that the title of the
Home Brewery is derived from his surname. It was in 1903 that 29 year-old Joseph Paskin
Simpkiss became involved at the Evers Street brewery. In March of the following year the Brewing
Trade Review recorded that the "Home Brewery (Quarry Bank) Ltd. had registered
with capital of £10,000 in shares of £1 to carry on the business of brewers, wine and
spirit merchants, etc., as hitherto carried on by Mr.J.P.Simpkiss, Swan Brewery, Quarry
Bank, Staffordshire." Joseph Paskin Simpkiss was the son of William Henry Simpkiss of
the Royal Oak Brewery in Brierley Hill, a business in which he learned the trade of
brewing and distribution. Joseph Paskin Simpkiss developed a range of seven beers which
were retailed through tied houses acquired from John Mason along with others such as the
Albion Inn at Wollaston and the Red Lion at Careless Green. Other pubs were acquired
including some in Quarry Bank - the Pilgrim's Cottage, Elephant and Castle and The Vine.
However, despite almost constant advertising, the company failed to acquire more public
houses and relied on the skills of Joseph Paskin Simpkiss to sell through the free trade.
He held the post of Managing Director but left the Home Brewery in rather bizarre
circumstances. He had inadvertently signed away control of the company to his office
manager William Thomas Clewes but, despite a lengthy County Court case in which the judge
commented in his favour, Joseph Simpkiss was ousted from his position. He subsequently
joined Smith and William's of the Town Brewery at Round Oak before acquiring the Foley
Arms on Brettell Lane to continue the Simpkiss story. Jointly managed by William Clewes
and William Proctor, the Home Brewery continued until May 1921. Despite further investment
in the brewery, including a new bottling plant, the company's downfall was their inability
to expand their tied house estate. The brewery stood for many years but was finally
demolished in February 1959 when the grandson of William Proctor built a bungalow for
himself. |
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Ind-Coope
Though
not strictly a Midlands brewery, Ind Coope has to be included because of its association with Burton-on-Trent. The
photograph below shows the company's four maltings that stood next to the main railway lines
close to the railway station. Ind Coope initially owned the Star Brewery that was founded
by George Cardon in 1709 at Romford, Essex. The brewery was acquired by Edward Ind and
J.Grosvenor C.E.Coope in 1799. They opened a brewery in Burton-on-Trent in 1856. Indeed,
that was the first instance of a London brewer opening an establishment in Burton to take
advantage of the Staffordshire town's famed water. Part of their 19th century brewery
still stands, including the water tower. In 1934 Ind Coope merged with their next door
neighbours at Burton and traded as Ind Coope and Allsopp Ltd. Merging with
Ansell's Brewery and Tetley Walker in 1961 to form Allied Breweries. Ind Coope is part of the Carlsberg
Tetley Group.
© Copyright
Label images from
Digital Photographic Images Brewery
images from
Staffordshire Past-Track and reproduced with kind permission. |
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John-Joule
and Sons Ltd.
This brewery was founded in 1780 in
Stone's High Street but the story of the family concern started in
1758 when maltster
Francis Joule acquired the White Horse Inn. The adjoining brewhouse proved too small for
the successful business so he moved to the King's Arms in the High Street during 1767. The
White Horse Inn was demolished in the same year when Francis Joule built a house on the
site. It would later serve as the home of the company's head brewer. The King's Arms is
thought to have been established in the early 1600's, making it one of the oldest
breweries in England. By 1780 Joule had established a public brewery to supply the firm's
other pubs. The founder's son John Joule took over the company in 1813 and it was named
John Joule and Son. Why the name of Francis is omitted is curious. The Trent and Mersey
Canal flowed past the rear of company's Newcastle Street Ales Stores which enabled the
brewery to sell to other parts of the country. In the mid-19th century beers produced at
John Joules and Son were being exported to the United States, Australia and Europe. In
1873 Joules was sold to three brewers from Liverpool - John Parrington, Thomas Harding and
John Harding. Thomas was the father of John but the three men controlled Harding and
Parrington Ltd. based at the Brunswick Brewery in St.
James's Street, Liverpool. This
company was registered on January 1st 1898 but acquired by Cain's in 1920. Joules was
acquired by Bass Charrington in 1970 and production at the Stone brewery ceased in
September 1972. A Somerfield supermarket was later built on the site.
© Copyright
Label images from
Digital Photographic Images Brewery
images from
Staffordshire Past-Track and reproduced with kind permission. |
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Lichfield-Brewery
Co. Ltd.
This company was registered
in July 1869 to acquire two brewing operations in Lichfield - J.A.
Griffith & Company and the Lichfield Malting Co.Ltd. The first of these
enterprises was established by the wine merchants John and Arthur
Griffith. The brewery, located in Beacon Street behind Cathedral House,
was operational by 1847. The company had two malthouses in the city, one
of which can still be seen next to the railway line close to Upper St.
John Street. Located in Tamworth Street, the Lichfield Malting Co.Ltd.
was founded in 1864 by John, Henry, and William Gilbert. Following the
merger of these two firms, a new brewery was erected on the west side of
Upper St. John Street, the offices of which still stands next to the
railway bridge. Often experiencing trading difficulties to the extent of
being reconstructed in 1890, the company was eventually acquired by
Samuel Allsopp and Sons in 1930. The sale included the estate of 182
public houses.
© Copyright. Images supplied by
Digital Photographic Images. |
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Marston, Thompson & Evershed
Difficult to know where
to file this company following the merger/takeover by
Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries Ltd.
Indeed, the whole group started to trade as Marston's PLC in January
2007. J. Marston & Son was founded in
1834 by John Marston and from 1864 was based at the extensive Horninglow
Brewery at Burton-on-Trent. During the 1890's the company made
acquisitions in Burton, Hinckley and Coventry thus expanding their
estate of tied houses. In 1898 the company merged with John Thompson &
Son Ltd. and in 1902 the combined venture moved to the Albion Brewery in
Shobnall. The latter was built in 1875 by Mann, Crossman and Paulin. In
1905 the company acquired Sydney Evershed Ltd. to become Marston,
Thompson & Evershed. Evershed's was founded in 1854 and based at the
Bank Brewery in Bank Square. The company gradually expanded during the
20th century. In 1984 a major expansion into the Cheshire and North
Wales markets was made when they acquired
Border Breweries [Wrexham] Ltd. The Albion
Brewery is the only remaining production plant
that has retained the Burton Union system of fermentation - for its
stronger ales at least. Marston's ales were already widely available
until the late 1990's but now the best-selling Pedigree can be found in
most Banks's houses throughout the Midlands region. Indeed, according to
a survey carried out by The Publican magazine,
Pedigree has overtaken Draught Bass to become Britain's top-selling
bitter. Naturally, the arguments rage as to whether it is the same brew
of old. Incidentally, the Burton Union system is a series of
large oak casks which are linked by pipes so
that the fermenting beer rises from the casks through vertical pipes
under the pressure of its carbon dioxide. It then flows through a swan's
neck into an open trough that extends the
entire length of the casks. The beer then runs back down into the casks,
leaving the yeast in the top trough. Beer and yeast circulate through
the unions in this way, at a carefully controlled temperature, until
fermentation is complete.
© Copyright
Horninglow and Albion Brewery images from
Staffordshire Past-Track
and reproduced with kind permission. |
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Regular Beer
Pedigree 4.5%
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Regular Beer
Burton Bitter 3.8%
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Regular Beer
Old Empire 5.7%
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Guest Ale
Fever Pitch 4.2%
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Guest Ale
Pure Blonde 4.2%
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Guest Ale
Single Malt 4.2%
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Guest Ale
Wicked Witch 4.6%
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Guest Ale
Strong Pale Ale 6.2%
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Guest Ale
Christmas Ale 5.8%
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Guest Ale
Ashes Ale 4.1%
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Guest Ale
Heart Warmer 4.5%
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Guest Ale
Evening Glow 5.0%
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Guest Ale
VPA 4.0%
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Guest Ale
Night Watchman 3.8%
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Guest Ale
Oyster Stout 4.5%
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1950's Beer Label
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Old-Wolverhampton-Breweries
Ltd.
This company was established and registered
in 1910 brewery was founded in 1910 in order to amalgamate two notable
breweries, that of J.& J.
Yardley Ltd and I. Yardley & Sons of Bloxwich and the South
Staffordshire Brewery Co. Ltd of Wolverhampton. The newly combined tied-estate totalled 134
public houses. The company was based at the South Staffordshire Brewery premises in Market
Street, Wolverhampton. The whole enterprise was acquired by Frank Myatt Ltd in 1919. |
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Thomas
Salt & Co. Ltd.
The carts on the right of
the second photograph below give the appearance of a ramshackle yard. However, the
brewery of Thomas Salt & Co. was a very large concern,
as can be seen in the first illustration. The premises
were based at 119 High Street in Burton-on-Trent. The company was
founded in 1774 by the maltster Thomas Salt. Subsequent
members of the family expanded the business with other sites being acquired and utilised.
For example, in the early 19th the family business had a maltings at Stapenhill and
brewing also took place on Bridge Street. The company was registered in November 1893; the
tied estate was extended over a large area with pubs as far as Norfolk and Gloucester. In
the latter county Salt's operated the Rising Sun in Gloucester and Unicorn Inn at
Cheltenham. The company was acquired by the Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton empire in 1927;
brewing on this site ceased soon after this date.
© Copyright
Brewery
images from
Staffordshire Past-Track and reproduced with kind permission. |
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J.
P. Simpkiss and Son Ltd.
Following the sale of
the
Home Brewery,
Joseph Paskin Simpkiss bought the Foley Arms at
Silver End [between Brierley Hill and Amblecote] in 1921. Within four years he had
increased production of beer to the rear of the pub to 145 barrels per week. In 1934 the
brewery was rebuilt to the designs of son Dennis Simpkiss and it was even named the Dennis
Brewery. A five quarter brewery, production of 40 barrels a day was now possible. The
company acquired more pubs in which to sell the popular Simpkiss ales. In 1936 a bottling
plant was installed at the Dennis Brewery and two years later the business was registered.
Joseph Simpkiss died soon after this and Dennis Simpkiss took over the company. His son
Jonathon Simpkiss would later lead the company which, in the 1970's, even had a kegging
line installed by Ansell's. As managing director, Jonathon Simpkiss sold the Dennis
Brewery in 1985 to Greenall Whitley in a cash a share deal worth £1.9m. Simpkiss beers
were last produced in July 1985 and Greenall's demolished the brewery three years later.
In July 2003 John Richards reported that Jonathon Simpkiss was a tax exile living on the
Isle of Man.
© Copyright
Label images from
Digital Photographic Images Brewery
images from
Staffordshire Past-Track and reproduced with kind permission. |
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Smith-and-Williams
This company
was based at the Town Brewery
at Round Oak, Brierley Hill though W. H.
Smith founded his brewery at the
Delph Brewery in 1897. The company was acquired along with a tied estate
of 60 pubs by
Julia Hanson and Son Ltd in April 1934. The County Express
newspaper commented at the time that this "was the largest purchase of
licensed property in South Staffordshire and North Worcestershire." |
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Truman,-Hanbury,-Buxton
& Co. Ltd.
This brewery started life in London in
1666 but became very much a Midlands brewer when the company
purchased Phillips' Brewery at Burton in 1873. This was a response
to the invasion of Burton-based beers into London after the
development of the railways. The company rebuilt the brewery at
Burton between 1874 and 1876 and called it the Black Eagle Brewery
after their original brewery in Stepney. Pictured here next to the
Midland Railway's yard and bordering Derby Street, the Black Eagle
Brewery was sadly demolished in 1973, just two years after
production ceased on the site. The company's name was changed to
Truman's Ltd in 1971 when Grand Metropolitan Hotels Ltd. acquired
the group. Three years later the firm was was merged with Watney Mann Ltd.
© Copyright
Label images from
Digital Photographic Images Brewery
images from
Staffordshire Past-Track and reproduced with kind permission. |
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Peter-Walker & Co. Ltd.
This company was founded in 1860 - not
at Burton, but at the Willow Brewery in Wrexham. However, the
extensive brewery at Clarence Street in Shobnall, Burton was opened in 1883. There was another company that
brewed at Dallam Lane in Warrington. This business was registered as Peter Walker &
Sons, Warrington and Burton Ltd. Peter Walker & Co.
Ltd. had an outpost in Tipton which
was used to supply a number of public houses in Birmingham, the Black Country and South
Staffordshire. The company was acquired by the Aston-based
Atkinson's Brewery in 1925. The
large Goat Maltings of the old enterprise can still be found in Clarence Street.
© Copyright
Label images from
Digital Photographic Images |
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White-and-Combe
This brewery was
established in Albert Road by Thomas White
in 1860.
Born in Bolehall in 1822, Thomas White was formerly a cabinet maker and
established a small business in Tamworth's Bolebridge Street. His wife may have
died in childbirth because he was a widow when the census enumerator
recorded him as a widow living with his two year-old daughter Ann. When
he moved to Albert Road to start his new business as a maltster and
brewer, he was accompanied by his sister Catherine. The beers produced
by Thomas White proved popular and within a decade he had a small
workforce engaged at the site. He re-married in the 1860's; his wife
Mary Ann hailed from Husbands Bosworth in Leicestershire. The profitable
business enabled the couple to employ servants in the house.
Born on the Isle of Skye, the wholesale wine and spirits merchant Norman
McFie established a business next to the brewery and shared part of the
brewery yard with Thomas White. Nearing the end of his working life,
Thomas White went into partnership with John Combe, a younger brewer
from Gloucestershire. By 1898 the business was trading as White and
Combe. Thomas White died in 1901 but the brewery continued until the
First World War. Indeed, John Combe was known to purchase pubs in order
to develop a tied estate. In an auction held by Messrs. Winterton and
Son in July 1906 he bought the freehold of the Seven Stars, an old pub
situated on Watling Street at Wall. The company paid £1,055,0s.0d. Prior
to this, John Combe had acquired the Green Man Inn at Clifton Campville. |
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Wolverhampton-and-Dudley-Breweries
Ltd
This company is based at the Park Brewery,
the home of Banks's Brewery. Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries Ltd. was
formed as a public company in 1890 from an amalgamation of three local
brewing businesses - Banks's of Park Brewery,
George Thompson and Sons of Dudley and
Charles Colonel Smith of the Fox
Brewery in Wolverhampton. The company grew to become one of the largest
independent regional brewers. Floated on the stock exchange in 1964, by
1990 W&DB controlled 800 tied houses. Other breweries were acquired,
notably Mansfield and Cameron's. The prized purchase was that of Marston,
Thompson and Evershed of Burton-on-Trent, acquired in February 1999 with
an estate of 918 pubs. However, in 2001 the whole group was thrown into
confusion when Pubmaster made a £453m hostile bid to takeover the
company. Shareholders had to vote on this and the brewery only just
about held on to its position. It was still bad news for some when
rationalisation was forced - the Mansfield Brewery was closed and
production was shifted to Wolverhampton in 2001. Cameron's
was sold to Castle Eden in April 2002. In 2005 the
company acquired
Jennings Brewery and two years later they also
acquired the Ringwood Brewery. In 2007 the company changed to Marston's
plc.
© Copyright. Images supplied by
Digital Photographic Images. |
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Wordsley-Brewery Co. Ltd.
This company was based at the Lion Brewery
in Brewery Street (now Brierley Hill Road), Buckpool, Wordsley. Registered in
March 1896, the Wordsley Brewery got into financial difficulties in 1906 and was wound up.
This led to an auction of the brewery and a handful of tied houses. The sale was held at
The Property Mart at Temple Row West in Birmingham on Thursday July 26th 1906. |
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