Burton upon Trent has a long history of brewing, at one time exporting beer throughout the world and accounting for a quarter of UK beer production; emulation of Burton water in brewing is called Burtonisation. Much of the town was given over to the industry throughout the 19th century and brewers dominated it politically and socially.
Some brewers had more than one brewery and brewery buildings sometimes changed hands. In addition to companies started from scratch, there were also pre-existing brewers from outside Burton who moved into the town in the 1870s. [1]
Other brewers existing in 1880 included: [4]
A further three brewers are listed in 1898:
When the town was incorporated as a borough in 1878, the brewers Henry Wardle, John Yeomans, and Sydney Evershed were chosen as aldermen at the first council meeting; other brewers were co-opted, and William Henry Worthington chosen as mayor. [5] Brewers were prominent in Parliament, [6] with Bass, Ratcliff, Gretton and Evershed representing Burton, and Gretton and Wardle representing South Derbyshire. Many brewers were ennobled, including Allsopp, Bass and Gretton, creating a subgroup of the peerage nicknamed the Beerage. Yet an industry that had over 30 participants in 1881 had declined to eight in 1927 and many famous names disappeared from the shelves.
In 1827, Burton Cricket Club was formed through the influence of Abraham Bass, son of brewer Michael Bass. Bass was known as the father of Midland cricket and was a member of the Northern Counties team which played against the M.C.C. at Burton in 1841. [7] In the heyday of brewing in Burton, many brewery companies had their own cricket teams. The Brewery Cup was established around 1894 by the Burton Breweries Cricket Association. [8] A legacy of the era remains in the two cricket grounds that have been used by Derbyshire County Cricket Club - the Bass Worthington Ground and the Ind Coope Ground. First class cricketers from the brewing families, all of whom except the Allsopps played for Derbyshire, include:
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a market town in the borough of East Staffordshire in the county of Staffordshire, England, close to the border with Derbyshire. In 2021, it had a population of 76,270. The demonym for residents of the town is Burtonian. Burton is located 11 miles (18 km) south-west of Derby, 27 miles (43 km) north-west of Leicester, 28 miles (45 km) west-south-west of Nottingham and 20 miles (32 km) south of the southern entrance to the Peak District National Park.
Marston's plc is a British pub and hotel operator. Founded by John Marston in 1834, it is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Marston's disposed of its brewing operations in 2020, selling the assets to a newly formed joint venture with the Carlsberg Group to create the Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (CMBC), in which Marston's plc holds a 40% share.
Bass Brewery is a British brewer founded in 1777 by William Bass in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The main brand was Bass Pale Ale, once the highest-selling beer in the UK. By 1877, Bass had become the largest brewery in the world, with an annual output of one million barrels. Its pale ale was exported throughout the British Empire, and the company's iconic red triangle became the UK's first registered trade mark.
Worthington Brewery, also known as Worthington & Co. and Worthington's, is a British brewer founded by William Worthington in Burton upon Trent in 1761. It is the second oldest continuously brewed British beer brand, after Whitbread. The best known Worthington beers are its Creamflow nitrokeg bitter and White Shield India Pale Ale.
Ansells Brewery was a regional brewery founded in Aston, Birmingham, England in 1858. It merged with Tetley Walker and Ind Coope in 1961 to form Allied Breweries. The brewery remained in operation until 1981, after which production transferred to Allied's Burton upon Trent brewery; some former employees later set up the Aston Manor Brewery.
Charrington Brewery was founded in Bethnal Green, London, in the early 18th century by Robert Westfield. In 1766, John Charrington joined the company, which then traded as Westfield, Moss & Charrington from the Anchor Brewery in Stepney. It merged with United Breweries of London in 1964, and with Bass Brewery in 1967 to become the largest UK brewing company, Bass Charrington. The brewing operations of the company were bought by Interbrew in 2000, while the retail side were renamed Six Continents. In 2003, Six Continents split into a pubs business, now known as Mitchells & Butlers, and a hotels and soft drinks business, now known as InterContinental Hotels Group.
Allied Breweries was the result of a 1961 merger between Ind Coope, Ansells, and Tetley Walker.
Hamar Alfred Bass was a British brewer, race horse breeder and a Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1878 to 1898.
Thomas Salt and Co. was a brewery that operated in Burton upon Trent, England, between 1774 and 1927; over 150 years.
Samuel Allsopp & Sons was one of the largest breweries operating in Burton upon Trent, England.
The Burton Brewery Company was one of the largest brewers in Burton upon Trent, England in the 19th century.
Stones Brewery was a brewery founded in 1868 by William Stones in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, and purchased by Bass Brewery in 1968. After its closure in 1999, its major brand, Stones Bitter, has continued to be produced by the Molson Coors Brewing Company.
Benskins was the pre-eminent brewery in Watford, and Hertfordshire's biggest brewer until its acquisition by Ind Coope in 1957.
Sydney Evershed was an English brewer and Liberal Party politician who represented Burton.
James Eadie (1827–1904) was a Scottish brewer who founded an eponymous brewery in Burton on Trent which operated for 90 years.
Coors Brewers Limited, later known as Molson Coors Brewing Company (UK) Limited, is the UK arm of Molson Coors Beverage Company. Its headquarters is in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The company originates from Bass Brewers Limited. The company has gone through many name changes and mergers.
Mitchells & Butlers Brewery was formed when Henry Mitchell's old Crown Brewery merged with William Butler's Brewery in 1898. Henry Mitchell had moved to the Cape Hill site in 1879 and this became the company's main brewing site. It had its own railway network, connected to the national railway system from 1907 to 1962, via the Harborne line.
Double Diamond Burton Pale Ale is an English pale ale, first brewed in 1876 by Samuel Allsopp & Sons. It was one of the highest selling beers in the United Kingdom in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Worthington's White Shield was an India pale ale (IPA) available principally in bottle conditioned form.
Burton ale is a type of strong ale which is dark and sweet. It is named after the brewing town of Burton-on-Trent.