February 2003
Nottinghamshire brewing history | |
|  | | Signs from the old breweries |
| | Fifty years ago, Nottinghamshire had nine breweries (430 in the UK), but today only one regional brewery survives.
Article by Richard Studeny
Nottingham CAMRA Chairman |
| | |
Introduction
It was once said that every city in Britain boasted at least one brewery. That may have been true half a century ago, but thats hardly the case in the present day.Fifty years ago, Nottinghamshire had around 430 breweries, but today only one regional one survives: namely Hardy & Hansons (H & H) of Kimberley.
Regrettably the Mansfield Brewery in the North of the county was closed recently following a takeover bid in 2000 by West Midlands based Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries. Fortunately for Nottinghamshires real-ale drinkers, several full-mash microbreweries (smaller versions of the vast complexes like the Kimberley plant) now exist. Mention Nottingham and breweries to most ex-Nottinghamians and Home Ales and Shipstones will probably be top of their list. Both are long gone but their memories live on.
Shipstones Brewery
Continuing our look at Nottinghamshire breweries we now focus on good old Shippo's. Shipstones Star Brewery in New Basford was established by James Shipstone in 1852. It was known as the Star brewery because of the red illuminated star on top of the brewery tower. This became a landmark on the Nottingham skyscape it could be seen from miles away by any traveller either visiting or passing by the city via northern routes.The brewery remained independent until Greenalls of Warrington purchased it in 1978. Initially the Greenalls group made changes in the production of the bitter to apparently make it a more acceptable drink for the mass market, but still concentrated on advertising Shipstones as local bitter. They sponsored Nottingham Forest FC and promoted Shippos, as the locals knew it, but this was eventually replaced by Labatts Lager (Greenalls Canadian Lager).Greenalls now had breweries at Nottingham, Warrington, Wem and Birmingham before their brewery closure programme began the first loss being Wem (beer production transferred to Birmingham). Davenports in Birmingham was next to close (production moved to Nottingham).During 1989/91 concerns were expressed over the quality of Shippos and a lack of marketing motivation behind the local product and a new cask beer was brought into the area - Thomas Greenalls Original Bitter, from the Warrington brewery.On 15 May 1990 the managing director of Greenalls Midlands wrote to confirm that it was their intention to continue to promote both Davenports and Shipstones, but as history states, no assurances were actually given to the survival of the brewery!It was noted that later that year the letterhead for Shipstones had been replaced with the name Greenalls Midlands Ltd and pubs were being re-signed bearing the Greenalls name, although these were largely away from Nottingham.Finally on 31 August 1990 Greenalls announced cessation of all brewing to become retailers only and the Basford brewery was shut in early 1991. Beer production contracted to Allied Lyons initially being brewed from Burton-upon-Trent then transferred to the Allied Brewery in Warrington, and the rest as they say, is history.
Home Brewery
Continuing the tour of Nottinghamshire's past greats we now move on to Daybrook where we take a look at the now deceased Home Brewery. Founded in 1875 the Daybrook Brewery, famous for its gated frontage and beer mat trademark bearing local legend Robin Hood firing his arrow, remained independent until sold by the family owners to Scottish & Newcastle (S&N), one of the National Brewers, in 1986. Initially staunch Home drinkers detected small changes in bitter production, apparently to bring the beer type more into line with the general taste of other bitters produced by S&N. New Home Bitter pump clips appeared retaining the link to Robin Hood and with Home Mild being linked to Will Scarlet. Home Bitter became sponsors of Notts County FC but like the lager logos on the earlier Forest shirts, County's were eventually replaced by adverts for McEwans Lager S&N Lager. Now S&N had breweries in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Masham (once home of the famous Theakstons Old Peculiar strong ale), Carlisle and Nottingham. The company was always known as Home Ales but on the take-over called itself Home Brewery. In 1991 it was noticed that it was now trading under the name Younger, a division of S&N, and re-signing of some pubs took place, mainly away from Nottingham. Then, on 1 December 1992 the Commercial Director of Youngers confirmed that the change was only cosmetic: "Candidly, the vast majority of publicans outside Nottingham hadnt heard of Home Brewery. Home Brewery will continue to be closely involved with the community through sponsorships such as Notts County and the Nottingham Playhouse." During 1993 Nottingham CAMRA expressed concerns over the desire to only promote Theakston beers. Home Mild also contracted out to local rivals Mansfield Brewery and Home products were reduced to being effectively only available to the East Midlands. Most of the local management seemed to have been replaced by people brought in from Scotland and all decisions appeared to be made from offices in Edinburgh. Suddenly the Nottingham Playhouse was sponsored by Youngers not Home and a marketing promotion in France at the time featured Youngers beers of Nottingham, but there was no mention of Home. Following this it wasnt too long before the Home Brewery at Daybrook was laid to rest along side Shipstones Basford brewery.
Mansfield Brewery
Constructed in 1855, above what was once part of the North Notts coalfield, Mansfield Brewery stood on the south side of this Nottinghamshire market town. It was situated less than half a kilometre away from Field Mill, home ground to the Stags, Mansfields famous football club. And before its closure, cask ale beer production was thriving after being reintroduced at the brewery back in 1982, after a break of ten years.Surprisingly enough though, trying to find a pint of Mansfield cask ale in Mansfield was a challenge in itself. One reason for this must have been due to the large number of miners welfares, social clubs, and working mens clubs etc, content on selling keg products at highly discounted prices. Sadly a discount which the average pub tenant could not afford to offer the drinker when it came to real ales.When it was in business, Mansfield Brewery boasted an array of seasonal beers such the Deakins range sitting along side relishing regulars like Old Baily and the quaffable Mansfield Bitter, all brewed in traditional Yorkshire squares so as to appeal to the taste buds of a wider audience outside of their traditional trading area.But unfortunately, as part of the brewery take-over by Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries (W & D) in 2000, Old Baily was quashed in order to make way for a marketing drive of Marstons Pedigree, a cask ale of similar strength at the time the flagship beer of W & D and beer production was moved to Wolverhampton. There, the water was different, so the taste that Mansfield drinkers were so accustomed too, changed. Then followed the winding down of the other brands of what once was the major employer in the area and as history repeated it self yet again, Mansfield Brewery, like so many others before it, was finally laid to rest in 2002.
Hardy and Hansons
One traditional brewery, Hardy and Hansons, has survived to present day, but smaller ones have sprouted up on a similar basis to the one-time cottage industries. As implied earlier, just one regional family-owned brewery is left in the county Hardys & Hansons (H&H) of Kimberley, which still remains independent.Several real ales are brewed by Kimberley, as they are known amongst local connoisseurs, but even they are now producing a non real mild, presumably to cater for the younger drinkers who appear to be brainwashed by the mass marketing campaigns suggesting that keg products are flavoursome and are good for you!Lets hope that H&H continue to produce the excellent range of cask conditioned products in future years, along with the inter-twinned seasonal beers that they brew periodically on an annual basis.
Microbreweries
Several microbreweries trade in Nottinghamshire. Most of these are run on a similar basis to the one-time cottage industries, along much the same lines that those breweries would have been operated all those years ago a small brewery plant, two or three members of staff, and local regular outlets from where their beers are sold. | | | |
|
|
