Congratulations!
Given all the bad news coming from the brewing industry, it is worth saluting the Everards, Hook Norton and Joseph Holt breweries who all celebrate their 175th anniversaries in 2024, along with Batemans who celebrate 150 years. Look out for some commemorative bottled beers.
CMBC to close Ringwood Brewery
At the start of December, the Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) announced that, having failed to find a buyer, the Ringwood site was to be put up for sale. This decision has been questioned by a consortium of local businessmen who claim that they had put in an offer to buy the brewery but had simply been ignored. The company was founded by small brewery pioneer Peter Austin in 1978, moving to the present site in 1986. Marston’s paid £19.2 million for it in 2007. It is understood that the brewing of the Razorback, Fortyniner and Boondoggle brands will transfer to the Banks’s site in Wolverhampton while Old Thumper will go to the original Marston’s brewery in Burton on Trent. CMBC chief executive Paul Davies said, “Given its limited space and residential location, the expansion and improvements required for the site to be competitive would be challenging and extremely costly.” I fear that the words ‘residential location’ give a clear hint as to what will happen to the site.
In the meantime, CMBC are investing over £10 million in their plant at Northampton, aiming to increase the operation’s sustainability by eliminating or reducing packaging and water waste and generally improving efficiency.
CMBC have also gone some way to securing their future by agreeing a ten year deal with pub company Stonegate which will see more of their brands, mainly lagers, in Stonegate pubs; another reduction in choice for the consumer.
As reported in News and Views, CMBC have announced the end of the Burton Union brewing system.
Purity Brewing acquired by Breal Group
Purity Brewing, whose Mad Goose and Ubu beers are often seen in London pubs, have been acquired by the private equity firm the Breal Capital group. It joins Black Sheep, Brew by Numbers and Brick Brewery in their portfolio. The Warwickshire based brewery, which was founded in 2005 and has a 90,000 hectolitre capacity, is reported to have been experiencing financial problems and the sale is intended to ‘secure the future of the brewery and help retain jobs’. A spokesperson for Breal told the Propel Newsletter that the deal, “further strengthens our growing portfolio of investments in the brewing and hospitality sectors and underlines our commitment to the industry as a whole”.
Encouragingly, Breal are investing £1 million in an upgrade of production facilities at Black Sheep’s Masham site. At the same time it was reported that creditors lost some £4 million from Black Sheep going into administration. This included parts of two Covid loans and debts to H M Revenue & Customs.
Sam Smiths give warning
Although many readers will know of Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, the Princess Louise and the Cittie of York, the Tadcaster, Yorkshire, based brewery actually operates 36 pubs in London, many of which have been restored to a high standard. Overall, they have around 200 sites, mostly small pubs in former mill, mining and steel towns in the north of England, so the London tranche is significant. At the beginning of December, in response to an article in the Sunday Times Magazine, the brewery issued a statement, “We are trying very hard to remain independent and get through the current financial situation. We do not see why we should not be left in peace.” The company are proudly independent and run their business, dating from 1758, in their own way. They do not source any products from large corporations and, if they cannot produce a product themselves, they source it from fellow independent producers. For the sake of their London pubs at least, let us hope that they can survive.
Wimbledon winner
The Wimbledon Brewery won a silver award in the London & South East regional round of CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain competition, held at the Pig’s Ear beer festival in December. The winning beer was their XXXK Vintage Ale (10% ABV) in the Barley Wine and Strong Ale category.
The award was presented on 20 December by CAMRA’s brewery liaison officer, Martin Butler, who is pictured with joint head brewers Mauro Frater (left) and Michael Prentice (right). Behind the group is a stack of oak barrels in which the next batch of XXXK is maturing. In due course it will be blended with new beer before being bottled (75 cm bottles), although some might appear in cask. A quantity will be retained for blending for subsequent brews. With thanks to Philip Blanchard for the photo.
During 2024, Wimbledon Brewery are joining with the hop merchants, Charles Faram, to produce a series of pale ales and IPAs that will showcase newly developed English hops. Simon Lewis, the brewery’s managing director explained, “Over the last twenty years UK brewers have turned to using American and New World hops to make distinctive and full flavoured IPA’s and Pale Ales. These beer styles have very much driven the ‘craft beer’ revolution. We are working with Charles Faram on a range of beers that will show the amazing range of hops available in this country.” The range of beers will be announced over the coming months.