Correction: in the article on the Cronx Brewery in the last edition page 34) we mentioned Cronx’s previous retail site. Just to avoid any confusion, this was in the Box Park complex near East Croydon Station. There was no connection with the Boxcar Brewery which closed in February 2023.
BURTON UNIONS SAVED
Good news! The Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) have come to an agreement with Thornbridge Brewery for Thornbridge to give a new home to one of the historic Burton Union sets. CMBC are helping to set up the project at Thornbridge’s state of the art brewery in Bakewell, Derbyshire, which was opened in 2009. Marston’s cooper, Mark Newton, a vital member of the team, said, “It’s been a huge privilege to have spent so many years caring for and maintaining these historic sets at Marston’s and I’m so pleased to have been part of the CMBC team working with Thornbridge to help it prepare for setting up its own union system. It’s heartening to know that our union sets will have a new home with the brilliant brewers at Thornbridge.” This will be his final project before retirement. Thornbridge plan to use the union set to brew special edition beers and collaboration beers with other breweries, although the first beer through it may be a version of their excellent Jaipur IPA. The remaining union sets will be preserved by CMBC for display.
GREENE KING ON THE MOVE?
In recent years, a number of long established regional brewers have sold off their original town centre premises and moved to new sites out of town. Thwaites were among the first to do this, followed by the likes of Hydes, Robinsons and Wadworth. The latest to announce such a move is Greene King. They plan to close the 200 year old Westgate Brewery in the centre of Bury St Edmunds and transfer production to a new £40 million facility at Suffolk Park, on the outskirts of town, next to where they already have a distribution centre. It is intended that the new plant will provide greater flexibility as regards the types of beer they produce for their 3,000 pubs. The new brewery, which should come on stream in 2027, will be fully sustainable in line with GK’s aim to achieve net zero by 2040. Alas and inevitably, according to the artist’s impression, the new building will simply be a large shed. On the subject of the future of the Westgate Brewery, GK’s chief executive, Nick Mackenzie, said, “The likelihood is we will retain some elements of small scale brewing here. We’ve got pubs right next to the brewery and we’ve got a brewery tour, so we will look to retain brewing heritage elements on the site.”
FIVE POINTS
The latest crowdfunding exercise, their third, was a success, exceeding the target of £350,000 by at least £30,000. Some 600 investors participated. Consequently, Five Points are looking to increase brewing capacity and expand their pub estate. Their next pub has already been identified and they hope that it will be trading by the summer. Their existing pub, the Pembury Tavern and their taproom are both doing well, with group revenue up to £1,059,460 for the first quarter of this year, compared with £894,265 in the first quarter of 2023.
LIBERTALIA BREWING
Leyton based Libertalia, founded last August, are also crowdfunding to enable expansion. This will include improvements to their taproom.
LONDON BEER FACTORY
LBF, set up in West Norwood in 2014, moved their main brewing operation to Norfolk in early 2023. They did however retain a presence in London in the form of their Barrel Project on the Bermondsey Beer Mile. They have now announced plans to open a second London outlet in a former gym in railways arches in Gedling Place adjacent to Druid Street.
MONDO
There have been major changes at Battersea-based Mondo. The company, founded in 2014, has been acquired out of administration by Rupert Thompson, the owner of the Hogs Back Brewery in Tongham, Surrey. Mr Thompson becomes chairman of a new company, Mondo Beer Ltd and Mondo’s founder, Todd Matteson, remains managing director. Their existing beers, including Dennis Hopp’r, Road Soda and Little Victories, will continue to be brewed and there will be some investment in their taproom. The two breweries will now work together in such areas as packaging, sales and marketing. Mondo will also distribute Hogs Back’s One Planet range of beers in London.
PARK BREWERY’S NEW VENTURE
Kingston based Park Brewery now have a sister company called Park Brew & Kitchen. It is a café during the day, becoming a restaurant (small and sharing plates) in the evening. Park beers on cask are available. The taproom continues as before on Fridays and Saturdays.
WINDSOR AND ETON BREWERY
Congratulations to WEBREW on their winning no less than five medals at the 2024 International Brewing & Cider Awards, held in Manchester in March. There were three Gold medals: Knight of the Garter in the ‘cask conditioned (2.9 to 3.8% ABV)’ category, Diablo Rojo in the ‘strong Belgian style pale ale (7 to 10% ABV) category’ and Capital lager in the ‘draught keg (2.9 to 4.7% ABV)’ category. Father Thames took a Silver medal in the ‘cask conditioned (4.4 to 4.8% ABV)’ category and Shout took a Bronze in the draught keg (2.9 to 4.7% ABV)’ category.
LACONS LOOK TO RECLAIM PUBS
Although not a London brewery, there is a link here because, much to my surprise, the original Lacons Brewery owned some 50 pubs in the London area. Originally formed in 1760, the Great Yarmouth based family-run brewery had some 350 pubs in all, distinguished by their distinctive orange and blue falcon emblem. The brewery closed in 1968, following its acquisition by Whitbreads. The company was revived in 2013 by Mick Carver who purchased the intellectual property rights from AB InBev and recovered the original Lacons yeast strains from the National Collection. They found premises in Great Yarmouth and their beers have recently been seen in London. They are planning to expand their tied estate and, in particular, are looking to acquire former Lacons pubs, the first of which is the Artichoke in Broome, currently long term closed. Sadly, it is unlikely that any of these pubs will be in London. Equally sadly, it will not include what was once Lacons’ flagship pub, the Iron Duke in Great Yarmouth, which I have mentioned before. This spectacular Grade II-listed art deco gem is named after the First World War battleship and features bars made from teak from the ship. The people responsible for its preservation have decided to turn it into a New York style bar and restaurant. I suppose that we should be grateful that it has survived in some form.