CARLSBERG REDUCE BEER RANGE
At the end of November and following on from last edition’s news of the closure of the former Banks’s Park Brewery in Wolverhampton, Carlsberg announced that they were ‘delisting’ (their word) 11 beers from their range. The list includes beers that were being brewed at both Wolverhampton and at the former Marston’s brewery in Burton on Trent. The most surprising inclusion is the cask version of Banks’s Mild, which has near iconic status locally. The decision has not been well received, with former Slade lead singer, Noddy Holder, joining the campaign against it. Banks’s Mild will continue to be produced as a ‘smoothflow’ beer and in cans.
Banks’s Sunbeam is also being discarded, along with Jennings Cumberland, the former Well’s Eagle IPA and two Ringwood beers, Boondoggle and Old Thumper. Boondoggle will continue as a bottled beer. Two Marston’s products are going as well, Old Empire and 61 Deep. Two Mansfield keg beers are being dropped, along with the keg version of Bombardier, although the cask version appears to be being retained. The brewing of a number of these beers continued for local markets after Carlsberg took over and closed the original breweries. Presumably Carlsberg are looking to concentrate on ‘national’ brands. The move sees the demise of some significant names in Britain’s brewing heritage.
One Marston’s beer which I think can rightly be described as part of our brewing heritage has already been discontinued without announcement. This is Owd Roger, their 7.4% ABV dark ale. I picked up this story, with thanks, from the Beertonian blogsite. It is suspected that brewing may have ended as long ago as early 2023. The last bottles, with a ‘BBE’ date of 31 December 2024, were still on sale on the Marston’s website on 8 December. Marston’s themselves, on their website, describe the beer as “a hallmark example of the strong ales that propelled Burton to brewing fame. This dark beer is brewed to a recipe thought to be over 500 years old and is a firm favourite of drinkers and brewers alike. Brewed using malted barley, whole leaf English aroma hops and well water, Owd Rodger offers an explosion of rich fruit flavours with a dry bittersweet finish.” All the same they do away with it. Sad.
ADNAMS NEWS
Adnams have decided on a sale of assets in order to fund the reduction of their debts. In an interview with the Sunday Times, their chief executive, Jenny Hanlon, said that the company had explored selling the whole business to a private equity firm but they ‘didn’t really like what was brought to the table’. The properties to be sold may include those which they own in Southwold but are not directly related to the beer trade. In November, Adnams sold three pubs considered to be ‘non-core assets’ to Wells & Co. These are the Castle in Cambridge, the Horse & Groom in Wivenhoe and the Hospital Arms in Colchester.
CRONX BREWERY IN ADMINISTRATION
Cronx, based in New Addington near Croydon and founded in 2012, entered voluntary administration on 5 November 2024. As with so many small breweries, they were affected by increasing overheads and the protracted fallout from the pandemic. As is the way with these matters, this isn’t necessarily the end. The administrators will firstly look to sell the business as a going concern and a report on Facebook suggests that this may be happening, although it is at an early stage. The brewery tap in the High Street in Croydon is operated by a separate company, so is not included in the administration, although it is currently closed.
GERMAN KRAFT
German Kraft have closed their outlet in Dalston. The premises are being converted into a restaurant. Their other three venues, in Mayfair, Elephant & Castle and Brixton, remain open.
MAGIC ROCK FACING ADMINISTRATION
It was reported on 8 January that Huddersfield based Magic Rock Brewing Co, owned by the In Good Company group, had filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators. Readers will recall that, last September, Fourpure Brewing, once of Bermondsey and also owned by In Good Company, had transferred its operations to Magic Rock’s site. Fourpure was subsequently placed into administration in order, it was said, ‘to future proof the business amidst a challenging time for the craft beer and hospitality industries’.
ORA BREWING COMPANY
Tottenham based ORA Brewing closed on 30 November. It is understood that they did this on their own terms. Founded in 2016, it was one of London’s more unusual breweries in that it concentrated on Italian style beers. Their farewell message was ‘We want to thank you for your support, passion, and love for our craft over the years. It’s been an amazing experience creating beers and sharing them with you’.
THIRD TAP FOR PRETTY DECENT
Walthamstow-based Pretty Decent Beer Company, founded in 2017, opened their third tap room in December. This latest venture is canalside at Bow Wharf in Grove Road, Old Ford. It features 12 Czech-style side-pour taps, serving modern beer styles, including vegan, gluten-free and alcohol-free options, although they do not serve cask beer. The food offering is currently provided by street food vendors but something more permanent may be established in due course. Pretty Decent’s other two taprooms are at their brewery in Blackhorse Lane (on the Blackhorse Beer Mile) and in the railway arches in Sheridan Road, Forest Gate.
RESTART AT ST MARY’S BREWERY
In 2017, brewing began in the crypt of the church of St Mary the Virgin in Primrose Hill with the intention of raising funds for the church’s youth work. Brewing had to be suspended in July 2022 because of refurbishment works but started again in October, with a relaunch event in early November. Previously the beer was all bottled but there is now some keg being brewed as well. There is no cask beer. The bottled beer is mostly sold at local farmers’ markets. Check their Facebook page. With thanks to John Paul Adams for the update.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY THORNBRIDGE
Not a London brewery, I know, but I’m sure many readers appreciate Thornbridge’s beers. 2025 sees the 20th anniversary of both the brewery’s founding and the introduction of their flagship beer, Jaipur IPA. Having started in what was a former stonemason’s workshop at Thornbridge Hall, they expanded in 2005 into an industrial unit in Bakewell, Derbyshire, where their recently installed section of a Burton Union set takes pride of place. They have come a long way; they now brew some nine million pints of beer per annum and every year welcome around 100,000 visitors to their taproom.