Beer Guide to the 1970s (part twenty-two)

Well, we've got about half-way through the alphabet. And as far as brewery number 66. Still quite a way to go. Especially as, so far, I haven't included either home brew pubs or national brewers. I reckon that I'm only about a third of the way through.

Three closed breweries this time. All of which ceased brewing at around the same time. And all of which I rather miss. Mitchells I only drank occasionally and beer festivals. On the other hand, I drank in multiple Morland and Morrell houses.


Mitchells
Lancaster,
Lancashire.

Founded:    1871
Closed:            1999
Tied houses:    47

The relatively small town of Lancaster was lucky enough to have two local breweries, both making pretty good beers. Mittchell’s pubs were mostly in and around Lancaster, with a couple just over the border in Yorkshire. Brewing transferred to the former Yates & Jackson brewery in 1984. Company acquired by York Brewery in 2008.


Morland
Abingdon,
Berkshire.

Founded:    1761
Closed:            1999
Tied houses:    240

There were several good breweries in and around the Thames valley, including Morland. Their estate covered Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Surrey. They brewed a decent range of draught beers. Which I had the pleasure of drinking when I attended the Reading Festival. Bought by Greene King in 1999 and closed.


Morrell
Oxford,
Oxfordshire.

Founded:    1797
Closed:            1998
Tied houses:    140

Another good Thames Valley brewery. With an estate mostly in Oxfordshire, but stretching as far as Swindon to the West. Which is how I came to love their Dark Mild when I lived in Swindon. Brewing ceased in 1998, basically because they wanted to redevelop the brewery’s valuable riverside site. But they continued as a pub company until 2002, when they were bought by Greene King.