Output of major London breweries 1750-1910

Some more random statistics from my statistics pile. Showing the output of the major London breweries between 1750 and 1910. But the title's already told you that. Well, not completely random. Barclay Perkins is in there.


The first table illustrates the rapid expansion of Porter breweries in the second half of the 18th century. In 1750 the largest brewery was making just 57,000 barrels a year. By 1800, there were 5 breweries producing more than 100,000 barrels annually.


In the second table you can see the plateau reached by the Porter breweries around the middle of the 19th century. Here the rapid growth belongs to what was principally an Ale brewer, namely Mann, Crossman & Paulin. Towards the end of this table is the first time for over a hundred years that the largest brewery in the world hadn't been in London.

Armed with Barnard's "Noted Breweries of Britain and Ireland" and various brewery histories, I'll be fleshing out these bare figures over the next few weeks. Major London breweries 1750 - 1990. That's my autumn theme. Combe, Whitbread, Watney, Charrington, Mann, Truman, Courage. And, of course, Barclay Perkins.