Random brewery - Strong of Romsey

Here's a nother random brewery. Except this time it was quite big and around until quite recently.

First, a potted history. Founded in 1778, it was run by Thomas Strong after 1858, first under a lease then full ownership. Became Strong & Co. Ltd. in 1894. Bought along with 940 pubs by Whitbread in 1969. Closed 1981*.

I could have drunk their beer, but didn't. Never made it to that bit of the South coast. Another lost opportunity I look back on with regret. I should be more poitive. Think of the odd beers I did get to try. Like Ma Pardoe's Bitter and Yorkshire Clubs Mild.

Here's a newspaper article about them building a brand new brewery:

"ROMSEY.
The New Brewery.— Messrs. Strong and Co. having, during recent years, purchased and amalgamated several breweries, notably, The Horse Fair, Hundred, Bell-street, Weyhill, Redbridge, Chilbolton, Hythe, and several others, now find the demand for their ales and stout increasing beyond the limits of their productive power, consequently they have decided to erect a complete new fifty-quarter brewery adjoining the well-known Horse Fair Brewery. The building will be on the semi- gravitation system, constructed of red brick of local manufacture, with string courses, and cornice of similar materials, the windows and doors being relieved by crowned arches. The roofs being of best Welsh slate, with wrought iron terminals, and the chimney being circular with improved interior arrangements, and of similar materials to the building. The building will be equipped with the most modern well-tried improvements for the production of high-class ales and stout for public and private trade, for which the firm have long enjoyed high repute. The contractor for the building is Mr. George Wheeler, jun., Romsey, the plant will be manufactured and erected by engineers of high repute, but, in the face of the coming winter, the proprietors intend, as far as possible, to employ local labour. The designs have been prepared by Mr. Charles Johnson, maltsters' and brewers consulting engineer, London and Bristol, and the work will be executed under his personal supervision."
Hampshire Advertiser - Saturday 08 November 1890, page 7.

There was plenty of confidence in the brewing industry in the 1890's. Trade was increasing, profits were good and a flood of new capital had washed in through restructuring into limited companies.

A 50-quarter plant is good for about 200 barrels per batch of standard-strength beer. So avout 70,000 barrels per year capacity. Which was a decent sized brewery in the 1890's.

Here are some for their bottled beers, courtesy of, ironically, Whitbread:

Strong bottled beers 1931 - 1955
Year	Beer	Style	Price	size	Acidity	FG	OG	colour	ABV	App. Atten-uation
1931	Treble Brown	Brown Ale	6d	half	0.05	1014.9	1057.2		5.50	73.95%
1934	Dinner Ale	Pale Ale	7d	pint	0.05	1011.3	1038		3.46	70.26%
1934	Golden Ale	Pale Ale	8d	pint	0.05	1014	1044		3.88	68.18%
1938	Dinner Ale	Pale Ale	4d	half	0.07	1009.2	1039.9	21	3.99	76.94%
1952	Black Bess Stout	Stout	9.5d	half	0.05	1007.3	1036	1R + 9B	3.73	79.72%
1955	Pale Ale	Pale Ale	1/-	half	0.05	1011.5	1044.3	19	4.26	74.04%
1959	Strong 'un	Strong Ale		half	0.02	1010.2	1040.3	100	3.91	74.69%
1959	Black Bess Stout	Stout	11d	half		1012.2	1034.1	300	2.83	64.22%
1959	Golden Ale	Pale Ale	11d	half	0.04	1006.3	1032	18	3.34	80.31%
1960	Black Bess Stout	Stout	10d	half	0.04	1014	1034.2	250	2.53	59.06%
1960	Golden Ale	Pale Ale	11d	half	0.02	1006.3	1031.8	16	3.19	80.19%
1960	Special Pale Ale	Pale Ale		half	0.02	1009.7	1041.3	23	3.95	76.51%
1960	Black Bess Stout	Stout	11d	half	0.04	1015.1	1034.9	300	2.48	56.73%
1961	Romsey Brown	Brown Ale	10.5d	half	0.04	1010	1032.3	140	2.79	69.04%
1962	Royal Old English Ale	Strong Ale	20d	half	0.06	1013.9	1058.2	45	5.54	76.12%
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/001.
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.

Treble Brown. There's one for the style guide writers. Strong 'un, ironically, qualifies as a bona fide sesion beer. A Stout below 1035º. It's enough to make a man cry. And who thought Golden Ale was only invented in the 1980's?

Strong's brewing records are bound to be out there. That's why I love Whitbread. They never threw any brewing records away. It would be interesting to take a look. Especially to see if anything changed after Whitbread took over.

Here are some of their drsught beers:

Strong draught beers 1961 - 1979
Year	Beer	Style	Price	size	Acidity	FG	OG	colour	ABV	App. Atten-uation
1961	Barley Corn Bitter	Pale Ale	22d to 24d	pint	0.04	1006.3	1037.6	23	3.91	83.24%
1968	Mild	Mild	18d	pint	0.04	1006.4	1029.4	75	2.88	78.23%
1968	Royal Old English Ale	Strong Ale	33d	pint	0.07	1014.3	1058	65	5.46	75.34%
1968	Barley Corn Keg	Pale Ale	27d	pint	0.08	1007.8	1037.4	45	3.70	79.14%
1968	Best Bitter	Pale Ale	21d	pint	0.06	1003.3	1037	30	4.21	91.08%
1977	Trophy	Pale Ale		pint			1037.8
1977	Mild	Mild		pint			1031.5
1979	Trophy	Pale Ale		pint			1037.8
1979	Mild	Mild		pint			1031.5
Sources:
Whitbread Gravity book held at the London Metropolitan Archives, document number LMA/4453/D/02/002.
Good Beer Guide 1978 and 1980.

It doesn't take a genius to work out that the Trophy and Mild of the 1970's were just the old Strong's beers rebranded.

Just spotted the small print on the label. "Also controlling Thomas Wethered & Sons Limited Marlow." So that's how Whitbread got their hands on Wethered. One of the breweries I miss most. Loved their Trophy.



* "A Century of British Brewers Plus" by Norman Barber, 205, page 49.