UK licensed brewers 1870 - 1914

More numbers. I've a whole bucketful of fresh ones I want to consume before they go off. ANd I need to bash out some posts to cover when I'm away in the UK later this week (last week, when you read this).

One of the tables in the Brewers' Almanack that I particularly like is the one that lists the number of breweries by size. It gives a good insight into the structure of the UK brewing industry and how it changed around the turn of the 20th century.

The UK used to have a ridiculous of breweries. Most of them very small. Most the the ones in the under 1,000 barrels a year category would have been brewing well under it. For example, in 1842 26,817 of the 44,208 breweries in the UK brewed fewer than 100 barrels a year. Of those 26,817 8,180 produced fewer than 20 barrels a year.* Bugger all even for a pub brewery.

Even in 1914, the number of breweries producing more than 20,000 barrels a year was only 334. And just 54 more than 100,000 barrels. Meaning that the industry was still very fragmented, with a very large number of small producers. The vast majority of which were pub breweries. 2,357 in 1914, to be precise.**

I'm surprised to see the number in the half million barrels category go up and down in the late 19th century. I'd have expected it to keep increasing.

Number of Persons in the UK licensed as Brewers for Sale
Year ended Sept. 30.	Under 1,000.	1,000 and under 10,000.	10.000 and under 20,000.	20,000 and under 100,000.	100,000 and under 500,000.	500,000 and over.
1870	26,506	1,809	210	128	23	3
1875	21,181	1,864	260	194	25	4
1879	17,542	1,863	301	217	27	3
1880	16,770	1,768	272	203	23	4
1881	14,948	1,677	275	183	24	8
1885	12,608	1,537	270	187	27	4
1890	9,986	1,447	274	255	34	4
1895	7,213	1,162	267	256	34	5
1900	4,759	910	262	308	42	9
1905	3,787	832	232	280	40	9
1912	2,868	673	205	266	43	7
1913	2,760	615	210	271	42	8
1914	2,536	580	197	280	46	8
Source:
Brewers' Almanack 1922, page 117.

Who were the breweries producing over half a million barrels? Some are pretty obvious, like Guinness, Bass and Allsopp. Others you may not have heard of. I happen to have the numbers for 1884.

Note that all but the top three were based in London.

Largest UK breweries in 1884
Brewery	Beer Bands (barrels)
Guinness	1,300,000
Bass	1,000,000
Allsopp	850,000
Combe	500,000
Barclay	550,000
Watney	450,000
Truman	450,000
Charrington	400,000
Reid	350,000
Whitbread	300,000
Courage	300,000
Source:
Document ACC/2305/8/246 part of the Courage archive held at the London Metropolitan Archive
Note:
Output based on the cost of the brewing licence which was based on bands of output, the figure given is the top of the band into which the brewery's output fell.

Three of the breweries above, Watney, Combe and Reid, took part in the first big merger in 1898. Forming, er, Watney, Combe, Reid. A name which when I saw it on a pub door said "stay away" to me.



* "A Dictionary, Practical, Theoretical, and Historical, of Commerce and Commercial Navigation" by John Ramsay McCulloch, 1844, page 9.

** 1928 Brewers' Almanack, page 118.

A 19th-century Newark brewpub

This is dead interesting. For me, at least. I never realised that the Horse & Jockey had been a brewpub.

There's only one brewpub operated in the town in living memory. That was the Maple Leaf, and estate pub out on the eastern edge of town. Both pub and brewery are long gone.

I couldn't remember whether the later Horse & Jockey was a Warwicks or a Holes house. As it's not in the list of Holes pubs in the valuation carried out for Courage, it must have been a Warwicks pub.

"NEWARK-UPON-TRENT
To BREWERS, PUBLICANS, and Others.
To be SOLD by AUCTION,
By Mr. W. Wood, At the Horse and Jockey Inn in Newark-upon-Trent, on Wednesday the 2d day of April, 1873, at 4 for 5 o'clock in the Afternoon, subject to such conditions of sale as shall then and there declared,

A Valuable PROPERTY, which will be offered for sale in the following or such other lots as shall be arranged at the time of sale :—

Lot 1. An eligible and pleasantly situated old-established Wine and Spirit Licensed Free Public-house, known as the "Horse and Jockey Inn," situate in Balderton-gate, in NEWARK-UPON-TRENT, together with the Two quarter Brewery, extensive Yard, Stabling for horses, Crewyards, Garden, and Paddock thereto adjoining.

This lot, which has a Frontage to Balderton-gate of 134 Feet, contains an area of 3263 Square Yards, and is bounded the north by property Mr. Thomas Lane and by lot 4, on the east by lot 4 and by property of Mr. Crofts and Messrs. Heppenstall, and on the west by lots 2 and 3 and property of Miss Rastall and others. The Inn has been for many years in the occupation of the owner, Mr. Pridgeon, and on taking to the usual inventory possession will given at an early day, as may suit the convenience the purchaser.

Lot 2. Two Messuages or Dwelling-houses, with the Out-buildings and Gardens thereto belonging, situate in Balderton-gate aforesaid, and in the respective occupations of Mr. J. B. Crow and Mr. W. Clay.—This lot, which adjoins lot 1, comprises an area of 521 Square Yards.

Lot 3. A Messuage or Tenement, with the Yard and Out-buildings thereto belonging, situate in Cherryholt-lane, and in the occupation of George Ogden.—This lot comprises an area of 85 Square Yards.

Lot 4. A Garden, situate in William street, and Paddock at the back thereof, containing together 1108 Square Yards, and in the occupation of Mr Pridgeon.—This lot has a Frontage to William street of 30 Feet.

Possession or receipt of the rents will be given on 6th July next.

To view the premises apply to Mr. Pridgeon ; and for further particulars apply to the Auctioneer, Grantham ; to Mr. G. Sheppard, surveyor, Kirk-gate, Newark upon- Trent; or at our Offices in Newark-upon-Trent, where a Plan of the Property may seen.
PRATT and HODGKINSONS, Solicitors.
Newark-on-Trent, 11th March, 1873."
Stamford Mercury - Friday 14 March 1873, page 2.

A 2-quarter brewery is pretty small. From two quarters you'd get about 8 barrels of X Ale or Porter. Less of stronger beers. An amount of beer which a decent-sized pub should be able to shift.

Obviously the current pub is much more recent. 1930's, I believe. But based on that frontage of 134, it looks like the building there today is about the same width.

I wonder when the last 19th-century brewpub closed in Newark. It wouldn't surprise me if the Horse & Jockey were the last. With its well-developed industrial-scale breweries, Newark is exactly the sort of place where publican brewers disappeared first.

Publican brewers

In a recent post about Scottish Twopenny, I mentioned that publican brewers had disappeared much earlier in Scotland than in England. I knew there must be figures somewhere. Today I found them.

Brewers, Vuctuallers, etc 10th October 1848 to 10th October 1849 totals collected
	number of persons				Number of persons who brew their own beer
			licensed to sell beer			licensed to sell beer
Collections	Brewers	Victuallers	To be drunk on the premises	Not to be drunk on the premises	Victuallers	To be drunk on the premises	Not to be drunk on the premises	Bushels of malt consumed by the whole
England	2,257	59,335	34,800	3,270	25,985	12,201	972	27,676,714
Scotland	154	15,081			181			871,586
Ireland	96	14,080						1,204,875
total	2,507	88,496	34,800	3,270	26,166	12,201	972	29,753,175
Source:
"Statistics of British commerce" by Braithwaite Poole, 1852, page 5.

Column 6 gives publican brewers. 25,985 in England and Wales, 181 in Scotland, none in Ireland. Pretty conclusive evidence. But it gets even better than that. Because the figures are broken down even further. The picture they paint is even more captivating.

Brewers, Vuctuallers, etc 10th October 1848 to 10th October 1849, England
	number of persons				Number of persons who brew their own beer
			licensed to sell beer			licensed to sell beer
Collections	Brewers	Victuallers	To be drunk on the premises	Not to be drunk on the premises	Victuallers	To be drunk on the premises	Not to be drunk on the premises	Bushels of malt consumed by the whole
Barnstaple	9	595	236	24	547	182	8	158,281
Bath	43	722	451	139	415	151	29	679,127
Bedford	54	1101	778	78	153	54	10	399,513
Bristol	25	666	872	77	453	207	10	461,372
Cambridge	86	1264	978	132	151	105	33	624,064
Canterbury	53	882	345	55	11	22	5	310,169
Chester	43	1037	358	14	592	187	1	221,332
Cornwall	11	747	277	21	505	128	3	154,368
Coventry	23	1497	519	65	1334	398	31	542,648
Cumberland	24	1352	235	29	128	27	25	195,148
Derby	20	1166	516	31	1139	454	12	564,541
Dorset	53	511	477	125	213	76	35	259,871
Durham	91	2068	304	38	404	34		247,514
Essex	50	738	459	147	158	108	63	286,576
Exeter	25	737	203	23	529	63	3	240,101
Gloucester	28	774	701	82	555	420	34	345,719
Grantham	55	1104	656	57	603	186	16	385,106
Halifax	57	1334	1258	42	914	872	37	488,975
Hants	63	725	700	126	98	168	41	433,576
Hereford	4	756	294	11	701	265	6	113,781
Hartford	47	1020	840	53	40	32	16	554,992
Hull	74	1114	227	36	154	10	1	208,463
Isle of Wight	61	769	637	96	103	157	37	463,658
Lancaster	29	1109	865	21	760	286	1	507,852
Leeds	25	1015	848	52	900	570	39	615,724
Lichfield	11	1030	1008	35	1001	849	16	305,345
Lincoln	49	915	367	60	604	110	13	306,665
Liverpool	77	1551	1205	22	19	14	1	763,123
London	79	4223	2054	65	1	50	8	6,289,908
Lynn	70	1156	866	80	102	70	15	640,092
Manchester	96	1706	3102	157	971	1074	54	979,907
Newcastle	84	1949	280	29	145	5	3	404,183
Northampton	24	1038	381	122	761	175	37	325,441
Northwich	30	1197	706	16	668	149	1	392,040
Norwich	49	1441	329	76	87	33	22	372,053
Oxford	29	891	393	99	421	121	33	337,695
Plymouth	40	948	476	56	431	42	6	345,250
Reading	41	888	760	115	51	54	21	496,466
Rochester	77	1191	849	74	14	20	6	443,088
Salisbury	28	577	264	101	351	117	44	297,956
Salop	3	600	376	15	569	331	4	266,350
Sheffield	32	1428	584	84	726	152	10	492,019
Stafford	30	772	782	6	733	592	1	638,268
Stourbridge	7	1383	1460	62	1328	1385	34	799,499
Suffolk	52	728	409	111	259	170	66	328,776
Surrey	83	1108	977	91	7	48	21	846,841
Sussex	71	829	693	90	66	80	29	465,762
Wales, East	40	1781	1523	19	1537	882	1	375,006
Wales, Middle	1	724	104	1	657	94		91,150
Wales, North	30	1139	162	7	627	23		151,606
Wales, South	8	1293	45	4	1296	26		112,835
Worcester	5	531	366	53	501	309	23	205,813
York	58	1515	245	46	492	64	7	241,106
total	2,257	59,335	34,800	3,270	25,985	12,201	972	27,176,714
total (given in source)	2,257	59,335	34,800	3,270	25,985	12,201	972	27,676,714
Source:
"Statistics of British commerce" by Braithwaite Poole, 1852, page 4.

Look at the column for brewing victuallers. The areas with large numbers - over 900 - are all in the Midlands, the North and Wales: Coventry, Derby, Halifax, Lichfield, Manchester, Stourbridge, Leeds, Wales East, Wales South. The Areaes with the fewest - fewer than 100 - are all, except for Liverpool, in the Southeast: Canterbury, Hants, Hartford, Liverpool, Norwich, Reading, Surrey, London, Rochester, Sussex.

Most significant is the area with by far the fewest publican brewers: London with just 1. Brewing was already completely in the hands of commercial brewers and pub brewing as good as extinct.

The pattern is much more complex, with enormous regional variations, than I would have imagined. But I can state this with some confidence: in some regions of Britain pub breweries disappeared in the first half of the 19th century.

Decline in publican brewers

The overwhelming number of brewers in the 19th century were publican brewers, or, as they would be called today, brewpubs. Though already by the middle of the century the majority of beer was being produced in increasingly large commercial breweries, publican brewers were still a significant factor in British brewing. That was to cahnge after 1870, when their numbers went into steep decline. It was part of a general trend towards a concentration of beer production.


Between 1880 and 1914, the number of breweries producing fewer than 10,000 barrels a year fell from 18,538 to 3,116. Over the same period, the number of those brewing more than 10,000 barrels slightly increased, from 502 to 531. The largest decline was amongst the smallest brewers, those brewing fewer than 1,000 barrels, the overwhelming majority of which were publican brewers. Of the 14,479 publican brewers in 1881, only 2,357 remained in 1914.

I can't see the number of brewpubs ever getting back to its 1870 level. Then again, 30 years ago I would have called you were crazy if you'd said Britain would ever have more than 500 breweries again.