Charrington Brewery - History

History

Robert Westfield, a member of the Brewers' Company from 1738, owned a brewery in Bethnal Green, London, prior to 1757, when he took Joseph Moss into partnership and moved to new premises at Anchor Brewery, Mile End Road (Mile End, London).

In 1766, John Charrington, who had served his apprenticeship with Hale brewers in Islington, took a third share in the business, which then traded as Westfield, Moss & Charrington.

Robert Westfield retired in 1769, and his share in the partnership was purchased by Charrington. After Moss retired in 1783, Charrington and his brother, Henry, were in full control of the business. By 1807/8, they were the second largest brewers in London, producing 20,252 barrels of beer per year. Following John's death in 1815, the business was continued by his brother and his son, Nicholas, who had joined the partnership in 1806.

The firm acquired Steward & Head in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, in 1833 and subsequently traded as Charrington & Head Co, establishing the Abbey Brewery on Abbey Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, in 1972.

Nicholas' two sons, Edward and Spencer, succeeded their father in 1859, and following the death of Head in 1880, the firm was known as Charrington & Co. The London and Burton breweries were operated as separate concerns until 1897, when Charrington & Co Ltd was registered in July to acquire the business of both breweries.

In 1962 Charrington United Breweries Limited was registered to undertake the merger of Charrington & Co Ltd and United Breweries Ltd by an exchange of shares. In 1967, Charrington merged with Bass and Mitchell & Butlers and formed Bass Charrington Limited.

In 1997 Bass Charrington sold off its public houses. The buyer then created Punch Taverns. In 2000, the company sold off its brands to Interbrew and remaining properties to Six Continents Plc.

Bass Charrington Timeline