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Marston's Pedigree
Marston's Brewery owns over 2,000 public houses in the United Kingdom and is the world's largest brewer of cask ale. It was known as Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries plc until 2007 when it rebranded as Marston's. In 2011 it had a 1.1% share of the UK beer market.
Banks & Co has been brewing at the Park Brewery in Wolverhampton since 1875. The Company was formed in 1890 as Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries by the amalgamation of Banks & Co. with George Thompson & Sons and Charles Colonel Smith's Brewery. It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1947. It acquired Camerons Brewery in Hartlepool in 1992 and sold it to Castle Eden in 2002, whilst retaining some of Cameron's tied pubs.
In 1834 John Marston established J. Marston & Son at the Horninglow Brewery at Burton upon Trent. Marston & Son Ltd amalgamated with John Thompson & Son Ltd and moved to Albion Brewery on Shobnall Road, which the company still operates.
In 1999 Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries purchased Marston, Thompson & Evershed of Burton upon Trent (including Marston's Brewery which had been founded in 1834). in the same year the Marston's bought the Mansfield Brewery Company of Mansfield which, in contrast to its other recent acquisitions, was soon closed down. Brands still bearing the Mansfield name are brewed elsewhere within the group. In 2005 Marston's Brewery took over production under licence from Interbrew of Draught Bass, succeeding Coors. Later, in 2005, the Jennings Brewery of Cockermouth was purchased and in 2007 Hampshire based Ringwood Brewery, which was established in 1978, and brews Best Bitter, Fortyniner, and Old Thumper, was acquired. In 2007 the Company changed its name from Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries plc to Marston's plc.
The company now owns and operates five breweries:
Park Brewery in Wolverhampton brews Banks's, Hanson's and Mansfield beers;
Marston's Brewery in Burton upon Trent brews Marston's and Bass
Jennings Brewery in Cockermouth;
Wychwood Brewery in Witney (which includes the Brakspear Brewhouse);
Ringwood Brewery in Hampshire.
The company operates around 2,150 pubs and bars situated across England and Wales, comprising around 1,650 tenanted or leased pubs and around 500 managed pubs – of which 45 are hotels.
Marston's Brewery makes use of water from the Burton Well, reputedly discovered by Benedictine monks in the 13th century.
Marston's is the only remaining brewer to use Burton Union Sets; a system whereby fermentation barrels and troughs are linked together by a complex system of copper and brass pipework. The basic principle is one of preventing excessive beer and yeast loss through foaming, but the consequence is that the beer is both in contact with more wood and in contact with more beer (fermenting in a bigger volume, typically totalling about 100 barrels or 16 hectolitres). This results in a more consistent flavour; and very little chance of a whole batch being ruined. All other large-scale brewers have abandoned this method in favour of stainless steel fermenting vessels, which while they assure (through volume) a consistent flavour, limit the use of traditional yeast varieties. They make selective use of the unusual double dropping process (for example, in the production of Brakspear Bitter) which introduces complex flavors due to a period of accelerated yeast growth.
Marston's Pedigree is a bitter; it is Marston's flagship brand, selling 150,000 hectolitres in 2010. It is the only beer to use the oak Burton Union System so that it is fermented in wood; the ingredients are mineral enriched Burton Water, malted barley, and Fuggles and Goldings hops. The cask-conditioned and canned versions are 4.5% abv; since April 2009, the pasteurised bottle versions have been 5% abv.
Marston's Pedigree
Marston's Brewery owns over 2,000 public houses in the United Kingdom and is the world's largest brewer of cask ale. It was known as Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries plc until 2007 when it rebranded as Marston's. In 2011 it had a 1.1% share of the UK beer market.
Banks & Co has been brewing at the Park Brewery in Wolverhampton since 1875. The Company was formed in 1890 as Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries by the amalgamation of Banks & Co. with George Thompson & Sons and Charles Colonel Smith's Brewery. It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1947. It acquired Camerons Brewery in Hartlepool in 1992 and sold it to Castle Eden in 2002, whilst retaining some of Cameron's tied pubs.
In 1834 John Marston established J. Marston & Son at the Horninglow Brewery at Burton upon Trent. Marston & Son Ltd amalgamated with John Thompson & Son Ltd and moved to Albion Brewery on Shobnall Road, which the company still operates.
In 1999 Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries purchased Marston, Thompson & Evershed of Burton upon Trent (including Marston's Brewery which had been founded in 1834). in the same year the Marston's bought the Mansfield Brewery Company of Mansfield which, in contrast to its other recent acquisitions, was soon closed down. Brands still bearing the Mansfield name are brewed elsewhere within the group. In 2005 Marston's Brewery took over production under licence from Interbrew of Draught Bass, succeeding Coors. Later, in 2005, the Jennings Brewery of Cockermouth was purchased and in 2007 Hampshire based Ringwood Brewery, which was established in 1978, and brews Best Bitter, Fortyniner, and Old Thumper, was acquired. In 2007 the Company changed its name from Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries plc to Marston's plc.
The company now owns and operates five breweries:
Park Brewery in Wolverhampton brews Banks's, Hanson's and Mansfield beers;
Marston's Brewery in Burton upon Trent brews Marston's and Bass
Jennings Brewery in Cockermouth;
Wychwood Brewery in Witney (which includes the Brakspear Brewhouse);
Ringwood Brewery in Hampshire.
The company operates around 2,150 pubs and bars situated across England and Wales, comprising around 1,650 tenanted or leased pubs and around 500 managed pubs – of which 45 are hotels.
Marston's Brewery makes use of water from the Burton Well, reputedly discovered by Benedictine monks in the 13th century.
Marston's is the only remaining brewer to use Burton Union Sets; a system whereby fermentation barrels and troughs are linked together by a complex system of copper and brass pipework. The basic principle is one of preventing excessive beer and yeast loss through foaming, but the consequence is that the beer is both in contact with more wood and in contact with more beer (fermenting in a bigger volume, typically totalling about 100 barrels or 16 hectolitres). This results in a more consistent flavour; and very little chance of a whole batch being ruined. All other large-scale brewers have abandoned this method in favour of stainless steel fermenting vessels, which while they assure (through volume) a consistent flavour, limit the use of traditional yeast varieties. They make selective use of the unusual double dropping process (for example, in the production of Brakspear Bitter) which introduces complex flavors due to a period of accelerated yeast growth.
Marston's Pedigree is a bitter; it is Marston's flagship brand, selling 150,000 hectolitres in 2010. It is the only beer to use the oak Burton Union System so that it is fermented in wood; the ingredients are mineral enriched Burton Water, malted barley, and Fuggles and Goldings hops. The cask-conditioned and canned versions are 4.5% abv; since April 2009, the pasteurised bottle versions have been 5% abv.