Mansfield Brewery

Mansfield Brewery was a brewery and public house operating company established in 1855, that was based in the North Nottinghamshire market town of Mansfield, England. The main beer brewed was Mansfield Bitter, along with other popular brands including Riding Bitter, Marston Old Baily, and Marksman Lager.[1]

The brewery also boasted a large array of seasonal beers, including the "Deakins" range.[2]

After being taken over by Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries in 1999, the brewing of the branded beers moved to Wolverhampton in 2002, where it continues today under the control of Marston's. The brewery buildings were demolished in 2008 and the site redeveloped for residential use in 2019–21.[2]

History

In 1855, brewer John Watson of Sheffield formed a partnership with farmer Samuel Hage of Whitewater, Ollerton, and investor William Edward Baily, of Mansfield. The partners bought land at Littleworth to build a brewery. However, in 1856 Watson sold his shares to the other two partners.[3] To support their business, the partners established a malting facility in 1863.[3]

In 1873 Addison Titley bought into the business, followed in 1885 by William Jackson Chadburn, Baily's brother-in-law, who became the dominant owning partner.[3] By 1901, the firm leased 72 licensed premises, from public houses to hotels, as well as numerous off licences, resulting in the rebuilding of the main brewery in 1907.[3]

After W.J. Chadburn's death in 1922, from February 1925 the business became the private limited liability company The Mansfield Brewery Company Ltd. After acquiring the Chesterfield Brewery in 1934, in 1935 the company became publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange

Advertising

In the 1980s, Mansfield Bitter was advertised with a photograph of then US President Ronald Reagan and the tagline: "He might be president of the most powerful nation on earth... but he's never had a pint of Mansfield."[11][12] "Not much matches Mansfield" was also used and became the title for a play set in the town, written by Kevin Fegan for the Mansfield Arts Festival.[13][14][15] A similar 1989 advert contained the wording "He might be the life and soul of the Party...But he's never had a pint of Mansfield." featured Mikhail Gorbachev, then president of the Soviet Union.[16]

External links

• Brewery Timeline
• Mansfield Bitter @ Marstons, the current brewer
• Mansfield Beer
• Mansfield Brewery gate - expired development project
• Mansfield may see brewery return BBC Nottinghamshire, October 2011