Breweries of Newcastle Upon Tyne

'Newcastle was famous for its beer in those days, and the Newcastle people were rather too fond of drinking it (writer recalling the habits of local people in the 1830s)

Vanished Breweries

John Barras & Co

First established in Gateshead in 1770 they took over and moved to the Tyne brewery buildings in Bath Lane in 1884, where they produced X, XX and the most popular XXX, along with Stout, Double Stout, Top Ale and Pale Ale. In 1887, to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, Barras Ltd produced Exhibition Ale. In 1890, Barras formed Newcastle Breweries Ltd, an amalgamation of themselves and four other companies, namely J.J. and W.H. Allison of High Brewry, North Shields, W.H. Allisons Monkwearmouth brewery, Sunderland, Carr Bros & Carr of North Shields and Swinburne & Co. of Gateshead

John Buchanan, Hanover Square.

Acquired by Northern Clubs Federation Brewery in 1929, who now brew at Dunston. This brewery gave its name to the brands now brewed by Federation.

Dover & Newsone Baxter Ltd, Mosley Street.

Taken over by Archibold Arroll of Alloa in 1901. Brewing ceased in 1909.

Duncan & Dagleish Ltd, Westgate Hill Brewery.

Taken over by Bass, Ratcliffe & Gretton Ltd around 1940 with 33 pubs.

Robert Newton Ltd, Victoria Brewery

Taken over by Camerons of Hartlepool in 1919.

W.B. Reid & Co Ltd, Leazes Brewery

Taken over by William Younger in 1956, and so became part of Scottish Brewers.

James Routledge

Taken over by Newcastle Breweries in 1896.

John Sanderson & Sons, Haymarket Brewery

Taken over by Newcastle Breweries in 1898. The site was used to build the company's offices in 1901.

Tyne Brewery, Bath Lane

Registered in 1874 and sold to Reids in 1891

Wilkinson & Co., Elswick Brewery

Taken over by Hop & Anchor Breweries Ltd of Sheffield in 1954 who became part of Bass Charrington in 1967

Operating Breweries

Newcastle Breweries Ltd

The idea behind the formation of Newcastle Breweries in 1890 was to bring 'under central management a large number of tied houses' giving the company 'not only a very strong position in the district, but will tend to reduce competition and promote economies in manufacture.' Thus, from its inception, Newcastle Breweries intended to have a stranglehold over the pubs in the area, which would lead to less choice and enable the 'economies of scale'  ---- and eventually flood the area with gassy, tasteless product!

The Blue Star trademark was first used in the 1920s though it was not registered until 1932. It represented the five original companies who formed Newcastle Breweries.

Newcastle Brown Ale was first produced in 1927, the brainchild of Col. James Herbert Porter, and advertised as 'Entirely new - - - - a good Brown Ale with a rich, mature flavour.' It was sold at 9d a bottle.

Newcastle Breweries merged with Scottish in 1960 to form S&N. during the sixties keg and tank beers replaced cask beers I all their pubs, thus making the North East one of Englands most notorious 'deserts' for Real Ale. In 1986 they took over and later closed Home Brewery of Nottingham, a company popular for taasty, and cheap real ales, something which was, of course, an anathema to S&N. a year later they finally succeeded in taking over Matthew Brown of Blackburn, a company whose brweery tey said was 'sacrosanct' – but of course they still closed it four years later. By the takeover, they acquired the Theakston brands, the vast majority of which are now brewed at the Tyne Brewery – though you wouldn't know this from the pump clips and advertising.

In 1995, S&N purchased Courage, to forn Scottish Courage, Britains biggest brewer.

But, at the other end of the scale, Newcastle now has three microbreweries, providing consumers with quality real ales….

Big Lamp, Newburn

First of the new generation of micros in Tyneside, established in 1982. It has two tied houses, and moved to Newburn in 1997.

Four Rivers, Byker

Founded in October 1996, and, in 1997, acquired the assets and trading name of Hadiran Brewery which was established in 1987

Mordue, Shiremoor

Founded in 1995, taking its name from a family brewery which opened in Wallsend in the 19th century. Won Champion Beer of Britain in 1997 for its Workie Ticket

This is the last in my series on Tyneside & Northumberland brewery history.

Acknowledgements to: 'Where Have All The Breweries Gone' by Norman Barber, Brewery History Society. 1980.

And 'The Centenary History of the Newcastle Breweries Ltd by Brian Bennison and James Merrington. 1990

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