Brewers : General Overview (1 - 4)

2. : Transient Cases : 3. National Brewers : 4. Regional Brewers

1. : Introduction

Extinct breweries, formerly brewing in Norwich,
are listed as follows :-

Larger concerns are listed as major brewers;
Separately listed are the smaller firms;
Subsidiary lists deal with other named brewers.

Existing Norwich breweries (since 1981),
small in number, are included in a separate
county-wide list.

Extinct Norfolk breweries are mentioned,
but in passing, when considering the above major
Norwich firms which absorbed them - up to 1956.

One particular Norfolk brewery is specially
dealt with in the next paragraph, along with
one national firm.
These have had temporary bases in Norwich.

There remains, however, the matter of breweries
which have never been based in Norwich, but
which have had a significant local impact -
by way of owning/leasing (i.e. "tying")
Norwich pubs over recent decades.

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2. : Transient Cases

Cases with a temporary history of local brewing :-

Lacon's of Great Yarmouth - brewing in
Norwich from 1902 to 1932; thereafter
supplying our pubs until 1966.
Watney Mann of London, brewing in Norwich
from 1962 to 1985; thereafter
supplying our pubs until the late-1990s.

Lacon's involvement with Norwich pubs
is a more complex and interesting topic.
The bare bones are that they took over all
Grimmer's pubs in late 1896; and
the St. Margaret's Brewery in April 1902.

However, there is some evidence of
market-penetration as early as 1883.
The following 5 cases, at least, are relevant :-

3. : The National Brewers

Watney's was the predominant national brewer in
the Norwich area from the time of the takeovers of
Bullards and S. & P. tied-houses in November 1963.

They enjoyed a near-monopoly position until 1972
(see Courage), yet left the scene altogether in the
late-1990s, as mentioned above.
Also see the 1984 Survey and the 1991 Survey.

Other national brewers involved
in local pubs include :-

Whitbread - took over Lacon's Brewery 1966.
Courage - arrived in 1972,
via anti-monopoly legislation.
Ind Coope - see the 1984 Survey
and the 1991 Survey.
Scottish & Newcastle - newcomers by 1990.

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4. : The Regional Brewers

Established brewers, running Norwich pubs :-

Adnam's of Southwold, Suffolk -
involved from 1977 to the present.
Greene King of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk -
involved from c. 1984 to the present.
See the 1984 Survey and the 1991 Survey.
Tolly Cobbold of Ipswich, Suffolk -
long-time holders ofa small, select
portfolio - see the 1991 Survey.

Recent arrivals, in the Norwich area, include :-

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