Bentley's Yorkshire Breweries Ltd Round Brass

Bentley's Yorkshire Breweries Ltd brass tray dating from 1894. The brewery was founded in 1828 when Henry Bentley developed the maltings, used by his father Timothy Bentley, to supply his Lockwood Brewery based in Huddersfield, which he had founded in 1795. Henry Bentley's original Oulton Brewery was developed using spring water from the Eshald Well. Henry died in 1848 leaving ownership of the Company to his young sons Henry Jnr and Timothy. Henry became general manager and ran the business. In 1880 the Company was registered as Henry Bentley & Co. Ltd, later renamed Henry Bentley & Co. and Yorkshire Breweries Ltd, after the acquisition and merger of the Brunswick Brewery in Leeds, the Crown Brewery based in Northowram near Halifax, and Sagar Hirst's Low Brewery based in Bradford. The name of the Company was re-registered and simplified to Bentley's Yorkshire Breweries Ltd, or BYB as it became more commonly known, in 1893. The name of the brewery also changed to the Eshaldwell Brewery around that time. In the early to mid 20th century, the Company prospered and earned a reputation for using modern processes. Its successful wine & spirit department was also re-sited from Leeds to Woodlesford in 1926. By the late 1960s both Whitbread & Co. Ltd and Bass Charrington Ltd owned significant shareholding in BYB. In 1968, after sales and profits had declined and after Bass had sold their shareholding to Whitbread & Co. Ltd, the Company fell under their ownership. Brewing ceased in 1972 although Whitbread's did continue to use the premises as a storage, bottling and distribution depot until 1984 when it closed completely. The site was demolished in 1989. The tray pictured features a number of breweries mentioned above that were part of Bentley's Yorkshire Breweries Ltd. The main brewery was the Eshaldwell Brewery, Woodlesford, Leeds. Also featured is the Crown Brewery Northowram which was acquired in 1890 and closed in 1900 and the Brunswick Brewery Leeds, which closed in 1902.