Hook Norton Brewery Co. Ltd Small Round Tin

Hook Norton Brewery Co. Ltd tin tray dating from the 1960s. In 1849 John Henry Harris moved to Hook Norton and purchased a farm which included a malthouse. He began commercial brewing on the site in 1856. The first tied house was purchased in 1859. In 1880 Harris engaged Arthur Kinder to carry out alterations to raise the the roof line of the original building to three storeys. The extension of the Chipping Norton railway line to Hook Norton in the 1880s provided a vital supply link for the Company both for incoming raw materials and outgoing beer. After the death of John Harris in 1887, the day to day running of the brewery was taken on by one of his nephews, Alban Clarke. During his era the brewery doubled in size, including a new bottling room, store, wash room, stable block, offices and, most significantly, in 1898, a new six-storey brewhouse. in 1889 a new steam engine was installed to pump water from the brewery's well and is still in use. The Company was registered in 1900 as Hook Norton Brewery Co. Ltd. to acquire J.Harris & Co. During the early part of the 20th century the Company's transport vehicles continued to keep abreast of the times, including a steam powered wagon in 1904, and its first motor lorry in 1928. The use of dray horses was stopped in the 1950s but reintroduced for local deliveries in 1985. In 1951 the Gilchrist family of Burtonwood Brewery Co. (Forshaws) Ltd acquired a substantial shareholding. During the 1960s trading suffered as the big national brewers introduced keg beers, however the formation of CAMRA in the 1970s to promote cask ales, reversed Company fortunes. The Company has continued to grow, opening a visitor centre in 1999 and a new micro brewery for experimentation purposes, in 2014. The site is a wonderful example of a working Victorian brewery which is still operating independently. The Hook Norton estate totals 37 public houses.