W.B.Mew.Langton & Co. Ltd Ceramic Ashtray

W.B.Mew.Langton & Co. Ltd ceramic ashtray dating from the 1930s. Towards the end of the 18th century Benjamin Mew and his brother formed a brewing business which traded as Mew & Co. Brewers. They owned two breweries in Newport and Lymington on the Isle of Wight. In 1850 the Company was granted a Royal Warrant to supply Queen Victoria when she was in residence at Osborne House. The Newport operation was renamed the Royal Brewery. Additional capital was required to fund the growing business which came when Walter Langton joined the firm, and in 1887 it was registered as Mew Langton & Co. Ltd. in 1893 a new modern malthouse was built and in 1898 a new mineral water factory was built on site. The Company expanded by acquiring public houses for its estate, and in 1899 it purchased Henry Charles & Walter Sweetman's George Street Brewery in Ryde with 21 public houses. During the First World War its beer quality suffered and much beer was unsaleable, however during World War Two the firm brewed for six other companies. After 1945, the bottled beer store and bottling hall were rebuilt, and many of its public houses were upgraded. Mew Langton's bottled XXXX and Nut Ale won prizes at the Brewer's Exhibition at Olympia in 1960 and 1964 respectively. In 1965 W.B.Mew, Langton & Co. Ltd merged with Strong & Co. of Romsey Ltd. The Company, with 144 public houses, was taken over by Whitbread & Co. Ltd in 1969. Brewing and bottling ceased at the Royal Brewery in Newport and the premises became a distribution centre. In 1973 Whitbread Wessex Ltd built extensions to the bottled and draught beer storage area, and sited a new tobacco, wine and spirit warehouse at the old mineral water factory. The site was sold to the council in the mid 1970s which left the brewery derelict. The Royal Brewery was burnt down in 1979. The Lymington depot was sold by Whitbread & Co. Ltd in 1984. The manufacturer's mark states - Royal Doulton England