Chesters Brewery Co. Ltd Round Alloy – For Sale £80

Chesters Brewery Co. Ltd alloy tray dating from the 1950s

Thomas Chesters Ardwick Brewery

The business was founded before 1830 at the Victoria Brewery on Hyde Street, in Manchester,
The partnership of Samuel Collins & Thomas Chesters rented the Victoria Brewery from 1842, when it traded as Collins & Chesters. They also leased the Mayfield Brewery for additional brewing capacity. The Mayfield Brewery was used by Thomas Chesters until 1892.
In 1848 the successful Collins & Chesters partnership enabled them to purchase three adjoining plots of land, on Princess Street, close to the Victoria Brewery, where they built the the Ardwick Brewery, which became fully operational in 1851.
In the same year, the Collins & Chesters vacated the Victoria Brewery.
Samuel Collins died in 1853 and Thomas Chesters became the firm's sole owner.
Thomas expanded the business through the acquisition of a number of public houses, and by reputation of his high quality ales. He died in 1872 when his executors ran the firm until 1888.
The Company, its Ardwick Brewery, and about 170 public houses, was registered as Chesters Brewery Co. Ltd in 1888.
Soon afer registration Chesters Brewery Co. Ltd purchased a number of local breweries.
John Battersby & Co of Old Trafford., with its Wellington Brewery and 22 public houses, was purchased in late 1888.
Richardson & Goodall's Old Royal Brewery, with 21 public houses, and John Foster's Swan Brewery on Grey Street, in Manchester, with 13 pubs, were both acquired in 1890.
The firm's 'Roof Ventilator' trade mark was registered in 1893.
The final 19th century acquisition was that of the Salford Brewery Co. Ltd, with its Town Brewery and 13 tied houses, in 1896.

The 1890s to the 1960s

After intially struggling in the 1890s, the Company rapidly expanded in the 20th century, enabled mainly by the purchase of additional public houses. Chesters deliberately turned down the opportunity to acquire further breweries.
In 1888 Charles Frederick Hyde joined the business and he was destined to play an important role in its fortunes, both as a skillful brewer and innovator. He became Head Brewer in 1894.
Further premises, close to the main brewery, were purchased, and by 1894 they were being used as the Company's Registered Office and new bottling operations, which had previously been undertaken in the main brewery.
In 1896 Chesters started bottling the beers of Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton Ltd.
As a result of the firm's expansion, and deteriorating buildings and plant, a completely new brewery was constructed on the same site, taking nearly four years to complete, becoming fully operational in 1907.
New bottling stores were built in 1908.
In 1910 the Company discontinued brewing of XX Porter, which was substituted by Oatmeal Stout and Extra Stout.
Before World War I, the firm's dray horses were slowly replaced by motorised transport, although both were used to help with the war effort.
1920 was an important year for the fortunes of the business, when C.F.Hyde introduced a high gravity mild, 'Chesters Best Mild', which became Chesters' mainstay throughout its trading life, and beyond.
The firm's financial performance moved from strength to strength during the 1920s.
However, the country's difficult political and economic conditions of the 1930s and 1940s, and the impact of World War II, made life a struggle for the Company.
It was only by 1949 that business started to pick up again with the introduction of two new popular bottled beers, 'Extra Best Mild (EBM)', and 'Sweet Stout'.

Threlfall's Takeover

In 1961 the Company purchased its last public house as an independent firm.
The Ardwick Brewery was taken over by Threlfall's Brewery Co. Ltd in 1961, to form Threlfall Chesters Ltd. The Ardwick Brewery closed in 1966, and was demolished in 1967.
Brewing of Chesters beers continued at Threlfall's Cook Street Brewery in Salford, when the business became known as Threlfalls (Salford) Ltd.
Threlfall's Cook Street Brewery, and the Company's other brewery located on Trueman Street in Liverpool, was acquired by Whitbread & Co. Ltd in 1967.
In 1971 the Company name was changed to Whitbread West Pennines Ltd.
Chesters bitters, milds & stouts continued to be brewed at other Whitbread sites, and also contracted out to Burtonwood Brewery Co. (Forshaws) Ltd, and Everard's Brewery Ltd.
Sadly the beers and the name disappeared completely in 1999.