Bushell, Watkins & Smith Ltd Round Alloy

Bushell, Watkins & Smith Ltd alloy tray dating from the late 1940s.

Foundation of the Black Eagle Brewery

The Black Eagle Brewery was founded in Westerham by Robert Day in 1840. Here he brewed pale bitter ales while he continued to brew porters in Bermondsey, using London's soft water.
Ben Bushell joined the partnership in 1862 and he was instrumental in driving the firm's growth.
Such was the success of the Black Eagle Brewery that in 1881 a branch line was constructed between Westerham and Sevenoaks to carry beer to and from London.
The Company, with 63 public houses, was registered as B.C.Bushell Ltd in 1894.

Bushell, Watkins & Smith Ltd

Bushell's acquired Watkins & Son's Swan Brewery on Horsey Hill, Westerham in 1897, and the Company name was changed to B.C.Bushell & Co. Ltd, finally becoming Bushell, Watkins & Smith Ltd when Alfred Smith & Co. Sevenoaks Brewery was purchased in 1899.
By the turn of the century, the brewery was the largest employer in Westerham.
The Company's 'Eagle and Spear' trademark was registered in 1907.
During the Second World War Westerham ales were extremely popular with young airmen stationed at nearby RAF Biggin Hill. Indeed, Westerham ales were exported to troops in Normandy following the D-Day landings, inside the auxiliary fuel tanks of Spitfires.

The Brewery Takeover

The Black Eagle Brewery, with 102 public houses, was acquired by Taylor, Walker & Co. Ltd in 1948, which was subsequently taken over by Ind Coope Ltd in 1959.
Ind Coope Ltd merged with Tetley Walker Ltd, and Ansells Brewery Ltd in 1961, and the new Company was later named Allied Breweries Ltd in 1963.
The Black Eagle Brewery ceased brewing two years later, in 1965.
The site was used as a depot until 1989, when it was demolished. The brewer's house still remains.
Westerham beers were revived in 2004 at a small craft brewery based in Westerham.

The manufacturer's mark simply states - MB 6