Hardy’s Kimberley Brewery Ltd. Hansons Ltd. Round Tin

Hardy's Kimberley Brewery Ltd. Hansons Ltd. tin tray dating from the mid 1950s.

Hardy's Brewery Origins

The first commercial brewery, on Cuckold Alley, in Kimberley, was founded on the site of a rented bake-house by Samuel Robinson, in 1832.
The business was acquired in 1857 by William and Thomas Hardy, who were successful beer merchants in Heanor, Derbyshire. William ran the brewing operations, whilst Thomas became its salesman.
In 1861, they moved out of the old bake-house and built a grand new brewery, on Brewery Street, opposite that of Stephen Hanson, the core of which survived until its closure.
The new brewery contained brewhouses, maltings, bottling and cask filling cellars, a cooperage, offices, wine & spirits stores, stables, and 40 horses.
By 1870, the size of the brewing plant had doubled.
In 1875 William retired due to ill heath and the partnership was dissolved, leaving Thomas in control.
The demand for Hardy's ales was so great, another brewhouse was built in 1882.

Hansons Brewery Origins

Stephen Hanson built his brewery located on Brewery Street, Kimberley, in 1847, using water from the Alley Spring.
The site was substantial, leaving plenty of room for future expansion.
Stephen went into partnership with maltster John Tomilnson, but at first the firm struggled.
In 1861 Stephen Hanson died leaving his wife Mary, and his son, Robert Goodall Hanson, to run the business.
Robert was a young man who worked extremely hard to make the brewery a success. He became its sole owner in 1869, when Mary sold her half of the business to him.
The firm continued to trade as R.G.Hanson.
In 1886 the 'Head of King George III' was registered as Hanson's trade mark.
In 1890, a new enlarged Hanson's Brewery was completed, with a six storey brewery tower as its centrepiece.
Kimberley could now boast two impressive breweries situated directly opposite each other, Hansons Brewery, and its direct competitor Hardy's Kimberley Brewery Ltd.

Registration 1897

Despite their physical proximity to each other, both companies remained competitors for the next 30 years, and both followed the same acquisitions strategy, to increase their number of public houses, within carting distance of each brewery.
By 1895 Thomas Hardy and Robert Hanson had purchased a large proportion of the pubs in their own territories.
The creation of a rail network enabled them to stretch out even further.
Increased production at both breweries resulted in a significant shortage in the Alley Spring's water supply.
Signs that the two firms could work together in harmony occurred in 1875, when an agreement was made to share water from another local water supply, the Holly Well spring. Indeed this camaraderie continued when Thomas Hardy represented Robert Hanson, as both businesses fought for compensation from the Midland Railway, for affecting the flow and quality of the Holly Well, during construction of the railway.
In 1880 The Midland Railway (TMR), opened a line through Kimberley. Both breweries developed private raliway sidings, which were connected to this new Midland line.
Both companies were independently registered in 1897. R.G.Hanson's, with its 84 public houses, became Hansons Ltd, and Hardy's Kimberley Brewery, with its 97 public houses, became Hardy's Kimberley Brewery Ltd.
It was an historic day for Thomas Hardy. He was now a wealthy man at the head of an expanding Company, with two able sons, Eben, and Frederick, helping him to run it. Sadly he died a few weeks after the successful incorporation of the business.
Robert Hanson, aged 54 years, celebrated 50 years' successful brewing in 1897, with a jubilee party for his 100 employees.
Robert too died shortly afterwards, in 1903.
The quality of Hansons Ltd beers was recognised when it was awarded the 'Challenge Cup' for the best bottled beer at the Brewers' Exhibition in London, in 1929, and 1931.

Hardy's Kimberley Brewery Ltd & Hansons Ltd Merger 1930

Eben Hardy had suddenly died in 1926, which jeopardised the firm's very existence.
Increasing pressure from larger breweries, and a lack of a capable male successor to run Hardy's business, resulted in the combining of the two businesses. Hardy's began to struggle financially, and Hansons was worried that it might succumb to an aggressive larger brewer, which in addition, might target them. It knew that the best option was an amalgamation of the two firms.
Hardy's Kimberley Brewery Ltd & Hansons Ltd merged in 1930.
Brewing was concentrated at the Hardy's brewery from 1932 onwards, which also owned a separate wine & spirits business.
Hansons staff, and retirees, drank the last drop of the last brew on 22nd December 1932, and the next day they all took up their new positions across the road.
Following in Hansons footsteps, Hardy's Kimberley Brewery Ltd, with its 'Starbright' brand, won the same 'Challenge Cup', in 1934, for its bottled beer.
Throughout the 1930s, improvements and repairs to tied houses across both firms, were continuous.
After the Second World War, the Company struggled, particularly due to continued rationing of raw materials, however the consistency of its bottled beers, resulted in steady growth, from this arm of the business. A new bottling plant was built in 1951.
Evidence of the excellence of it products occurred at the 1952 Brewers' Exhibition, where the firm won a gold medal award for its draught beer.
In 1962 the Company was floated on the London and Nottingham Stock Exchange, an historic landmark for the ownership of the business.
Symbolically and significantly, the Company combined its offices in the same year.
The name of the Company changed in 1972 when it became Hardys & Hansons Ltd.
Hansons Brewery was demolished in 1973, and the firm's maltings also ceased to operate.
A landmark in the history of the two firms occurred in 1972, when it won the Challenge Cup for the best draught beer, and a gold medal for second place with a different ale, at the International Brewing Trade Exhibition at Earls Court.
By 1981, Hardy's & Hansons owned 204 public houses and 10 off-licences, and it celebrated 150 years of brewing in 1982.

Greene King & Sons Ltd Takeover 2006

Hardys & Hansons Ltd, with 268 public houses, the largest remaining independent brewery in Nottinghamshire, was taken over by Greene King & Sons Ltd in 2006.
Chief Executive of Greene King & Sons Ltd, Rooney Anand, declared 'We understand and value the heritage of Hardy's & Hansons Ltd'.
Despite these ressurances Hardy's Kimberley Brewery was closed by 'Greedy King' in December that year.
A limited selection of Hardys & Hansons beer brands are still brewed at Greene King's Westgate Brewery in Bury St. Edmunds, sadly they taste nothing like the original recipes.
The original Hardy's maltings were Grade II listed in 2008, and are still standing.
The rest of the site was sold to developers in 2011.

The manufacturer's name states - Reginald Corfield Ltd Lombard Road, London, S.W.19.