Hook Norton Brewery Co. Ltd Small Round Tin

Hook Norton Brewery Co. Ltd tin tray dating from the 1960s.

Foundation and Early Trading

In 1849 John Henry Harris moved to Hook Norton and purchased a farm which included a malthouse. He took over the existing trade as a maltster and expanded the business by becoming a hop dealer.
His next step was to start commercial brewing on the site in 1856, when his first brew was recorded as 'Mild XXX'.
1859 saw the beginning of the brewery's tied estate, with the purchase of a beer house at Down End in Hook Norton. Ten years later the Pear Tree Inn became the firm's second acquisition.
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 deliveries.

Brewery Expansion

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. By 1907 it owned 14 public houses and 3 beer houses.
During the early part of the 20th century, Alban Clarke was determined to ensure that 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 was reintroduced for local deliveries in 1985.
In 1951 the Gilchrist family of Burtonwood Brewery Co. (Forshaws) Ltd acquired a substantial shareholding.

The Modern Era

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 the Company's fortunes.
As business continued to grow, a new visitor centre was opened in 1999. A new micro brewery for experimentation purposes, was added 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.

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