Sidney Fussell & Sons Ltd Square Tin

Sidney Fussell & Sons Ltd tin tray dating from the 1960s.

The Fussell Family

The Cross Keys Inn and its brewhouse on Upper Street in Rode, was acquired by baker Henry Fussell from Silas Dainton in 1857. The first reference to the brewhouse was in 1818.
Henry Fussell continued to successfully trade there as a brewer, innkeeper and baker until his death in 1875.
By 1878 his son, Sidney Fussell, was managing the business and he continued to do so until 1886 when he became the firm's sole owner, having gradually acquired the interests of his ten brothers and sisters.
As with his father, the business prospered and grew under Sidney's leadership.
The brewery was greatly enlarged in 1904, including the construction of a new brewhouse, boiler house, cart house and beer stores.

Sidney Fussell & Sons Ltd Registration

The Company was incorporated in 1909 as Sidney Fussell & Sons Ltd.
Sidney died in 1913 and three of his sons Percy John Fussell, Henry Sidney Fussell, and Howard Noad Fussell continued to manage the business.
Between the two world wars Sidney Fussell & Sons Ltd continued to expand in two ways, through the acquisition of more licensed houses, and through a substantial increase in the private trade sector.
To achieve both of these sales avenues, the production and processing facilities had to be increased, including a major expansion of the bottling capacity for both bottled beers and mineral waters.
In 1935 another brewhouse was constructed on the site of the redundant bakehouse which had been closed during World War One.

Bass, Mitchells & Butlers Ltd Takeover

The Cross Keys Brewery, with 60 public houses, was acquired by Bass, Mitchells & Butlers Ltd in 1962.
Bass closed the brewery but continued to use the premises for bottling until 1968 and as a distribution depot until 1992.
Percy John Fussell died in 1980 leaving his wife, Ida Maud Fussell, a £10m inheritance. When Ida died in 1996 she left her entire estate to a distant nephew whom she had hardly ever met.
The brewery site was developed for housing although some original brickwork was retained.

The manufacturer's mark states - Reginald Corfield Ltd Lombard Road London