Bentley’s Yorkshire Breweries Ltd Ceramic Matchstriker

Bentley's Yorkshire Breweries Ltd ceramic matchstriker dating from the 1920s.

Foundation of the Business & Early Trading

The brewery was founded in 1828 when Henry Bentley developed the maltings, used by his father Timothy Bentley, to supply his Lockwood Brewery based in Huddersfield, which he had founded in 1795.
Henry Bentley's original Oulton Brewery was developed using spring water from the Eshald Well. Henry died in 1848 leaving ownership of the Company to his young sons Henry Jnr and Timothy. Henry became general manager and ran the business.
By 1875 the brewery had expanded considerably with its main offices connected to the railway network.
In 1880 the Company was registered as Henry Bentley & Co. Ltd, later renamed Henry Bentley & Co. and Yorkshire Breweries Ltd, after the acquisition and merger of the Brunswick Brewery in Leeds, the Crown Brewery based in Northowram near Halifax, and Sagar Hirst's Low Brewery based in Bradford.
The name of the Company was re-registered and simplified to Bentley's Yorkshire Breweries Ltd, or BYB as it became more commonly known, in 1893.
The name of the brewery also changed to the Eshaldwell Brewery around that time.

The Modern Era

In the early to mid 20th century, the Company prospered and earned a reputation for using modern processes and modern equipment.
In 1902 a serious fire destroyed a large part of the plant, however this enabled Company to improve parts of the brewery using its insurance money.
The brewery continued to prosper until the outbreak of World War I, after which, many of the firm's men and horses never returned.
Beer sales did recover and, of growing significance, was Bentley's wine & spirit business which was also re-sited from Leeds to Woodlesford in 1926.
Although the brewery was disrupted by occasional strikes its workforce remained loyal as evidenced by the presentation of 9 gold watches in 1965, to men who had worked for the Company for over 40 years.
By the late 1960s both Whitbread & Co. Ltd and Bass Charrington Ltd owned significant shareholding in BYB.
In 1968, after sales and profits had declined, and after Bass had sold its shareholding to Whitbread & Co. Ltd, the Company, with its 380 public houses, fell under Whitbread's ownership.
Brewing ceased in 1972, although Whitbread's did continue to use the premises as a storage, bottling and distribution depot until 1984, when it closed completely.
The site was demolished in 1989.

The manufacturer's mark states - Royal Doulton England