Greene King & Sons Ltd Ceramic Ashtray

Greene King & Sons Ltd ashtray dating from the 1930s.

The Formation of Greene King

Greene's Brewery was founded in Bury St. Edmunds by Benjamin Greene in 1799.
In 1806 Benjamin Greene partnered with William Buck to acquire Wright's Brewery in Westgate Street, and renamed it the Westgate Brewery.
In 1836 Edward Greene took over the business, and, trading as Greene & Son, the Company experienced a period of sustained growth, in which the number of its workers doubled.
In 1868 Frederick William King acquired the Maulkin's Maltings in Bury St. Edmunds, and renamed it the St. Edmund's Brewery.
In 1887 Greene King & Sons Ltd was registered to acquire E.Greene & Son's Westgate Brewery and F.W.King & Son's St. Edmund's Brewery.
The St. Edmund's Brewery ceased brewing shortly afterwards.

Expansion Through Small Brewery Acquisitions - 1896 to 1945

From 1896, Greene King & Sons Ltd started its expansion through the acquisition of many breweries, public houses, and other associated businesses.
In 1896 it purchased the Newmarket Breweries & White Hart Hotel Co. Ltd, followed by Elizabeth Raven's Wethersfield Brewery, with 15 public houses, in 1901.
During World War I, the firm acquired one of its local competitors, Clarke Brothers Rigsbygate Brewery of Bury St. Edmunds, with 28 public houses, in 1917. It also took over the Haverhill Brewery of F C Christmas & Co, with 49 public houses, in 1918.
The Company's first significant purchase was that of Oliver Brothers Sudbury Brewery, with 51 public houses in 1919. It continued operating there until 1932.
Bailey & Tebbutt Ltd of Cambridge, with its Panton Brewery, and 48 public houses, was purchased in 1925, and continued to brew until 1957.
The business of Ogden & Sons, with its Sun Brewery, and 34 public houses, was acquired in 1930.
Before WWII, the Company brewed and distributed its ales locally from its Westgate Brewery in Bury St. Edmunds, and from Rayment & Co. Ltd's Pelham Brewery, based in Furneux Pelham, which it had acquired in 1931.
The small brewer, Tom Prentice Co. Ltd of Stowmarket, was purchased in 1933, but had no tied houses.
Significantly, in 1938, a new brewhouse became fully operational at the Westgate Brewery, and is still in use today.

Expansion Through Larger Brewery Acquistions - 1946 to 2010

After WWII a number of sizeable breweries were acquired throughout Britain, including Simpson's Brewery Ltd of Baldock in 1954, with 130 public houses, which was closed in 1965, and J C Mauldon & Son of Ballingdon, with 28 public houses, in 1958.
A larger purchase however, was that of Wells & Winch Ltd of Biggleswade, with 287 public houses in 1961. The Biggleswade brewery continued production until its closure in 1997.
More recently, the 43 pubs of Beard & Co. Ltd of Lewes, were acquired in 1998, followed quickly by the acquisition of Abingdon brewer, Morland & Co. plc, with over 250 tied houses, in 1999.
The 107 public houses of Morrell's Brewery Ltd of Oxford were acquired in 2002, followed by the 73 tied houses of T.D.Ridley & Sons Ltd of Hartford End, in 2005.
The final brewery purchase, its largest, was that of Hardy & Hansons Ltd of Kimberley, near Nottingham, with 365 public houses, in 2006. The brewery, like that of T.D.Ridley & Sons Ltd, was closed in the same year.
The Pelham Brewery of Rayment & Co. Ltd was eventually closed in 1987.
Due to its access to the Scottish market, the only brewery to have survived the Greene King axe to date, is the Belhaven Brewery Co Ltd, which was purchased in 2006, and is still brewing in Dunbar.
Greene King's diversification was highlighted when, in 2007, the Loch Fyne fish restaurant chain was acquired.
As a result of these takeovers and closures, Greene King considerably increased its portfolio of beers, with some famous brand names including Old Speckled Hen, previously brewed by Morlands, Ruddles County and Best Bitter, previously brewed by Ruddles, Old Bob, previously brewed by Ridleys, and Olde Trip, previously brewed by Hardy & Hansons.
Sadly none of these great ales taste anything like the original recipes.

Greene King Group Restructured

The Greene King Group is now structured into three divisions, the traditional brewing activities, named 'Brewing & Brands', a retail business including brands such as Hungry Horse and Loch Fyne, named the 'Pub Company', and the 'Pub Partner' business.
By the 2010s, the Company was the UK's largest retailer and brewer with about 3000 pubs, hotels and restaurants, earning it the nickname of 'Greedy King' in some parts of the media.
In 2019 the Company was acquired by CK Asset Holdings Ltd, which became the parent company, and is owned by a wealthy Hong Kong property magnate.

The manufacturer's mark states - Royal Doulton Lambeth