Shrewsbury & Wem Brewery Co. Ltd Round Enamel

Shrewsbury & Wem Brewery Co. Ltd enamel tray dating from the 1930s.

Background to the Formation of the Company

The formation of the Shrewsbury & Wem Brewery Co. Ltd involved three breweries, two in Shrewsbury and one in Wem.

Richard Brothers Later Richards & Hearn Circus Brewery Shrewsbury

The first, Richards Brothers, was founded in 1860.
Its Circus Brewery was located on Bridge Street in Shrewsbury.
The Company later changed its name to Richards & Hearn and it traded under that name until 1898.

William Hall & Co. Talbot Brewery Shrewsbury

The second Company was William Hall & Co which owned the Talbot Brewery on High Street in Shrewsbury.
When Richards & Hearn merged with William Hall & Co. in 1898, the new Company initially continued to trade as William Hall & Co. and was then renamed the Shropshire Brewery Co.

Charles Henry Kynaston Noble Street Brewery Wem

Charles Henry Kynaston's brewery was based on Noble Street Brewery in Wem. Charles Kynaston purchased the brewery in 1892.
In 1898 the Shropshire Brewery Co. acquired Charles Henry Kynaston.

Shrewsbury & Wem Breweries Ltd

After the Shropshire Brewery Co. acquired Charles Henry Kynaston in 1898 the new Company, with three breweries, was registered as the Shrewsbury & Wem Brewery Co. Ltd.
All brewing was concentrated at Wem resulting in the closure of the Talbot Brewery in 1900 and the Circus Brewery in 1912.
The Wem brewer became well-known for the quality of its products. Wem Ales won the Brewers Journal Challenge Cup and numerous Gold & Silver Medals in London in 1927.

Greenall Whitley & Co. Ltd Takeover

The Company continued to trade successfully and it was the target for a take over by Greenall Whitley & Co. Ltd in 1951.
At the time of the acquistion the business owned 94 public houses.
Greenall's allowed the Company to operate relatively independently for many years winning the same Brewers Challenge Cup in 1985.
By the time it closed in 1988 its tied estate had grown to about 225 pubs.
One of the firm's brewers, Jack Hanby, stayed on at the brewery and continued to brew Hanby Ales until the business entered into receivership in 2008.
The business was sold and renamed the Wem Brewery Co. Ltd. It ceased trading in 2010.