T.& R.Theakston Ltd Round Copper

T.& R.Theakston Ltd copper tray dating from the 1990s.

Theakston Brewery Foundation

The firm was founded in 1827 by Robert Theakston and John Wood at the Black Bull pub and brewhouse in Masham, North Yorkshire.
By 1832, Robert Theakston was the sole owner of the business and in 1875 he passed control to his sons, Thomas and Robert.
They expanded the range of buildings and constructed the present brewery on land named the Paradise Fields.
In 1880 Robert Theakston died and Thomas Theakston inherited the business.
He was joined by his sons, Robin and Edward, and a few years later by his other son Francis, all of whom became directors of the Company.
Evidence suggests that the Company's flagship ale, 'Old Peculiar', was introduced in the 1890s.

T. & R.Theakston Ltd

The Company was registered as T. & R.Theakston Ltd in 1905.
During the First World War, Dorothy Theakston, sister of Robin, Edward and Francis, took over control of the brewery whilst her brothers fought in the war.
In 1919 Theakston's acquired the Wellgarth Brewery of T.Lightfoot, with 10 public houses.
In the same year Thomas Theakston died leaving his sons to run the brewery.
The Wellgarth Brewery was closed but Theakston's used the premises as an adjunct to its brewery and also for its maltings.
In 1935 Theakston's purchased its first public house. The estate quickly grew to 25 in total throughout North Yorkshire.
Robert Theakston died in 1954 and the business was passed to his sons, Thomas and Frank.
When Frank died in 1968 and Thomas retired, Francis' son, Michael Theakston became the Company's Chairman, and Frank's son, Richard, became the Managing Director. Richard's son, Paul Theakston, also became a Director.
In 1981 Michael's son, Simon Theakston, joined the brewery.

Family Disagreement & Matthew Brown & Co. Ltd Takeover

Theakston's expanded into Cumbria in 1974 buying the Carlisle State Management Brewery which had been operated by the government since 1916.
This brewery was a financial drain and it caused a disagreement in the family which led to the Company being taken over by Matthew Brown & Co. Ltd of Blackburn in 1984.
Matthew Brown & Co. Ltd was taken over by Scottish & Newcastle Breweries Ltd in 1987 which closed the Carlisle brewery, transferring all brewing activities to Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Some of Theakston beers were brewed on Tyneside for a number of years.
Paul Theakston, who was Managing Director from 1968, left Theakston's after a family feud in 1988, and four years later he established the Black Sheep Brewery in the old Lightfoot premises.
In 1990, Old Peculiar was awarded 'Champion Beer of the Year' at the Great British Beer Festival.

The Theakston Family Buy-Back from Scottish & Newcastle Breweries Ltd

Led by Simon Theakston and former S&N director Collin Wood, the brewery was sold back to the Theakston family in 2003 who purchased a majority shareholding from S&N.
In 2004 Michael Theakston, father of Nick, Simon, Tim, and Edward, died.
Major development works at the Masham Brewery enabled the Company to restart the brewing of Theakston Best Bitter in 2009.
The business is controlled by the fifth generation of the Theakston family.