Tamplin & Sons Brewery Brighton Ltd Metal Menu Holder

Tamplin & Sons Brewery Brighton Ltd metal menu holder dating from the early 1950s.

The Tamplin's Brewing Business Origins

A brewery was founded in Brighton by Richard Tamplin in Southwick in 1820.
In 1821, a fire destroyed the brewery forcing Richard to build the Phoenix Brewery between Albion Street and Southover Street in Brighton.
When Richard died in 1849 the brewery passed to his son Henry Pagden Tamplin.
In 1869 Henry died leaving his son Colonel William Cloves Tamplin, who was already a partner, to run the business.
William registered the Company as Tamplin & Sons Brewery Brighton Ltd in 1889.
When he died in 1893 the Tamplin family was no longer involved in the running of the business.

Tamplin & Sons Brewery Brighton Ltd Acquisitions

After the Tamplin family were no longer in control, the Company embarked on an aggressive acquisitions strategy.
It firstly purchased the Albion Brewery of a local competitor, Marcellus.P.Castle with 35 public houses in 1892, then the South Malling Steam Brewery of Bishop & Sons in 1896, and 21 pubs from the estate of the West Street Brewery (Brighton) Ltd in 1899.
In 1899 the Company purchased 74 public houses from Valance & Catt which almost doubled its estate overnight. Charles Catt joined the board of Tamplin & Sons Brewery Brighton Ltd.
In 1900 the Company purchased the Brighton Brewery of R.C.Weekes in Hove with 12 tied houses.
By 1902 the Phoenix Brewery was a sizeable concern employing more than 150 men.
After the war, the Company purchased more sizeable businesses.
The Southdown & East Grinstead Breweries Ltd, with 93 public houses, was acquired in 1924, Brighton brewers Kidd & Hotblack Ltd, with 53 public houses, was taken over in 1926, two-thirds of the licensed houses of Hove brewers E.Robins & Son Ltd were purchased in 1928, and about 125 tied houses were purchased from the former Smithers & Sons Ltd Brighton brewery in 1929.
Famously in 1955, Tamplins and Friary, Holroyd & Healy's Breweries Ltd, divided the 247 pub estate of Henty & Constable Ltd of Chichester with pubs ranked in terms of barreladge and the first pick was decided by the cutting of a pack of cards between the two parties.

Watney, Combe, Reid & Co. Ltd Takeover

Tamplins was taken over by Watney, Combe, Reid & Co. Ltd in 1953 with 400 public houses.
Watney, Combe, Reid & Co. Ltd merged with Mann, Crossman & Paulin Ltd to form Watney Mann Ltd in 1958.
A minor name change occurred in 1962 when Watney's re-registered the business as Tamplin & Sons Ltd.
By 1962 Watneys Red Barrel was brewed at its Mortlake brewery and was being kegged at the Phoenix Brewery.
Trading under Watney Mann (London & Home Counties) Ltd, the last brew took place at the Phoenix Brewery at the end of 1973.
When brewing ceased the Company employed 450 people.
The Tamplins brand name was resurrected briefly in the 1980s when Watneys Norwich Brewery brewed Tamplins Bitter.
The Brighton premises continued to be used as maltings and a depot until 1991.
In 1996 it was cleared and redeveloped as housing.