Wenlock Brewery Co. Ltd Round Alloy

Wenlock Brewery Co. Ltd alloy tray dating from the 1950s.

Early Years of Trading

The first partnership to run the brewery on Wenlock Road in Shoreditch was Lane & Bowden in 1838.
After the partnership of John Lane and John Bowden was dissolved in 1844, John Lane continued to operate the brewery.
Richard Alfred Glover purchased the Wenlock Brewery in 1875 and operated there until 1887.
The business then traded as Glover, Bell & Co. until 1893.

Wenlock Brewery Co. Ltd Registration

When the partnership of Glover, Bell & Co. was dissolved in 1893 the Company was registered as the Wenlock Brewery Co. Ltd.
In 1896 the Company was financially reconstructured with additional capital to enable the brewery to be extended.
By 1897 the business had extended into neighbouring premises which became offices, stables, cask washing and storage.
At that time Richard Alfred Glover was the firm's chairman and John Charles Bell was his deputy.
Richard Alfred Glover died in 1898, having purchased the Peacock Brewery in Harpenden for his son F.E.Glover in that year.

20th Century Trading

In 1900 the Company was provided with a loan from Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton Ltd in return for a share of the trade of three of Wenlock's London public houses.
In 1922 Bass purchased shares which gave it a 75% holding in the Wenlock Brewery Co. Ltd.
By 1925 the Company's estate totalled 250 public houses, almost all of which were London based.
New plant was installed in 1926 and in 1928 the firm purchased spme of the public houses owned by the New Phoenix Brewery of Southwark.
During the 1920s the Company brewed for Eldridge Pope & Co. Ltd of Dorchester when a fire destroyed part of the Dorchester Brewery.
In 1951 the Wenlock Brewery Co. Ltd purchased the bottling and mineral water business of Plowman, Barrett & Co. Ltd of Vauxhall.

Worthington & Co. Ltd Takeover

The brewery, with over 170 public houses, was acquired by Worthington & Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton Ltd, in 1954.
Bass had already purchased 80% of Wenlock's ordinary share capital.
The Company's subsidiaries, Plowman, Barrett & Co. Ltd, and its wine and spirit business based in Camden Town, were also included in the takeover.
The brewery was closed in 1962.

The manufacturer's mark states - 8 MB Made in England