Hardys Kimberley Brewery Ltd. Hansons Ltd. tin tray dating from the late 1960s.<\/p>\n
Hardy’s Brewery Origins<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The first commercial brewery, on Cuckold Alley, in Kimberley, was founded on the site of a rented bake-house by Samuel Robinson, in 1832. Hansons Brewery Origins Stephen Hanson built his brewery located on Brewery Street, Kimberley, in 1847, using water from the Alley Spring. Registration 1897<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Despite their physical proximity to each other, both companies remained competitors for the next 30 years, and both followed the same acquisitions strategy, to increase their number of public houses, within carting distance of each brewery. Hardy’s Kimberley Brewery Ltd & Hansons Ltd Merger 1930 Eben Hardy had suddenly died in 1926, which jeopardised the firm’s very existence. Greene King & Sons Ltd Takeover 2006<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Hardys & Hansons Ltd, with 268 public houses, the largest remaining independent brewery in Nottinghamshire, was taken over by Greene King & Sons Ltd in 2006. Hardys & Hansons Ltd. tin tray dating from the late 1960s.
\nThe business was acquired in 1857 by William and Thomas Hardy, who were successful beer merchants in Heanor, Derbyshire. William ran the brewing operations, whilst Thomas became its salesman.
\nIn 1861, they moved out of the old bake-house and built a grand new brewery, on Brewery Street, opposite that of Stephen Hanson, the core of which survived until its closure.
\nThe new brewery contained brewhouses, maltings, bottling and cask filling cellars, a cooperage, offices, wine & spirits stores, stables, and 40 horses.
\nBy 1870, the size of the brewing plant had doubled.
\nIn 1875 William retired due to ill heath and the partnership was dissolved, leaving Thomas in control.
\nThe demand for Hardy’s ales was so great, another brewhouse was built in 1882.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
\nThe site was substantial, leaving plenty of room for future expansion.
\nStephen went into partnership with maltster John Tomilnson, but at first the firm struggled.
\nIn 1861 Stephen Hanson died leaving his wife Mary, and his son, Robert Goodall Hanson, to run the business.
\nRobert was a young man who worked extremely hard to make the brewery a success. He became its sole owner in 1869, when Mary sold her half of the business to him.
\nThe firm continued to trade as R.G.Hanson.
\nIn 1886 the ‘Head of King George III’ was registered as Hanson’s trade mark.
\nIn 1890, a new enlarged Hanson’s Brewery was completed, with a six storey brewery tower as its centrepiece.
\nKimberley could now boast two impressive breweries situated directly opposite each other, Hansons Brewery, and its direct competitor Hardy’s Kimberley Brewery Ltd.<\/p>\n
\nBy 1895 Thomas Hardy and Robert Hanson had purchased a large proportion of the pubs in their own territories.
\nThe creation of a rail network enabled them to stretch out even further.
\nIncreased production at both breweries resulted in a significant shortage in the Alley Spring’s water supply.
\nSigns that the two firms could work together in harmony occurred in 1875, when an agreement was made to share water from another local water supply, the Holly Well spring. Indeed this camaraderie continued when Thomas Hardy represented Robert Hanson, as both businesses fought for compensation from the Midland Railway, for affecting the flow and quality of the Holly Well, during construction of the railway.
\nIn 1880 The Midland Railway (TMR), opened a line through Kimberley. Both breweries developed private railway sidings, which were connected to this new Midland line.
\nBoth companies were independently registered in 1897. R.G.Hanson’s, with its 84 public houses, became Hansons Ltd, and Hardy’s Kimberley Brewery, with its 97 public houses, became Hardy’s Kimberley Brewery Ltd.
\nIt was an historic day for Thomas Hardy. He was now a wealthy man at the head of an expanding Company, with two able sons, Eben, and Frederick, helping him to run it. Sadly he died a few weeks after the successful incorporation of the business.
\nRobert Hanson, aged 54 years, celebrated 50 years’ successful brewing in 1897, with a jubilee party for his 100 employees.
\nRobert too died shortly afterwards, in 1903.
\nThe quality of Hansons Ltd beers was recognised when it was awarded the ‘Challenge Cup’ for the best bottled beer at the Brewers’ Exhibition in London, in 1929, and 1931.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
\nIncreasing pressure from larger breweries, and a lack of a capable male successor to run Hardy’s business, resulted in the combining of the two businesses. Hardy’s began to struggle financially, and Hansons was worried that it might succumb to an aggressive larger brewer, which in addition, might target them. It knew that the best option was an amalgamation of the two firms.
\nHardy’s Kimberley Brewery Ltd & Hansons Ltd merged in 1930.
\nBrewing was concentrated at the Hardy’s brewery from 1932 onwards, which also owned a separate wine & spirits business.
\nHansons staff, and retirees, drank the last drop of the last brew on 22nd December 1932, and the next day they all took up their new positions across the road.
\nFollowing in Hansons footsteps, Hardy’s Kimberley Brewery Ltd, with its ‘Starbright’ brand, won the same ‘Challenge Cup’, in 1934, for its bottled beer.
\nThroughout the 1930s, improvements and repairs to tied houses across both firms, were continuous.
\nAfter the Second World War, the Company struggled, particularly due to continued rationing of raw materials, however the consistency of its bottled beers, resulted in steady growth, from this arm of the business. A new bottling plant was built in 1951.
\nEvidence of the excellence of it products occurred at the 1952 Brewers’ Exhibition, where the firm won a gold medal award for its draught beer.
\nIn 1962 the Company was floated on the London and Nottingham Stock Exchange, an historic landmark for the ownership of the business.
\nSymbolically and significantly, the Company combined its offices in the same year.
\nThe name of the Company changed in 1972 when it became Hardys & Hansons Ltd.
\nHansons Brewery was demolished in 1973, and the firm’s maltings also ceased to operate.
\nA landmark in the history of the two firms occurred in 1972, when it won the Challenge Cup for the best draught beer, and a gold medal for second place with a different ale, at the International Brewing Trade Exhibition at Earls Court.
\nBy 1981, Hardy’s & Hansons owned 204 public houses and 10 off-licences, and it celebrated 150 years of brewing in 1982.<\/p>\n
\nChief Executive of Greene King & Sons Ltd, Rooney Anand, declared ‘We understand and value the heritage of Hardy’s & Hansons Ltd’.
\nDespite these ressurances Hardy’s Kimberley Brewery was closed by ‘Greedy King’ in December that year.
\nA limited selection of Hardys & Hansons beer brands are still brewed at Greene King’s Westgate Brewery in Bury St. Edmunds, sadly they taste nothing like the original recipes.
\nThe original Hardy’s maltings were Grade II listed in 2008, and are still standing.
\nThe rest of the site was sold to developers in 2011.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nThe brewery was based in Kimberley, near Nottingham, Nottinghamshire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":9709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[379],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3881","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-england-1960s","8":"first","9":"outofstock","10":"shipping-taxable","11":"purchasable","12":"product-type-simple"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brewerytrays.co.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/3881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brewerytrays.co.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brewerytrays.co.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brewerytrays.co.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3881"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brewerytrays.co.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brewerytrays.co.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brewerytrays.co.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=3881"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brewerytrays.co.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=3881"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brewerytrays.co.uk\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=3881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}