It’s fun to look back.

This section is devoted to Inside Beer’s trip down Memory Lane, highlighting the major events that were shaping the brewing world 10, 20 and 30 years ago.

10 Years Ago

20 Years Ago

30 Years Ago

 

10 Years Ago
February 2002

Batemans and Banks & Taylor are declared winners of the Tesco Spring Beer Challenge, which guarantees a four-month listing in the supermarket’s stores. Batemans wins the Larger Brewery section with its Harvest Zest, while Banks & Taylor’s SOS wins the Smaller Brewers section.

Coors marks its take-over of the Worthington’s brand by announcing a new cask beer to be marketed under that name. It is thought the beer, not yet named, is to be brewed in Burton-on-Trent.

20 Years Ago
February 1992

Dutch brewer Grolsch completes its purchase of Rutland-based Ruddles brewery from Courage.

American giant Anheuser-Busch, brewer of Budweiser, makes a bid to acquire a 30% stake in Czech brewer Budvar, producer of the Czech beer also called Budweiser.

The only brewery on the Isle of Wight goes into receivership. There are hopes that Burts, based in Ventnor, can be sold as a going concern within a few weeks.

 

30 Years Ago
February 1982

Courage test markets a new beer in Yorkshire – John Smith’s Lager.

Boddingtons’ £23 million offer for Oldham Brewery and its 86 pubs is accepted by Oldham’s shareholders.

Fred Cheesewright, head brewer at Felinfoel, dies only a week after taking retirement, following 30 years in the role. He is succeeded at the Llanelli brewery by John Keddie.

The new managing director of Yates and Jackson, the Lancaster brewery, is Peter Cole, the company’s head brewer. Cole was previously head brewer at JW Lees in Manchester.

One of Britain’s historic home brew houses is put up for sale. The Three Tuns at Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire, goes on the market, complete with all its equipment.

Watney’s introduces cask-conditioned Webster’s Yorkshire Bitter into its pubs in the South of England. The beer is gradually spreading around the Watney’s national estate.

ABTA, the Allied Brewery Traders’ Association, celebrates its 75th anniversary. The organisation was initially set up to oppose a licensing bill that threatened to close tens of thousands of pubs, but in later years has expanded its remit to service the pub and brewing industry through advice, seminars and conferences.