Breeds Brewery
Breeds Brewery first appears around 1828 in the High Street, although there is record of a brewery having been on the site since the mid 17th c. Listings in the early directories have the address at 61 High Street, with the brewery appearing at 32a High Street during the 1880s. Breeds had a depot located in The Bourne. Acquiring Hewett & Co, St. Leonard's Brewery of Shepherd Street (also called The Crown Brewery), in 1907. George Beer and Rigden, of Faversham and Canterbury, Kent, then appear to have taken over[1] the running of Breeds in 1931 and closing down the brewery. George Beer and Rigden were in turn taken over by Fremlins in 1949[2]
Scientific methods associated with brewing
The brewery apparently relied quite heavily on science in their brewing for there is record of a contract between the brewery and an analytical chemist (Horace Fabean Cheshire) during 1880[3]
Alterations to premises
There is record of work being carried out on the engine house in 1881[4], the boiler house and chimney during December 1897[5] and the stables during 1898[6], the premises being listed as Bourne Walk at this time.
Images
Closure and Winding Up
In 1930, the chairman, Thomas (Tom) Breeds, by then aged 78, realised that there was no-one prepared to take over the brewery and started to market the brewery for sale. By September an informal agreement had been reached with George Beer & Rigden of Faversham to purchase the business; the sale being completed on the 8th of April 1931. Tom was taken ill part-way through the sale and passed away on the 31st of March 1931. Brewing on the site ceased later in the same year, although the bottling plant continued for a number of years[7].
Sale of premises
The following premises were purchased from the brewery by the Borough Council Housing Committee in November of 1948 under the 1936 Housing act; 21-22 Brewery Cottages, 53-59 Bourne Walk, brewery premises with yard, stores, brewhouses and buildings[8]
Notes
The brewery had a number of 'tied' houses associated with it The Keep: Notes concerning the history of Breeds brewery gives the following names and detail;
Includes list of tied houses, with totals of barrelage, 1927-1930; photocopy plan of the brewery premises, c1900; tenancy agreement for The Cock Inn, Peasmarsh, Jul 1925; list of prices, 1890; photographs, nd, c1890 - 1988; lists of holders of debenture stock, Jul 1939 and Jun 1943 Photographs include Thomas Breeds, c1900; The Jolly Fisherman, Hastings (copy), c1890; Tiny Breeds outside The London Trader, Hastings (copy), c1910; Mrs Sarah E Breeds outside The London Trader (copy), 1920s; outing from The London Trader (copy), 1926; premises of Breeds Brewery, and depot of Fremlins, Hastings c1950, and Aug 1988
n.b. Mrs Sarah E. Breeds may be either Thomas' or Tinys wife. To identify: Tiny Breeds
References & Notes
- ↑ Papers and correspondence concerning the take-over of Breeds by George Beer and Rigden, accessdate: 31 January 2020
- ↑ Breeds and Company Limited, Hastings, accessdate: 31 January 2020
- ↑ Contract for the employment of Horace Fabean Cheshire as an analytical chemist at Breeds brewery, accessdate: 31 January 2020
- ↑ Breeds Brewery, BOURNE WALK, accessdate: 31 January 2020
- ↑ Breeds Brewery, BOURNE WALK, accessdate: 31 January 2020
- ↑ Breeds Brewery, BOURNE WALK, accessdate: 31 January 2020
- ↑ A History of Breeds & Co Ltd - Brewery History Society Wiki, accessdate: 24 August 2020
- ↑ 21-22 Brewery Cottages, 53-59 Bourne Walk, brewery premises with yard, stores, brewhouses and buildings, accessdate: 31 January 2020
