Watney, Combe, Reid & Co. Ltd
Watney, Combe, Reid & Co. Ltd, Stag Brewery, Pimlico, London SW1
Founded by William Greene 1641. Came under the control of James Watney 1858.
Registered 1885 as Watney & Co. Ltd. In 1889, they acquired the Mortlake brewery of Phillips, More & Co. Ltd.
Registered as Watney, Combe, Reid & Co. Ltd in June 1898 to amalgamate Watney & Co. Ltd; Combe & Co. Ltd, Woodyard Brewery; and Reid's Brewery Co. Ltd, Griffin Brewery.
After the merger with Manns, the Pimlico Brewery was closed on 23rd April 1959 and brewing was concentrated at Mann's Albion Brewery and Mortlake; the latter was renamed 'Stag Brewery' at this time.
Acquired by Grand Metropolitan Hotels Ltd in 1972 and was merged with Truman, Hanbury & Buxton & Co. Ltd in 1974.
The Hind Statue once in the front of the offices is now located in Lockmeadow shopping mall, Maidstone.
Takeover and closure trail:
- In 1907, Woodbridge & Co, Yorkshire Stingo Brewery, London W1, with approximately 125 houses were acquired and brewing ceased.
- John Samuel Bligh, Holmesdale Brewery, Sevenoaks, was acquired in 1911 with 27 tied houses.
- In 1920, they acquired the Chelsea Brewery Co. Ltd with 80 pubs.
- Ashby's Cobham Brewery Co. Ltd was acquired in 1922 with 56 houses.
- Isleworth Brewery Ltd, after voluntary liquidation in November 1923 was acquired in 1924 with 228 houses.
- They acquired Huggins & Co. Ltd, Lion Brewhouse, London W1 in September 1928 and the brewery was closed.
- London & Burton Brewery Co. Ltd of Stepney were acquired in 1929 and ceased to brew.
- Crowley & Co of Alton were acquired in 1947 with 248 public houses and brewing ceased there in August 1970.
- They acquired Stockwell Brewery Co. Ltd, London SW9 in May 1951 and retained the Hammerton’s off-licences but sold off the pubs to Charringtons.
- In 1954, the Chichester brewery of Henty & Sons Ltd was acquired with 247 houses of which 120 were resold to Friary, Holroyd & Healy's Breweries Ltd, with part of the brewery.
- Venning & Son Ltd of Liskeard were acquired in January 1955.
- In 1958, Watneys merged with Mann, Crossman & Paulin Ltd to form Watney Mann Ltd.
The brewery features in The Noted Breweries of Great Britain and Ireland by Alfred Barnard published 1890.
An assortment of images of the brewery
Miscellaneous:
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