City Brewery Ltd
City Brewery Ltd, 20-21 Cato Street North, Saltley, Birmingham, West Midlands
The Hutton Brothers were in Allison Street 1881-1890. They then moved sites and registered February 1890 as Hutton's Brewery Ltd to acquire the business of Richard Bray Hutton.
Voluntary liquidation 26th March 1891 and was registered as above 14th November 1894 to acquire Hutton's Brewery Ltd. and George Jerrams, Pope's Lane, Oldbury.
Receiver appointed 18th May 1899. Acquired by Holder's Brewery Ltd in 1900 with 40 tied houses.
Some buildings remain. See Vale of Evesham Brewery Ltd entry.
Mike Brown writes:-
In 1870 there was a Cambrian Brewery in Cato Street, but no clear link has been established. In 1881 Richard Bray Hutton with his brother Thomas, was trading as the City Brewery, though the latter retired the year after when the partnership was dissolved. Richard had trained at Sydney Evershed of Burton on Trent. In July 1888 the business involved an Oldbury maltster. A Limited Company was registered 1890. The original 10qtr plant had been replace by a new 20qtr one which was operational 1st January, with a capacity of 800 bpw supplying 16 licensed houses. Previous sales noted as: 1887 3,973 barrels; 1888, 6,806; 1889 10,281.
However, on 26th March 1891 the business was in receivership, with WT Smedley as liquidator. It was stated that the initial business had been under-subscribed and also involved some £3000 investment by Thompsons of Oldbury. The latter had been under a nominee, since they did not wish their involvement to be made public. It was for sale as 25qtr plant with 25 properties.
In 1892 William Henry Wickes was at the Brewery Tap, trading as Wickes Brewery Ltd. However, in the August manager Mr Wickes had tried to buy, but had ended up being committed to an asylum!
The business was wound up 11th March 1893. Richard Bray Hutton was living at the Hermitage, Halesowen, trading at the Kings Head, Allison Street in Birmingham, now employed in a brewery at Halesowen.
In 1894 the City Brewery Ltd was registered 14th November, with capital £10k, involving George Jerrams of Popes Lane Oldbury and Charles E Buxton, brewer of Aston. In 1892 George Jerrams had been listed at the Golden Ball Brewery, 89 Parsonage Street, previously run by Henry Jerrams with a “Mr Thompson”. In 1895 £2,750 was spent on properties from the Castle Brewery (Birmingham) Ltd and then March 1896 some houses from Trent Brewery Co. Ltd.
A receiver was appointed 18th May 1899, involving WT Smedley and JS Hughes. The receiver sold the business to Holder's Brewery Ltd for £55k, with some 40 houses. There was mention of unsatisfactory managers. However, on 23rd August 1900 Holder's Brewery Ltd were selling the 25 qtr brewery with adjacent OL – Rob Roy stores - clearly having sufficient capacity at their Midland Brewery in Nova Scotia Street. Charles Smartt, with £300 capital, bought the premises for £1,750, together with Ernest Bomford. They traded as the Vale of Evesham Brewery Ltd.
In 1901 Bomford died and in February 1903 Smartt was prosecuted for “hawking” in Kings Heath – John Barleycorn’s dinner ales, delivered weekly, 2s per dozen – fined 20s and 27s costs. Claimed thought he was covered by the off-licence adjacent, run by his manager George Perkins.
Possibly as a result of Smartt’s financial problems, the City Brewery Ltd was registered 26th July 1904 with £50k to acquire the business. The director was H Trinder, the managing director was Smartt, but his salary was only £3 10s per week. It too was bankrupt 1905 and wound up 12th February 1906.
Although the area has been redeveloped, the brewery seems to remain at No35:-
Views of the brewery, 1997:
|