150 years of the Melbourn Brothers All Saints Brewery
150 years of the Melbourn Brothers (Stamford) Brewery
By Geoff Dye
Reproduced from Brewery History Society Newsletter, December 2022 and March 2023
The town of Stamford in South Lincolnshire has a brewing past which dates back to the middle ages, indeed up to the 1930s there were four breweries in the town plus several home brew pubs. All except the All Saints Brewery have now ceased to brew. The last to stop mashing was Phillips St Martins Brewery which was taken over by the Northampton brewery in 1952, before that was Lowe, Son & Cobbold Ltd at the St Michaels Brewery taken over by Hole & Co. Ltd of Newark in 1935 and G & H. R. Hunt of Water Street taken over by Mowbray of Grantham in 1927. There were also two others, a home brew pub, The Exeter Arms up to 1921 and Christopher Martin at 30 Foundry Street, also up to 1921.
The site of the All Saints brewery is said to have had a brewery on it and a public house known as The Talbot dating from the seventeenth century. Surveys by a Cambridge Archaeological Society in the 1960s indicated the area of the offices started life as a medieval dining hall, open from floor to roof with a central fireplace and smoke blackened roof timbers. The brewery itself is a hotch pot of buildings huddled together around a central chimney, some parts being older than others. All are roofed and clad in local materials; brown stone with wavy brown Collyweston slate roofs in keeping with the other buildings in Stamford. The old beer cellar was once used as a maltings. It is thought that the basis for the modern brewery was established in about 1825 prior to the Melbourn Brothers taking over.
About 1865 two sons of a yeoman farmer named Melbourn, who farmed in the village of Ingham just north of Lincoln, decided they wanted to break away from farming and go into the brewing trade. Herbert the elder son decided to go to Germany for a few years to learn more about the brewing trade. On his return he leased the current small brewery on the site and later purchased the business in 1869. In 1870 he was joined by his brother Stanley and the firm of Melbourn Brothers was established. Whilst in Germany, Herbert had been trained in wines and spirits and had made connections there which were useful in building up the wine business for which the brewery was famous. An invoice dated 7th November 1870 showed he purchased bottled wines from H.Sichel & Sohne Germany and two hogsheads of 1865 Claret, the latter he bottled at the brewery. In those days the tied house system was in its infancy and the brothers relied mainly upon private customers and farmers for their trade in the immediate area of the town.
However with the brewery previously being leased from the Marquess of Exeter there was an opportunity to supply and lease a handful of public houses also owned by the Marquess from the Burleigh estate which he owned. After acquiring the brewery, the Brothers set about an expansion and an update of the plant.
In 1873 a new open Pontifex copper was installed as well as three round fermentation vessels which were made of white cedar (later copper lined), they were made by three different companies. The companies being Shuters, Chippingdale and Collyer giving a total capacity of 190 barrels. A hop back was also installed being supplied by Brindley and Biggs. The total brew length was 60 barrels and by 1970 they were still brewing two or three times a week with this equipment. The two brothers registered the private company in 1875 and the following year disaster struck when a fire broke out damaging some of the plant. This led to the mash tun being replaced with a new 12 qtr vessel.
By 1896 the Brothers had re-equipped the brewery which then had a new chimney, together with the new mash tun, copper, hop back and fermentation vessels all lined or made of copper. The only second hand plant was an old steam engine made by Marshalls of Gainsborough and a horizontal Cornish boiler. The engine drove a mill and the sparge arms in the mash tun. A new coal fired Cornish boiler was installed in 1902 which lasted for some 70 years before being condemned. By 1904 one of the peak years early in the C20th, brewing costs were as follows for the year;
- Beer Duty £2324
- Malt £2400
- Hops £1016
- Cooper £142/10/-
- Beer bottles £42/15/-
Interestingly it is noted that the company bottled beer which was unusual for such a small organisation at this time. For the rest of the trade, the company sold the beers in hogsheads, barrels, kilderkins and firkins, the latter two mainly for private customers and farmers. It was during this period when wines and spirits sales became a very important part in the company’s business. The cellars under the offices were ideal for the storage of casks of clarets, ports, rum, gin, French brandy and whisky. They were bottled by hand and corked using a primitive corking machine and stored in racks. In 1904 the wage bill of the brewery totalled £18 per week, whilst the men’s beer allowance totalled just over £1 a week.
In 1910 Herbert purchased a second hand 1908 De Dion car costing £175 but spent £82/15/- on repairs over the next year. Also in that year the company purchased, second hand from a Biggleswade laundry, a 15 HP steam engine for well pumping, cask washing and drying. In February 1912 they replaced the car with another one costing £162 and for the Grantham depot purchased a motorcycle. In 1912 the office was equipped with a typewriter and the company was one of the first to have a telephone in Stamford.
In this period major depots were established and by 1912 they had depots at Grantham and Brayford Head in Lincoln with smaller ones at Leicester and Whittlesey. Herbert ran the business at Stamford and Stanley was based at Grantham as well as looking after Lincoln. In Stamford the railway station was nearby and the Brothers used the railways to supply the depots with onward deliveries being made by horse and cart within a 25 mile delivery area of each depot. With the Brothers’ connections they were able to purchase four public houses in the Lincoln area where they were not represented. During this period most brewers were purchasing public houses and by 1923 they had bought or leased some 22 tied properties. It was about this time that the partnership was dissolved and the depots at Grantham and Lincoln were closed to save on costs. Herbert retired to Bournemouth and the brewery was run by a Brewer/Manager. Herbert died in January 1927 leaving the profits to his wife and the business in trust to the male descendants of his brothers as he had no children himself.
The brewery entered a period of little activity and cautious expansion with six houses purchased over four years. These were: in 1927 The Boot and Shoe at South Luffenham. The Brewery Inn home brew pub in Stamford in 1929 and in 1931 purchased four pubs:-
- The Six Bells Witham
- The Five Bells Morton
- The Crown Inn Casterton
- The Plough Inn Casterton
Later that year the Royal Oak Heckington was fully rebuilt. In 1936 as the company’s assets increased it was decided to make the brewery into a private limited company. The 1930s were a difficult time for breweries but the company had during this time achieved a substantial base in its wines and spirits trade which helped offset any loss of trade in the pubs.
The Second World War brought a few problems with supplies limited and the introduction of zoning where the company supplied other brewers local pubs whilst their own distant ones were supplied by competitors. The war time also had a major influence on the trade in wines and spirits with supplies of wines particularly a problem. From about 1900 until the outbreak of the Second World War bulk deliveries of spirits in hogsheads were made to the company and they made their profit on ‘marrying’ that is watering down to the correct strength, bottling and selling.
On receipt, the spirits in the hogsheads were put into a large room some 25 feet high, behind the lower office. Around the room were four huge wooden vats of 500, 400 and two of 250 gallons capacity made of oak and about 2.5 inches thick. The vats were polished outside and bound by black hoops. The first process was to empty the hogsheads into two gallon copper cans. These were counted on a tally card and handed up to a cellarman at the top of a ladder who kept another tally card as a check. The can was then emptied into a copper funnel in the head of the vat. During the operation the strength of the spirit was checked several times and entered in a register for Excise approval. The strength and quantity of the new spirit determined the amount of distilled water required and this was gradually added over a period of a week or so. The gradual dilution was necessary as too much water in one go made the final product cloudy and it was almost impossible to rectify. During the operations the mixture was stirred using a huge pole which was inserted in the top of the vat and turned like a dolly peg. After a period of rest the spirits were either bottled for individual sale or put into earthenware jars of a gallon or half gallon for pubs. This was a very labour and time-consuming process which continued until the mid 1950s when they were taken out of service.
From 1938, in anticipation of war, wine and spirit stocks were built up and dispersed throughout the pubs in case of enemy action. The company was always on the lookout for auction sales where they contained cellar bottles. At one such sale the company purchased what was described as 12 bottles of Port, age unknown. When these were examined they were found to be malt whisky some 20/30 years old smooth and mellow, well worth the cheap price paid.
Very soon after the start of the war French Brandy and Caribbean Rum was almost impossible to obtain whilst supplies of whisky and gin became very limited. Right up to the end of the Second World War price lists showed some 80/100 lines of wines and spirits. During the war the company was able to purchase The Blue Bell at Pickworth. This was a very basic house, the ale being dispensed in the kitchen and the customers sat along two high backed wooden benches either side of an old fashioned kitchen range which Mrs Topp, the licensee used to cook on. There was another licensed room but this was her parlour and woe betide any customer who dared set foot in it!
Soon after the war Herbert's widow died and once again the company came under the Melbourn family's control passing to Max and Christine, great nephew and niece and their cousin Margaret Hartwell with the rest of the old estate of Herbert being held in trust. During the following 11 years, starting in 1947, The Plough Sleaford was added, in 1954 The Black Horse at Grimsthorpe (leasehold), in 1955 The Five Bells at Edenham and 1958 The Red Lion at Haconby but generally the number of houses remained constant as others were also sold or closed.
In 1950 the first major prize was won for the company's bottled beer Pinnacle Pale Ale which won a Gold Medal in the Supreme Championship for bottle beers (1038-1048OG). In 1953 the brewery brewed and bottled a Coronation Ale which was distributed as a gift to tenants and customers. This brew was so strong and well brewed that samples opened in 1965 were still good.
During the 1950s the company set about updating many houses which had become rather basic. The Crown at Casterton was modernised in 1957 and the following year the toilet block was rebuilt. The Bull and Swan at Stamford, an old coaching inn was refurbished in 1958 to include a dining room with new bars. During the 1960s the company decided on a policy of all the houses having pictorial signs, this was an ongoing plan that took some ten years or more to complete. In 1960 they won 3rd prize for bottled Pale Ale (1047 to 1055).
In 1961 the Borough of Stamford celebrated 500 years of its town Charter. A local exhibition was arranged in the town and the brewery had a stand with a model brewery and a projection theatre whilst a special brew was added to the bottled range. At first sales of this beer were good but the rate of duty meant that eventually it became uneconomic to brew and was subsequently dropped. In 1966 the company purchased two cottages next door to The Waggon and Horses in Lincoln, demolished them to make a car park and considerably rebuilt the pub. During 1967 The Boot and Shoe at South Luffenham was enlarged with the conversion of the bakehouse into a bar while the White Horse at Morcott was also refurbished. 1968 saw another medal - First prize for bottled Mild in the 1036 to 1041 range and in 1969 it was the turn of The Ingleby Arms Marton to be refurbished. The third special brew that the company produced came in 1970 when to celebrate one hundred years a Centenary ale was distributed free to staff, tenants and customers.
As in line with other breweries, Mild sales had fallen by 1970 with an IPA accounting for about a half of all sales but as the Company still sold its beers in wooden casks they were becoming quite popular due to drinkers seeking them out. In this special year The Kings Head at Navenby had a restaurant added and a number of events were organised for the Company centenary. It was decided that the celebrations would be a family occasion with an open day for staff, tenants and families and a visit by the Mayor of Stamford. Visitors were treated to a conducted tour of the brewery and then provided with tea. This was followed by a presentation to the ladies of flowers whilst the men had the Centenary brew. Afterwards all the brewery staff had dinner and bonuses were given out depending on the length of service. The following year the Wheatsheaf at Oakham was extended at a cost of £12,000 and The Brewery Inn Stamford was renamed The Jolly Brewer. As a permanent advert, the front of the brewery was cleaned and restored to the appearance it was 100 years ago.
This time of celebration was also eventful in that the current members of the Melbourn family decided to retire so early in 1971 they invited tenders on the open market for the share capital of the company. This was a very stressful period for the staff but relief came when it was found that two local people were the successful bidders, The Earl of Gainsborough and his son-in-law the Earl of Liverpool. Changes took place almost immediately with Lord Gainsborough becoming Chairman and Lord Liverpool Managing Director. The Company's name was changed in November to Melbourn's Brewery Limited. Beers at the time were two beers in wooden casks, (Bitter and a Dark Mild). These were also kegged as Melbourn Keg (the Bitter) and Keg Brown (the MIld). Bottled beers were IPA, Dinner Ale (brown and weak), Nut Brown Ale (dark and stronger) and Double Stout (sweet). Doublet was introduced in 1972 (strong pale ale).
A series of pub purchases was embarked upon, first came The Cuckoo Inn at Wing close to the new reservoir at Empingham. Next came The Golden Lion at Bourne which was leased from Samuel Smiths. The White Heather Restaurant opposite the brewery was purchased having been established in the early 1950s. This restaurant could seat some 200 people on three levels and was run as a separate subsidiary. Another acquisition was The Crown Hotel nearby, a family hotel of some eighteen bedrooms, dining room, public bar and lounges. Major alterations took place at The George, Weldon and The Six Bells at Witham. New designs were given to the bottled labels and the keg beer was renamed Crest with beer mats being produced to advertise the product. A new bottling line was introduced and an automatic labeller installed. The offices were moved to the former Brewery house at the rear of the brewery. After some sixteen months from the purchase there were 32 fully-licensed houses, two off licences and six unlicensed properties owned by the company.
The period in the early 1970s was a time of rampant inflation; costs were going up almost on a daily basis and money borrowed from banks in 1972 at 6% interest had by 1974 increased to 13%. The brewing plant was in need of updating and very labour intensive. Costs per barrel had increased considerably and in spite of an increase of 8.5% in the barrels brewed in the year ending 31st March 1974, the foreign beers sold in the tied houses had increased by some 18%.
In light of all these costs, the current Directors numbering five, the original two plus their wives and Percy William Wakefield, who also held the post of Company Secretary and previously Cashier, made a decision to cease brewing in June 1974. Supplies of beer were to come from Sam Smith's Old Brewery of Tadcaster, a company with a similar outlook to Melbourn Brewery and one that the Company already had connections to. Sam Smiths took over part of the brewery to supply the brewery's pubs and used it as a local depot. The plan was for the brewery to be a museum and brew a special beer every year for the pubs. At the time of the closure the head brewer was Mr D Walmsley and was the last in a line of only four head brewers between 1869 and 1974, two of these were father and son, a demonstration of the loyalty of the workforce. The condemned boiler was removed after brewing ceased and later replaced. A pair of Sam Smiths shire horses were used to deliver to local pubs and much publicised their beers in South Lincolnshire.
The brewery still traded as Melbourn Brewery until in 1987 when the Directors decided to sell the pubs to Camerons brewery of Hartlepool. They retained ownership of the brewery and their restaurant and by 1993 Sam Smiths were again brewing; this time apricot, cherry and strawberry beers in the winter months using spontaneous fermentation as in the summer there are too many wild yeasts around the All Saints Brewery. After brewing, the fruit beers are bottled at Tadcaster and available in Sam Smiths pubs across Britain including London where they own several pubs. These bottled beers have subsequently achieved medals in the world beer championships. The brewery itself is a Museum that can be visited at least up to the time of Coronavirus. Perhaps a BHS visit would be a good idea?
Geoff Dye