Border Breweries (Wrexham)
Encyclopedia
Border Breweries Ltd was a brewery
firm formerly based in Wrexham
in the United Kingdom which at its peak was a significant element of the Welsh brewing industry.
In its various incarnations the company operated over a 150 year period, between 1834 and 1984.
in Wrexham, which was run by the Rowlands family between 1834 and 1874. It was subsequently acquired by Henry Aspinall - who named it the Wrexham Brewery and expanded it substantially - before being taken over by Arthur Soames, who entrusted his 21 year old son Frederick with management. Within ten years, Frederick Soames had built up the business into a major producer.
Following the financial impact of the Great Depression
, Border was formed by the 1931 merger of the Soames Wrexham
Brewery, then in liquidation, the nearby Island Green Brewery (dating from 1856), and the
Oswestry
firm of Dorsett Owen. Operations were then concentrated at the Soames Brewery
site. Along with the Wrexham Lager
Brewery, the new firm dominated the brewing industry in the town, which was itself the centre of the industry in North Wales
thanks to its supply of suitable spring water.
Border distributed a variety of products during its existence, including Border Mild (a dark mild ale
), Exhibition Ale and its generally well-regarded Border Bitter (marketed with slogans such as "Wine of Wales", "Thirst Come Thirst Served", and "Prince of Ales"; the writer and humourist Miles Kington
, whose father was the brewery's director, commented that Border had "managed to produce damned good beer but had never come up with a good slogan"). The bitter was described by journalist Richard Boston
, writing in 1976, as "reddish in colour, pleasant in flavour, but rather thin". Border Bitter had an Original Gravity of 1034, and used Fuggles, Goldings and Whitbread Goldings Variety (WGV) hops
, while Border Mild had an OG of 1030. Border also bottled its own minerals
. These products were sold in the firm's tied house
s located throughout North and Mid Wales, Shropshire
, and parts of The Potteries
.
Border's branding, in its later years, featured a pale blue and white colour scheme, a pseudo-Celtic font, and a stylised red Welsh dragon (a dragon had originally been used by the Island Green Brewery; Soames had used a bridled horse as its logo). The company had a prominent role in local event sponsorship: Wrexham F.C.'s Racecourse Ground
, whose land was owned by the brewery, had a "Border Stand" for many years.
increasing consolidation of the UK brewing industry during the
1980s. In 1984, two larger firms, Burtonwood Brewery and
Marston Thompson and Evershed, sought to acquire Border and its 170 tied houses. Border's share price
rose 43p to 155p in a day on 15 February, following rumours of a bid, and subsequently rose further to 208p. Marstons, thanks to the influence of Whitbread
who owned a minority stake in both companies,
eventually succeeded and despite public assurances to the contrary were to close the Border site within six months. They continued to produce Border products for some years under the Marstons name, though this has now ceased. Border Breweries (Wrexham) Ltd. still exists, as UK registered company 00257409, as part of Marstons.
The partly listed Border premises in Tuttle Street, Wrexham have been converted into flats, while the adjacent Nag's Head, where the company had its origins, remains open as a pub. The brewery's chimney, a prominent Wrexham landmark, was purchased by the then local Member of Parliament
John Marek to save it from demolition.
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
firm formerly based in Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
in the United Kingdom which at its peak was a significant element of the Welsh brewing industry.
In its various incarnations the company operated over a 150 year period, between 1834 and 1984.
History
Border Breweries had its roots in a small operation at the Nag's Head public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in Wrexham, which was run by the Rowlands family between 1834 and 1874. It was subsequently acquired by Henry Aspinall - who named it the Wrexham Brewery and expanded it substantially - before being taken over by Arthur Soames, who entrusted his 21 year old son Frederick with management. Within ten years, Frederick Soames had built up the business into a major producer.
Following the financial impact of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Border was formed by the 1931 merger of the Soames Wrexham
Brewery, then in liquidation, the nearby Island Green Brewery (dating from 1856), and the
Oswestry
Oswestry
Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483, and A495 roads....
firm of Dorsett Owen. Operations were then concentrated at the Soames Brewery
site. Along with the Wrexham Lager
Wrexham Lager
Wrexham Lager was a brewery in Wrexham, north-east Wales, that produced alcoholic drink for more than 120 years. It closed in 2000 and was mostly demolished between 2002 and 2003. Only the historic building in which brewing started still remains, however there are currently plans to resume brewing...
Brewery, the new firm dominated the brewing industry in the town, which was itself the centre of the industry in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
thanks to its supply of suitable spring water.
Border distributed a variety of products during its existence, including Border Mild (a dark mild ale
Mild ale
Mild ale is a low-gravity beer, or beer with a predominantly malty palate, that originated in Britain in the 17th century or earlier. Modern mild ales are mainly dark coloured with an abv of 3% to 3.6%, though there are lighter hued examples, as well as stronger examples reaching 6% abv and...
), Exhibition Ale and its generally well-regarded Border Bitter (marketed with slogans such as "Wine of Wales", "Thirst Come Thirst Served", and "Prince of Ales"; the writer and humourist Miles Kington
Miles Kington
Miles Beresford Kington was a British journalist, musician and broadcaster.-Early life :...
, whose father was the brewery's director, commented that Border had "managed to produce damned good beer but had never come up with a good slogan"). The bitter was described by journalist Richard Boston
Richard Boston
Richard Boston was an English journalist and author, he was a rigorous dissenter and a belligerent pacifist...
, writing in 1976, as "reddish in colour, pleasant in flavour, but rather thin". Border Bitter had an Original Gravity of 1034, and used Fuggles, Goldings and Whitbread Goldings Variety (WGV) hops
Hops
Hops are the female flower clusters , of a hop species, Humulus lupulus. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor, though hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine...
, while Border Mild had an OG of 1030. Border also bottled its own minerals
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
. These products were sold in the firm's tied house
Tied house
In the UK a tied house is a public house that is required to buy at least some of its beer from a particular brewery. This is in contrast to a free house, which is able to choose the beers it stocks freely.- Definition of "tied" :...
s located throughout North and Mid Wales, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, and parts of The Potteries
The Potteries Urban Area
The Potteries Urban Area is a conurbation in North Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England.It includes the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and the towns of Newcastle-under-Lyme and Kidsgrove....
.
Border's branding, in its later years, featured a pale blue and white colour scheme, a pseudo-Celtic font, and a stylised red Welsh dragon (a dragon had originally been used by the Island Green Brewery; Soames had used a bridled horse as its logo). The company had a prominent role in local event sponsorship: Wrexham F.C.'s Racecourse Ground
Racecourse Ground
The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
, whose land was owned by the brewery, had a "Border Stand" for many years.
Closure
As a regional brewery, Border Breweries finally fell victim to theincreasing consolidation of the UK brewing industry during the
1980s. In 1984, two larger firms, Burtonwood Brewery and
Marston Thompson and Evershed, sought to acquire Border and its 170 tied houses. Border's share price
Share price
A share price is the price of a single share of a number of saleable stocks of a company. Once the stock is purchased, the owner becomes a shareholder of the company that issued the share.-Behavior of share prices:...
rose 43p to 155p in a day on 15 February, following rumours of a bid, and subsequently rose further to 208p. Marstons, thanks to the influence of Whitbread
Whitbread
Whitbread PLC is a global hotel, coffee shop and restaurant company headquartered in Dunstable, United Kingdom. Its largest division is Premier Inn, which is the largest hotel brand in the UK with around 580 hotels and over 40,000 rooms. Its Costa Coffee chain has around 1,600 stores across 25...
who owned a minority stake in both companies,
eventually succeeded and despite public assurances to the contrary were to close the Border site within six months. They continued to produce Border products for some years under the Marstons name, though this has now ceased. Border Breweries (Wrexham) Ltd. still exists, as UK registered company 00257409, as part of Marstons.
After closure
In 1985, some of Border's former staff went on to set up the smale-scale Plassey Brewery at Eyton outside Wrexham, which still produces beer using Border recipes in some cases.The partly listed Border premises in Tuttle Street, Wrexham have been converted into flats, while the adjacent Nag's Head, where the company had its origins, remains open as a pub. The brewery's chimney, a prominent Wrexham landmark, was purchased by the then local Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
John Marek to save it from demolition.