Fuller, Smith and Turner
Encyclopedia
Fuller's Brewery is a regional brewery founded in 1845 at the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick
, West London
.
It has an estate of over three hundred public house
s.
and John Turner
. Members of the founding families are still involved in the business today.
Fuller’s is best known as the brewer of London Pride, the UK’s leading premium cask ale, as well as many other award-winning ales such as Chiswick Bitter, ESB and 1845. Three of Fuller’s beers - London Pride, ESB and Chiswick Bitter - have been named Champion Beer of Britain, a record unmatched by any other brewer. Fuller’s range now also includes Discovery, a blonde beer launched in 2005.
In 2005, Fuller’s completed the purchase of George Gale & Co. of Horndean, Hampshire, brewers of beers such as HSB, Butser and Prize Old Ale. The brewery was closed and Gales brands transferred to Chiswick. The purchase included 111 pubs, bringing Fuller’s estate to 363 pubs, bars and hotels.
Anthony Fuller was the founding chairman of the Independent Family Brewers of Britain
.
As well as the range of beers, Fuller's brewery is famous for having the oldest wisteria
plant in the UK, planted in the early 19th century.
Chiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
, West London
West (London sub region)
The West is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. The sub region was established in 2004 and was adjusted in 2008 to include Kensington and Chelsea. The west has a population of 1.6 million and...
.
It has an estate of over three hundred public house
Public 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...
s.
History
Beer has been brewed on the site of the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick for over 350 years. The partnership of Fuller, Smith & Turner was formed in 1845 by John Bird Fuller, Henry SmithHenry Smith
Henry Smith may refer to:*Henry Smith , English Puritan preacher*Henry Smith , English politician and jurist*Henry Smith , Governor of Rhode Island...
and John Turner
John Turner (disambiguation)
John Turner is a British-born former prime minister of Canada.John Turner may also refer to:*John Turner , former Australian politician*John Turner , English architect...
. Members of the founding families are still involved in the business today.
Fuller’s is best known as the brewer of London Pride, the UK’s leading premium cask ale, as well as many other award-winning ales such as Chiswick Bitter, ESB and 1845. Three of Fuller’s beers - London Pride, ESB and Chiswick Bitter - have been named Champion Beer of Britain, a record unmatched by any other brewer. Fuller’s range now also includes Discovery, a blonde beer launched in 2005.
In 2005, Fuller’s completed the purchase of George Gale & Co. of Horndean, Hampshire, brewers of beers such as HSB, Butser and Prize Old Ale. The brewery was closed and Gales brands transferred to Chiswick. The purchase included 111 pubs, bringing Fuller’s estate to 363 pubs, bars and hotels.
Anthony Fuller was the founding chairman of the Independent Family Brewers of Britain
Independent Family Brewers of Britain
The Independent Family Brewers of Britain was formed in the 1990s by an informal group of family-owned/controlled brewery CEOs known as the Pimlico Group - all of whom were part of the UK's Brewers Society, now the British Beer and Pub Association.It was intended to act against European Commission...
.
Griffin brewery
Wisteria
Wisteria is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae, that includes ten species of woody climbing vines native to the eastern United States and to China, Korea, and Japan. Aquarists refer to the species Hygrophila difformis, in the family Acanthaceae, as Water Wisteria...
plant in the UK, planted in the early 19th century.
Fuller's brands
Fuller's has a number of regular brands.- Fuller's ESB (Extra Special Bitter) is a strong bitterBitter (beer)Bitter is an English term for pale ale. Bitters vary in colour from gold to dark amber and in strength from 3% to 7% alcohol by volume.-Brief history:...
. ESB has won CAMRA's Best Strong Ale award on seven separate occasions, more times than any other beer. The beer was rebranded from its old black and red livery, to the current blue and gold in late 2004 in an attempt to shake off its reputation as a very strong beer. It is sold in both 5.5% cask conditioned form as well as pasteurised at 5.9% in bottles and kegs. - Fuller's London Pride, the company’s flagship brand, is a mahogany coloured bitterBitter (beer)Bitter is an English term for pale ale. Bitters vary in colour from gold to dark amber and in strength from 3% to 7% alcohol by volume.-Brief history:...
. The beer is best known in England in its 4.1% cask conditioned form, but is also sold worldwide in 4.7% pasteurised bottles. - Fuller's Golden Pride is a barley wineBarley wineBarley wine or Barleywine is a beer style of strong ale originating in England. The first beer to be marketed as Barley Wine was Bass No. 1 Ale, around 1870...
. At 8.3%, it is the strongest beer in the Fuller's range, and one of the strongest beers widely available in the United Kingdom. It is sold in pasteurised 50cl bottles in most Fuller's tied houses, and some UK supermarkets. - Fuller's Organic Honey Dew is a golden ale brewed with entirely organic ingredients. As well as malt and hops, it is also brewed with honey, giving it a slightly sweet taste. It is widely available in the UK in pasteurised 50 cl bottles, and is available in keg form (formerly cask) all year round in many Fuller's tied houses.
- Fuller's 1845 is a strong bottle-conditionedBottle conditioningBottle conditioned beers are either unfiltered so the final conditioning of the beer takes place in the bottle, or filtered and then reseeded with yeast so that an additional fermentation may take place.-Priming:...
beer. It was first brewed in 1995 to celebrate Fuller's 150th anniversary. 1845 is also available in Fuller's tied houses as a seasonal cask ale. - Fuller's Chiswick Bitter is a 3.5% cask conditioned ordinary or session bitterBitter (beer)Bitter is an English term for pale ale. Bitters vary in colour from gold to dark amber and in strength from 3% to 7% alcohol by volume.-Brief history:...
and sold in most Fuller's tied houses. - Fuller's London PorterPorter (beer)Porter is a dark-coloured style of beer. The history and development of stout and porter are intertwined. The name was first used in the 18th century from its popularity with the street and river porters of London. It is generally brewed with dark malts...
. London Porter is available in pasteurised 50 cl bottles and in Fuller's tied houses as a seasonal cask ale. - Fuller's IPA is a premium bitterBitter (beer)Bitter is an English term for pale ale. Bitters vary in colour from gold to dark amber and in strength from 3% to 7% alcohol by volume.-Brief history:...
produced mostly for export to the United States but also sold seasonally in the United Kingdom in Fuller's tied houses as a cask ale and in 500ml bottles. - Fuller's Vintage Ale is a vintage bottle conditioned ale. Each year’s brew is roughly based on Golden Pride, but with minor changes in the recipe. It is generally released around Christmas and has been made since 1997.
- Fuller's Hock is a dark mild available in Fuller's tied houses as a seasonal cask ale.
- Fuller's Discovery is a blonde ale first brewed in 2005, and sold cask conditioned year round and in 50 cl pasteurised bottles.
- Fuller’s Summer Ale is a seasonal blonde ale sold during the summer months both in casks and in 50 cl pasteurised bottles.
- Fuller's Jack Frost is a seasonal ale sold flavoured with blackberries. It is available as a seasonal cask conditioned ale, and in pasteurised 50 cl bottles in the winter. It was introduced in 2000.
- Fuller's Red Fox is a ruby coloured seasonal ale introduced in 1999, and flavoured with toasted oats. It is available as a seasonal cask conditioned ale.
- Fuller's Pale Ale is a pasteurised pale ale available in 275 ml bottles in most Fullers tied houses.
- Fuller's Old Winter Ale is a dark seasonal old aleOld aleOld ale is a term commonly applied to dark, malty beers in England, generally above 5% abv, also to dark ales of any strength in Australia. Sometimes associated with stock ale or, archaically, keeping ale, in which the beer is held at the brewery....
sold during winter in 50 cl bottles. - Fuller's Mr Harry is a deep-amber coloured bitterBitter (beer)Bitter is an English term for pale ale. Bitters vary in colour from gold to dark amber and in strength from 3% to 7% alcohol by volume.-Brief history:...
. - Fuller's XX, a bottle-conditionedBottle conditioningBottle conditioned beers are either unfiltered so the final conditioning of the beer takes place in the bottle, or filtered and then reseeded with yeast so that an additional fermentation may take place.-Priming:...
7.5% abv strong aleOld aleOld ale is a term commonly applied to dark, malty beers in England, generally above 5% abv, also to dark ales of any strength in Australia. Sometimes associated with stock ale or, archaically, keeping ale, in which the beer is held at the brewery....
based on a 1891 entry in the brewing logs. - Fuller's Bengal Lancer is a 5% (5.3% bottle conditioned) India pale aleIndia Pale AleIndia Pale Ale or IPA is a style of beer within the broader category of pale ale. It was first brewed in England in the 19th century.The first known use of the expression "India pale ale" comes from an advertisement in the Liverpool Mercury newspaper published January 30, 1835...
. - Fuller's Double Stout is a 7.4% bottle conditioned stoutStoutStout is a dark beer made using roasted malt or barley, hops, water and yeast. Stouts were traditionally the generic term for the strongest or stoutest porters, typically 7% or 8%, produced by a brewery....
based on a 1893 entry in the brewing logs.
Gales brand
There are a number of beers brewed under the George Gales name in Chiswick:- Gales' HSB (Horndean Special Bitter) is a cask conditioned 4.8% premium strength bitter.
- Gales' Butser is a 3.4% cask conditioned bitter named after the dominant hill in the downs close to the former Gales' brewery at Horndean.
- Gales' Festival Mild is a 4.8% cask conditioned premium strength mild ale, first brewed as a special for a 1990 beer festival with the aim of helping to revive mild ales . Healthy sales quickly saw it become a regular Gales brand.
- Gales' Prize Old Ale is a 9% bottle conditioned beer, sold in a corked bottle.
- Gales' Swing Low is a 4.1 % bitter brewed seasonally around England rugby tournaments
- Gales' Trafalgar is a 4.3% seasonal ale brewed to celebrate the 200th Trafalgar Day
- Gales' Seafarers is a 3.5% ale where a donation from every sale is given to the "King George Fund for Sailors"
- Gales' Winter Brew is a 4.2% winter ale with which is very similar to Prize Old Ale