Thursday 25 March 2010

Barclay Perkins output 1900 - 1955

Just numbers this time. Almost. Something else I've stumbled upon in the archives. The output figures for Barclay Perkins in the 20th century. They make intriguing reading.

Let's take a look at them, shall we?

First, in table form:


Barclay Perkins output (barrels (1900-1955)
Year
output
Year
output
Year
output
Year
output
1900
589,201
1914
582,263
1928
306,300
1942
351,138
1901
573,302
1915
511,870
1929
300,569
1943
360,123
1902
541,822
1916
438,242
1930
394,016
1944
416,336
1903
539,153
1917
426,170
1931
395,779
1945
456,597
1904
534,284
1918
247,089
1932
353,736
1946
485,431
1905
549,634
1919
325,965
1933
312,739
1947
419,310
1906
560,103
1920
464,033
1934
348,267
1948
455,773
1907
555,370
1921
393,045
1935
356,832
1949
367,691
1908
527,716
1922
348,576
1936
378,084
1950
325,382
1909
525,854
1923
293,728
1937
386,700
1951
277,899
1910
500,205
1924
303,676
1938
406,310
1952
262,405
1911
549,841
1925
329,464
1939
404,777
1953
247,891
1912
589,543
1926
317,628
1940
388,114
1954
236,166
1913
587,547
1927
306,682
1941
302,647
1955
228,343
Sources:
ACC/2305/1/711/1 in the London Metropolitan Archives
The British Brewing Industry, 1830-1980 T. R. Gourvish & R.G. Wilson, pages 610-611

Now in a graph:



That's it. Except to point out that, with the postwar slump in their sales, it's no wonder Barcly perkins sold out to Courage in 1955. And to say that the ups and downs pretty much track the general state of the British brewing industry in the first half of the 20th century.

2 comments:

Mark said...

Was the post War slump the same across the board for other beer firms? What made people drink less? Rationing still? Post war desire for temperance and good living?

The general decline in output makes sense as does the decline during the war years. Just why did we as a country stop drinking in the 50's if this is representative for the majority of the beer market?

Ron Pattinson said...

Mark, yes, the slump was general. The British economy was knackered at the end of WW II and the first few years of peace were pretty grim.

In general, when the economy is bad, beer consumption goes down. But I don't think that's the total answer to why people drank less beer. It seems to have partly just gone out of fashion'.

But, while the industry in general recovered in the 1950's, Barclay Perkins seems to have continued its slump. Not sure why that was. Doubtless they lost a lot of pubs during the war.