Thursday 27 September 2012

To Lager Beer Brewers and Others

This is what happened to the English Lager Beer Brewery's buildings and kit. They were auctioned off.

There are some hints in the description of items for sale as to why the company went belly-up.

"TO LAGER BEER BREWERS AND OTHERS.
SALE OF THE ENGLISH LAGER BEER BREWERY BATH EAST ON. NEAR BATH AND BRISTOL.
ALEXANDER, DANIEL, SELFE, & CO. instructed by the Mortgagees and the Liquidator of the English Lager Beer Brewery Company, Limited to SELL by AUCTION, the BANK AUCTION MART CORN STREET, Bristol, on THURSDAY, 30th November,1893. Three o'clock, in one Lot,

The virtually New, Extensive, and substantially-built
FREEHOLD BREWERY.
With the costly and special PLANT and MACHINERY for LAGER BEER (and capable producing 100 barrels per day), with a VALUABLE SPRING OF WATER, most suitable for the Manufacture, together with the STABLING and OUTBUILDINGS, DWELLING-HOUSE, GARDEN, and LAND.

This valuable Property consists of a well-designed and admirably-constructed FREEHOLD BREWERY, comprising Tank Room, with covered Steam Hoist as fixed; Malt Room, Tun Room, Engine Room and Boiler Houses, Cooler and Refrigerator Rooms; Fermentation. Racking. Store, and Cellars; Stabling, with Stores, Lofts and Cart Houses; Yards, Cooperages, and minor Offices: ; with a splendidly-built circular Chimney Stack, nearly 100 feet in height, and Flag-staff.

Also a convenient DWELLING-HOUSE of good site with Verandah and Trellis Enclosure; fitted with Boiler Pipes, Stove and Flue; Potting House, &c. LAWN and PLEASURE GROUND, PADDOCK, and ORCHARD, with double Gates, being all TWO ACRES.

The Premises have been constructed almost regardless cost, having Iron Girders. Concrete and other Floors to carry the massive Plant and Machinery. Perforated Iron Platforms with Staircase, Brass and Iron Hand Rails.

A Spring of Water, specially valuable for the production of Lager and other Beer, is on the Premises, the supply of the Bath City Water Company being also available when required.

The Brewery is distant from Bath by about Three Miles; is approached good roads, near the River and Canal, about a Quarter of a Mile from the Great Western Railway Station at Bathampton, and is
FREE FROM GROUND-RENT.

With the Property included the nearly New and first-class fixed BREWING PLANT and MACHINERY, ICE PLANT, STEAM ENGINES, BOILERS, &c. with the Shafting Driving Belts. Copper piping and connections; Wrought and Cast Iron Steam and Water Pipes. &c., as per Schedule; the Brewery being thus furnished with a costly Plant, substantially complete, and ready for immediate use.

Note.—A Sale the Fermenting Vessels. Store Pieces. Carriage Casks and other Loose Plant; Brewing Instruments. Tools, Sacks, Sundry Household and Office Furniture, with Miscellaneous Effects, will held soon after the present Auction, of which due notice will given.

Further particulars and Conditions of Sale may be  obtained of the AUCTIONEERS. Bank Chambers, Corn Bristol (and 34, Old Jewry, London, E.C) - Messrs J. F. LOVERING & CO., Accountants. 3. Church Guildhall. London. E.C.; Messrs W. C. CLARKE & DOVEY. Accountants. Cardiff; Mr COCHRANE. Solicitor, Provident Buildings, Clare Street. Bristol; Mr THOMAS WILLIAMS, Solicitor, Neath; Messrs CHURCH, & ADAMS, Solicitors, 61, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London."
Western Daily Press - Saturday 18 November 1893, page 1.
"The Premises have been constructed almost regardless cost" that could explain where the money went. As does this: "the Brewery being thus furnished with a costly Plant"

The question is, who would want to buy a Lager brewery? There were only a handful of specialist Lager brewers in Britain at the time and the market for Lager was pretty small. My guess is that they couldn't find someone wanting to brew Lager there. I must see if I can dig out what eventually happened to it.

No comments: