10/11/2010 by Jeff Sechiari.

Mike Brown’s ‘Brewed inNorthants’ was published soem years ago and sold out
He has now completed the revised edition and this is about to be published by the BHS - please see the press release below.

Brewed in Northants: A directory of Northamptonshire Brewers 1450 to 2010 (including the Soke of Peterborough)
2nd Edition
Mike Brown and Brian Willmott
A Brewery History Society publication  £12.50
240 pages with b&w illustrations

“Phipps’s beer is very good
Dulleys’ ent amiss
Bedford beer is damnable
And Praeds’ is worse than ….”

Reputedly once written on the wall of a Northampton pub.

A revised and much expanded edition of a popular study of brewing in the county. Additional research, especially on NBC and the Phillips and Smith families, has changed some of the early story. Going through adverts in the local papers revealed details of many more pubs which brewed in the nineteenth century.

The book focuses on commercial brewing, at the retail level of the pub and the common or wholesale firms, with some coverage of domestic brewing at the country houses.

The two major common brewers associated with the county town, Phipps and Northampton Brewing Company, amalgamated in the 1950s to form one of the largest businesses in the region. Having then disappeared into Watneys and being closed for the construction of the Carlsberg brewery, at least the brands have now been resurrected by PNBC.

Although some sites have been lost since the first edition one at Weldon, surprisingly intact, has been added to the county’s list of industrial architecture. Luckily Ratliffe’s Albion brewery is partially intact on Commercial Street and Frog Island is based in an old malting.

The growth of the microbreweries continues apace, with another one locating at Whittlebury this year, hence the revision of the dates in the title.

Whilst most people, if asked to associate an industry with the county, would no doubt respond with shoe-making.  However, the county also has a proud history of brewing and malting. Hopefully, this second edition will continue to mark that history.

The book will be launched at The Lamplighter, 66 Overstone Rd, Northampton NN1 3JS at 7.30pm, Tuesday November 30th. Author Mike Brown will be in attendance and there will be food and beer promotions plus a screening of an original 1960 film of Phipps’ Bridge Street brewery at work. Signed copies of the book will be available on the night.

Northampton Central Library is hosting a joint talk and tasting event featuring Mike Brown on the history of brewing in Northants followed by Alaric Neville on the revival of Phipps NBC. The talk will start at 11.00am on Saturday 4th December. Signed copies of Mike’s book will be available along with free samples of current Phipps NBC beers. Those attending the talk will also get vouchers for half price pints of Phipps from the Wig and Pen on St Giles St.

Posted in Northamptonshire, Books | No Comments »

05/10/2008 by Jeff Sechiari.

BREWED IN NORTHANTS - A Directory of Northamptonshire Brewers (including the Soke of Peterborough) 1450 - 1998.

By Mike Brown with Brian Wilmott. ISBN 1-873966-06-7    A4 Paperback; published 1998.  

We are sorry but this publication is now out of stock, however it may be available from libraries and archives.  

The history of over 300 breweries known to have existed in Northamptonshire and the Soke of Peterborough; recorded here in varying degrees of detail, depending on the information available. The history of the county’s major brewery - Phipps/NBC (the site is now the Carlsberg Brewery) is quite extensive, while some of the one-time home-brew pub breweries are single line entries. Liberally illustrated with black & white images of breweries, adverts, labels, etc.  

For full details of BHS publications, and other Brewery related books, please see the main web site www.BreweryHistory.com or email Books@BreweryHistory.com for details.

Enquiries to: The BHS Bookshop, Long High Top, Heptonstall, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire HX7 7PF.

Posted in Peterborough, Northamptonshire, Books | No Comments »