What a little gem! this was an awsome little brewery explore, better than the photos suggest. The buildings are pretty well stripped of smaller items (like beer!) which is a bit of a downer but in the older part all the large equipment remains.
The brewery covers quite a large area with some bits in use, some bits derelict and some its where i just couldnt tell. Not sure what is going to happen to the place, surely it cant go the way of Tolly Cobbolds?
The brewery covers quite a large area with some bits in use, some bits derelict and some its where i just couldnt tell. Not sure what is going to happen to the place, surely it cant go the way of Tolly Cobbolds?
Wikipedia said:McMullens was founded in 1827 in Railway Street, Hertford. As the business grew larger it moved first to Mill Bridge in 1832 and then to the current location in 1891. A modern brewhouse was built in 1984. In the mid 2000s the company had a narrow escape from closure as the controlling family split between those shareholders who wanted to receive a reasonable dividend and those who continued to reinvest annual profits into the company and keep dividends at very low levels. David McMullen was replaced as Chairman following an unsuccessful management buyout attempt. The new Chairman, Charles Brims, produced a successful compromise whereby several non-brewing property investments were sold to release cash to appease the shareholders and a plan launched to build a brand new, smaller brewhouse. The company decided to shed contract-brewing and take advantage of tax breaks by becoming a smaller brewer. As the new 'Whole Hop Brewery' (opened 2006) was much more compact than the 1984-built site the spare land was sold to Sainsbury's.