Batemans Brewery facts for kids
Batemans Brewery (also known as George Bateman & Son Ltd) is an English company that makes beer. It is located in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire. The brewery was started in 1874.
Batemans owns 69 public houses (pubs). Many of these pubs, 23 of them, are in Boston. The company mainly makes a type of beer called cask conditioned ale. Their most famous ales are XB and XXXB. Batemans' slogan is "Good Honest Ales."
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How Batemans Brewery Started
George Bateman, a local farmer, founded Batemans in 1874. He sold his farm to rent a brewery in Wainfleet. This first brewery was conveniently located near the railway. George bought the brewing equipment for about £505.
A year later, he bought the brewery lease. Edwin Crowe, who sold him the equipment, taught George and his wife Suzanna about brewing. Suzanna already knew a little about making beer at home.
In 1880, George earned enough money to buy Salem House. This was a large Georgian building near the first brewery. A new brewery was then built in the coach houses of Salem House. Besides brewing, George also bottled spirits. His wife baked bread to sell.
Harry, George Bateman's son, joined the family business. He bought the company from his father in 1919. The 1920s and 1930s were difficult for breweries. This was due to rules from World War I and higher taxes. Sales of beer went down. At one point, Batemans had to let go of all their workers. But Harry soon hired them back. To keep them busy, he expanded the business. He bought buildings across from Salem House. This included an old windmill. This windmill later became the brewery's famous symbol.
By 1948, Batemans owned 68 pubs. In the 1950s, Mild ale was their most popular product. The company introduced its XXXB beer on February 1, 1978. In the 1980s, some family members wanted to sell the company. But Chairman George Bateman, his wife Pat, and their children Stuart and Jaclyn bought out those family members. This kept the company going.
Batemans' Pubs
Harry Bateman received a pub from his father on his 21st birthday. In the 1920s, he started to buy more pubs. He bought a group of pubs that many thought were not worth much. In 1927, he added the Vine Hotel in Skegness to his chain. In 1935, he built the County Hotel, also in Skegness.
By 1957, Batemans already owned 70 pubs. They then bought 29 more. Most of these were run-down pubs north of Boston. Some were also in Boston itself. It took eight years to fix up these pubs. They also had to get new licenses for them. At that time, a pub needed at least two rooms to get a license.
Today, you can find Batemans beers in pubs all over the UK. They are especially popular in Lincolnshire and nearby areas.
Batemans Beers
Batemans makes several types of beer.
Cask Ales
These are fresh beers served directly from a barrel.
- Gold
- XB
- XXXB - This beer was first brewed on February 1, 1978.
Bottled Beers
Batemans also sells several beers in bottles.
- Combined Harvest (ABV = 4.7%)
- Dark Lord (ABV = 4.7%)
- Triple XB (XXXB) (ABV = 4.8%)
- Victory Ale (ABV = 6.0%)
- Mocha (ABV = 6.0%) - This beer won an award in 2012. It tastes like coffee and chocolate. It is made with arabica coffee, fine Belgian chocolate, and local roasted malt.
Product Information
The labels on Triple XB, Victory, and Dark Lord beers show they are approved by the Vegan Society. This means they are suitable for vegans.
