Black Eagle Brewery facts for kids
The Black Eagle Brewery was a very famous place where beer was made in London, near Brick Lane. It belonged to a company called Truman's Brewery. This brewery grew so big that by 1853, it was the largest brewery in the whole world! It made about 400,000 barrels of beer every year. A barrel is a large container, and in this case, it means a lot of beer!
Today, the old brewery buildings, warehouses, and yards have been turned into a cool new area called the "Old Truman Brewery." It's now home to more than 250 different businesses. You can find art galleries, restaurants, shops, and places for cultural events there. Some of the original buildings, like the Director's House and the old Brew House, are considered important historical buildings.
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History of the Brewery
The Black Eagle Brewery likely started in the 1600s. The first record of brewing on this spot goes back to 1666. That's when Joseph Truman joined William Bucknall's brewing business on Brick Lane. The brewery got its name because part of it was on Black Eagle Street. Joseph Truman took over the business in 1679.
Thanks to the hard work of the Truman family, especially Sir Benjamin Truman who joined in 1722, the brewery grew very quickly. By 1748, the Black Eagle Brewery was the third biggest in London, making 40,000 barrels of beer each year.
New Flavors and Growth
In the mid-1700s, people from France called Huguenots came to England. They brought a new way to make drinks using hops, which are plants that give beer its flavor. This new hopped drink became very popular! At first, Truman's bought hops from Belgium. But soon, farmers in Kent, England, started growing hops to help the brewery meet the huge demand.
Sir Benjamin Truman passed away in 1780. Since he didn't have a son to take over, his grandsons continued the business. In 1789, Sampson Hanbury took charge. He had been a partner since 1780.
Hanbury's nephew, Thomas Fowell Buxton, joined in 1808. He made the brewing process even better and started using steam power for the machines. As roads and railways improved across Britain, the Black Eagle beer became famous everywhere. By 1835, the brewery was making about 200,000 barrels of a dark beer called porter each year.
The World's Largest Brewery
In 1816, new partners joined the company, which was now called Truman, Hanbury, Buxton & Co. The owners were known for treating their workers well, even providing free schooling. They also supported abolitionism, which was the movement to end slavery.
By 1853, the brewery was truly the largest in the world. It covered six acres of land and produced 400,000 barrels of beer every year.
However, the company started facing competition from breweries outside London. Places like Burton upon Trent had water that was especially good for brewing. So, in 1873, Truman's bought a brewery in Burton and built a big new one there, also named Black Eagle.
In 1888, Truman, Hanbury, Buxton & Co became a public company. This meant that people could buy shares in the company. But more and more beer was now being made at the Burton brewery. The original Brick Lane brewery kept working until it finally closed in 1989.
The Brewery in Stories
The Black Eagle Brewery has even appeared in books and TV shows!
In Books
In Charles Dickens' famous novel David Copperfield (written in 1850), a character named Mrs. Micawber talks about Truman, Hanbury, and Buxton. She thinks the brewing business would be perfect for Mr. Micawber because she heard the profits were "e-NOR-mous!"
On TV
In 2014, the Black Eagle Brewery was featured in an episode of the TV show Ripper Street. This show is set in the past. The story showed how London breweries were worried when rival beers from northern England started arriving by train. This part of the story showed a real concern that London breweries had back then.
The Old Truman Brewery Today
The old brewery buildings are now a lively place with an arts and events center, shops, and bars. The Zeloof Partnership owns it. This large area, about 11 acres, is a mix of restaurants, shops, offices, and spaces for different events.
The site was also the location for the second Summer of Sonic event in 2009. This was a big meeting for fans of the Sonic the Hedgehog video games!
