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Jobs go as Highgate Brewery is to close
Tuesday 15th June 2010, 11:30AM BST.
Highgate Brewery
An historic Black Country brewery is to close with the loss of more than 20 jobs, the Express & Star can reveal today.
Highgate & Davenports, which first opened in Walsall in 1898, has gone into compulsory liquidation.
The move comes after the firm hit its second financial crisis in 10 months.
News of the firm’s demise was today met with sadness.
Formerly known as Highgate Brewery, the business went into administration last September with reported tax debts of more than £1 million.
The brewery in Sandymount Road was sold almost immediately in a deal for £80,000 by administrators Arrans to two property developers, Simon Toon and David Lindol.
But Aldridge insolvency firm KJ Watkin and Co today confirmed it is in liquidation.
Administrator Peter Darcy said: “The company has ceased trading and all employees have been made redundant.
“We are saddened by the state of affairs.”
A meeting with creditors will take place at the firm in Anchor Road on Friday.
Walsall Council’s regeneration chief Adrian Andrew said: “It is very, very sad news. Highgate Brewery is one of Walsall’s landmarks and one of the historic things that people connect Walsall with.
“It is not a name or building we want to lose. If there is anything we can do as a council to help find a buyer we will certainly try.”
Following the takeover and renaming of the brewery last year, the old Davenports at Home beer delivery service was revived in December.
The company also owns two pubs the City Tavern in Bishopsgate Street in Birmingham and The Elms in Church Road, Wolverhampton. Work was continuing at the site today.
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£80,000? Property developers? Immediate liquidation.
I prefer the smell of hops to fish.
I’ll give you £81K any chance of a call. No? Thought not.
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Pete why is it that when something bad happens theres always negative comments from people, its absolutely terrible news for the people involved and Walsall! instead of negative lets all wish the poor people involved best wishes in this sad time
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It is terrible news, Rob. I really do feel for those invovled and also for the whole town as the brewery was one of the few things that is properly associated with the borough that gives it an identity rather than disapeparing into the whole Birmingham dominated West Midlands morasse.
Why the negative comments….well what should we do? Put out the bunting? I really hope that the people concerned can find something positive out of all this. I really hope as well that the demise won’t have aknock on effect for the local suppliers who may be out of pocket. And I really really do hope that someone is not going to make a quick buck or thirty thousand plus out of this quite awful news.
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I was the last landlord of the royal oak lord street walsall back in 2004/2006 and i was one of the few pubs to sell highgate dark mild..it was as said lower down very hard to keep but if u knew what you was doin it ws a bostin drink….with the news this brewerys gone lets hope someone steps in and saves the day. I cant really see walsall council doin anythin as there not fond of preservation to date are they!!
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i know what you mean Marc highgate mild was a bostin pint
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Terrible news.
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Please don’t knock it down & build houses. Let’s hope the Council can do something to preserve the brewery buildings & make it a pay as a museum and party venue or at worst accomdation
Come on get your thinking caps on before someone builds another grey building in Walsall & we lose another bit of Walsall culture & character.
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This site will not be allowed to be converted into flats/accommodation, they will never get the planning through. It is in a conservation area and they are unable to paint the front door without applying for permission.
They attempted to open as a museum years ago but met with complaints. As for a party venue, I think not, it is stuck in the middle to a residential area.
If nothing can be sorted out, I suspect it will go the same way of Shannons Mill …
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They can’t knock it down as it is a Grade II listed building.
That said, I can’t see how it can be converted into flats as most of the features that give it its ‘special interest’ relate to brewing such as the old copper vats. It’s also a real rabbit warren inside.
I do hope we won’t be smelling the aroma of smoke drifting across the town instead of beer.
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There was me thinking that the Toroes believed in market forces. Obviously Thatcher; Ridley; Tebbit et al were an abhoration. Walsall Council, Brewery, Event, Organising – nah – don’t think so. Please shut up councillor. Yowm talking twoddle (or should that be Tweddle – now why is he not a member of the cabinet?)
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I’m disgusted at this.
The beer is very successful and I buy it (bottled) regularly.
The demise of these brews would reduce choice for connoisseurs and allowing an operation of this quality to become another victim of the recession would push the Midlands further into said recession.
We need to create wealth in items people need like food, drink, and the products of crafts & manufacturing to pull out of a recession created by de-regulated banks which are mostly far from here.
Is the Government, in the form of the taxman, killing the goose that laid the golden egg?
Highgate & Davenports may or may not have been mismanaged but that is neither the fault of the workers or the customers. To allow it to go to the wall is wasteful and sends the wrong message in these recessionary times!
Would a tax on imported beer help?
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This is sad news indeed, my town’s brewery closed. I always enjoyed a pint or two of Highgate ale and I had the dubious honour of being served the very last pint of Highgate mild in the Broadway pub before it closed for refurbishment. When the Broadway reopened, sadly, much to my disgust they had no mild at all and I moved on.
The biggest problem for the beer was that so few landlords knew how to look after and serve it. A good pint of Highgate was nectar, a bad pint could put you off for life. Sadly, Highgate was a specialist beer in a mass produced world of tasteless drinks and young drinkers who did not appreciate its value. RIP Hihgate, my tastebuds will always remember you fondly.
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I’ve set-up a Save Highgate Brewery Facebook-group. Join now!
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I’ve joined. I hope that Friends of Highgate Brewery (fohb.co.uk) and Walsall Branch of CAMRA and the people of Walsall (and beyond) will pull together to save this a local institution. Our home town would be poorer for its loss
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What a sad loss.
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Always typical how is it that a brewery with such strong brands and obv a wealth of equity as in the buildings it owns and pubs can go into admin ??? i suggest someone looks into how this once great company has been managed since it was bought a few years ago and finds out how this has happened esp) with the strong davenports and highgate brands it has to its dispossal !!!!
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It would be quite easy to place the blame for the failing of Highgate at the feet of the present or even past management but, in truth, since the latter days of the M&B regiem, the highgate site and brand have been not to far from the retirement home.
It shouldn’t have to be that way as many 100 year plus brewery buildings and businesses are still going strong today.
So in responce to some of the comments posted on some news pages; If you are looking for someone to blame for the demise of Highate Brewery, look toward M&B
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