New bosses of Walsall’s Highgate Brewery revealed
Tuesday 26th October 2010, 11:29AM BST.
The new bosses and members of staff in the yard at Highgate Brewery today
The new bosses of Walsall’s historic Highgate Brewery were today unveiled – and promised its famous ales will be back on the shelves by Friday.
Production has once again started at the Highgate Brewery, which closed in June this year with the loss of 22 jobs.
But a new private consortium made up of chief executive John Taylor and head brewer Paran Sandhu today took over on a five-year lease.
Twelve new jobs have been created as a result of the takeover and 11 of those employed are former Highgate workers.
Mr Taylor and Mr Sandhu today revealed their hopes for the 112-year-old brewery in Sandymount Road, which produces Highgate and Davenport ales.
They plan to turn the current hospitality suite into a working museum and are currently looking at ways to fund the work.
Mr Taylor, aged 62, of Tidbury Green, near Solihull, has got 30 years of experience in the brewing industry and Mr Sandhu, of Edgbaston, worked as the head brewer at Highgate for 10 years.
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Good news.
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Excellent! At last something for the town to get behind.
Good luck everyone
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get that old ale in the supermarkets! not just the local asda! think big, send sumbody darn to that lundun to see them boiyers and get it in there, cum on, get yer fingers aert.
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Excellent news. One of Walsall’s old traditions must not be allowed to die, especially as the latest trends are for youngsters shunning lager for real ale again.
Also, coming up to Christmas, how about brewing the original old ale. The one that tasted like barley wine, not the last lot which tasted like mild with a barley wine tipped in!! I suppose that was to appease the health and safety zealots.
My late father-in-law told the tale of going to the King George (opposite Morrisons in Walsall) with his mates. There was a new barrel of barley wine on the counter complete with its jacket. Only drinking halves at a time, they had emptied it by drinking up time and one fell over a wall on his way home!
In the 1950′s as a child, my dad would send me to the outdoor of our local pub with a lemonade bottle to fetch his mild. The landlord would insert a tundish and pull a pint plus a little extra. Then he would put a Highgate sticker over the top and send me on my way.
Happy days eh1?
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Superb news!!!
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This is great news, where can I get my tastebuds on some?
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