In medieval times, up to a dozen breweries operated here on the banks of the great British river, the Trent, which provided the ideal waterway for local activities

The Science of Brewing

Originally the site of an abbey and with a bridge over the wide and often dangerous River Trent, this town has grown to over 65,000 people and still manages to run five breweries and one micro-brewery. So, what makes Burton business so special when it comes to the art of making good beer?

The answer lies in the fast flowing waters of the Trent which are full of dissolved salts, particularly gypsum, that have leached out from the surrounding high ground. This chemical bonus enabled the Burton brewers to use more hops in their beer which, in turn, acted as a preservative. The bottom line is that this allowed Burton businesses to send their beer much further afield, putting them at a competitive advantage, especially as they also experienced less wastage. Another advantage that having the Trent run past their door gave to Burton businesses is that it provided a navigation route all the way to the east coast, allowing distribution of their beer over a large area of lowland England and even as far as the Baltic.

The Rise of the Breweries

The building of a rail link to London added to Burton’s advantages in the brewing trade. At its height, an astonishing quarter of all beer sold in Britain was brewed by Burton business, and Burton India Pale Ale was sent as far as the subcontinent. As is often the case, all this success was eventually hit by change. The anti-drinking campaign of the Liberal Government in the early 20th century reduced the number of Burton businesses still in the brewing trade from 20 down to eight by 1928.

Today, the waters of the Trent are still used in Burton’s business of beer making, with restrictions on chemical usage on surrounding farmland. The recent establishment of the National Forest with Burton at its heart has also contributed to improving the local water quality, which is good news for all beer lovers.

Modern Day Burton

Still operating from this brewery town are Coors Brewers Ltd, Marstons plc, Burton Bridge Brewery, Tower Brewery and Cottage Brewery as well as White Shield micro-brewery alongside Coors’ Visitor Centre. These are not the only Burton businesses however. As a by-product of brewing, Marmite (either love it or hate it!) is made here as well as Branston Pickle, and Pirelli Tyres employs a number of people in town. Also, the newly established National Forest with all its potential leisure activity and associated industries, such as forest products, has provided a new and much-needed economic impetus for the town.

But for some time to come, the main Burton business will remain beer making from those natural salt-laden waters of the Trent, so let’s all say ‘cheers’ and ‘bottoms up’ to the bustling Midland town of Burton-on-Trent!