A Brief History: Brewing was first started around 1858, in the grounds of Beevor Hall, home to the Senior family constructed during the reign of Edward VII. The founding Company “Paul and Guy Senior” traded as brewers, until the formation of Barnsley Brewing Company Ltd, on 7th August 1888. By 1896-7, the company reportedly had an annual output of over 7,500 barrels.
In 1916 the Company took over the lease of the New Trent Brewery Company of Crowle and in 1918, took control of the Company. Also in 1949, the company purchased another company, this time C.D. Fox Brewery at Crowle, together with 40 licensed premises. In its heyday Barnsley Brewing Company owned 240 premises.
The Company’s connection with Barnsley F.C can be traced back in time to its foundation. At one time the company owned half the football field jointly with Lord Halifax.
Oakwell's trademark beer fonts can be traced back to the Hall. A length of wallpaper in rich browns, red and green was found when the Company took over Beevor Hall in 1922, and became the basis of the company's logos. These logos were once accompanied by vigorous mottos, endorsing the nations great industries and confirming Barnsley Bitter's traditional working-class heritage; “Coal and Iron England’s Greatest Wealth”, “Working Men England’s Greatest Strength”, “No More Bad Trade At Home”, “No More Horse Corn from Abroad”
The present owners of the brewery purchased the land and buildings from Courage Group in 1994. Previous to this Courage group had ceased to produce beer on the site in March 1976, after a period of some 120 years. Courage Group used the site from 1976 to 1992 as a distribution depot for its products. In 1992, Courage closed the distribution centre and left the premises to decay. It was purchased by the company in 1994.
The first production of the new owners was Barnsley Bitter produced on the 7th January 1997 made with a traditional recipe from the Brewing Books dating back to 1947.
