Firkin Brewery

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The Firkin Brewery was a chain of pubs in the United Kingdom. The original UK chain is now defunct, but a number of pubs operate under the Firkin name in other countries. The chain took its name from the firkin, an old English unit of volume.

Established in 1979 by David Bruce as Bruce's Brewery, the Firkin Brewery grew as a chain of mostly brewpubs offering cask ale. It was acquired by European Leisure in 1988 and then by Allied Domecq in 1991, rapidly expanding thereafter.[1] In 1999, Punch Taverns bought the entire chain and the rights to the Firkin brand,[2] and then sold 110 of the pubs to Bass, leaving 60 Firkin pubs under Punch ownership.[3] The brewery side of the chain was wound up, and in March 2001 Punch announced that the Firkin brand was to be discontinued.[4]

Most of the pubs are now owned by Mitchells and Butlers (formerly Bass), and many have been rebranded as Scream, O'Neills or Goose pubs. Some of the Punch Taverns-owned Firkins were rebranded as Mr Q's or Bar Room Bar pubs. A small handful of establishments still retain the Firkin branding.

The pubs were distinguishable because they all followed the same naming convention: The ---- and Firkin, where ---- was usually a word, beginning with either "F" or "Ph", which had some connection to the pub building or to the local area.

Contents

[edit] Firkin pubs outside the UK

[edit] North America

Firkin pubs in Canada and the United States operate under the Firkin Group Of Pubs franchise, a chain of English theme pubs founded in Ontario, Canada in 1987.[5] The naming scheme for the pubs is similar to that of the UK chain (for example, "The Crown and Firkin", in Whitby, Ontario, Canada), and many Firkin Group pubs in fact share their names with former UK Firkin Brewery pubs.

[edit] Australia

A number of independent English-style pubs in Australia use "Firkin" in their names, such as the Firkin and Hound in Alice Springs.[6]

[edit] List of Firkin pubs

[edit] UK pubs

Firkin Name Location Current Name Current Brand
Fabricant and Firkin Huddersfield Warehouse Scream
Faculty and Firkin Aston University, Birmingham Gosta Green Scream
Factor and Firkin Paisley Clancy's
Factotum and Firkin Birmingham The Hill
Fahrenheit and Firkin Woking O'Neills
Fair and Firkin Nottingham Horn In Hand Scream
Falcon and Firkin Hackney, London The Victoria Park
Fantail and Firkin Muswell Hill, London O'Neills
Faraday and Firkin Battersea, London The Goat
Farmyard and Firkin Aylesbury The Harrow
Fathom and Firkin Worthing The Assembly
Fatling and Firkin Hornchurch, London
Faun and Firkin Leicester Square, London Fudge
Feast and Firkin Leeds The Library Scream
Featherie and Firkin St. Andrews The Raisin Scream
Fedora and Firkin Luton Bellini
Felis and Firkin Kenilworth, Warwickshire The Lion
Felon and Firkin Leeds O'Neills
Felons and Firkin Knowle The Red Lion
Fermenter and Firkin Wolverhampton Billas Bar
Ferret and Firkin (see note below) Chelsea, London Lots Road Pub and Dining Room
Fettler and Firkin Paddington, London
Fettlers and Firkin Nuneaton
Fairfield and Firkin Govan, Glasgow
Fez and Firkin Reading The Turks (reviving its pre-Firkin name, The Turk's Head)
Fiddler and Firkin Croydon, London The Duke's Head Mr Q's
Fielder and Firkin Sutton, London The Prince Regent
Fieldmouse and Firkin Moseley, Birmingham Goose
Figurehead and Firkin Bristol The River
Filament and Firkin Newcastle Goose
Finch and Firkin Liverpool The Brookhouse Scream
Finings and Firkin Warley The Bridge
Finn and Firkin Stirchley The Hibernian
Finnesko and Firkin Norwich The Reindeer
Firecracker and Firkin Crawley The Railway
Firefly and Firkin Bournemouth The Inferno Scream
Fish and Firkin Southend-on-Sea The Alex Scream
Fitchew and Firkin Rugby, Warwickshire The Bull
Fitter and Firkin Partick, Glasgow Boho Club
Fitzooth and Firkin Broomhill, Sheffield Nottingham House
Fizgig and Firkin Exeter Starz Bar
Flag and Firkin Watford The Flag
Flamingo and Firkin Kingston upon Thames, London (now closed)
Flanker and Firkin Coventry The Hare and Squirrel
Flapper and Firkin Birmingham
Flare and Firkin Aberdeen The Holburn Arena
Fledgling and Firkin Hertford Blackbirds
Fleece and Firkin Bristol The Fleece
Flicker and Firkin Richmond upon Thames, London The Lot Scream
Flock and Firkin Walsall The Wheatsheaf
Floozey and Firkin Woodseats, Sheffield Woodseats Hotel
Flounder and Firkin Holloway, London Bar Cosa
Flower and Firkin Kew, London
Fly and Firkin Middlesbrough Southfield Scream
Flyhalf and Firkin Cardiff The Queen's Vaults
Flyer and Firkin Reading Oakford Social Club
Flyman and Firkin Central London O'Neills
Fog and Firkin Newcastle Stereo Bar
Font and Firkin Brighton
Footage and Firkin
(previously called The Flea and Firkin)		 Manchester Footage Scream
Footbridge and Firkin
 Clifton, Bristol The Mall
Ford and Firkin Romford, London (now closed)
Forger and Firkin Guildford The Drummond Arms
Forester and Firkin Stafford The Firkin
Formula and Firkin Weybridge Hand and Spear
Fort and Firkin Windsor Browns
Forum and Firkin Bath O'Neills
Foundry and Firkin Sheffield Bar S1
Fourpence and Firkin Leicester O'Neills
Fowl and Firkin Coventry The Aardvark Scream
Fox and Firkin Lewisham, London
Franklin and Firkin Canterbury The Old Buttermarket
Freedom and Firkin Tooting, London The George (now Gardenhouse)[7]
Freelance and Firkin Dundee The Doghouse
Freetrader and Firkin Bristol The Crown
Fresher and Firkin Cambridge The Graduate Scream
Friar and Firkin Central London The Rocket Scream
Friary and Firkin Lancaster The Friary Scream
Friesian and Firkin Clapham, London The Calf
Fringe and Firkin Shepherd's Bush, London O'Neills
Frog and Firkin Central London (now closed)
Fruitmaker and Firkin Glasgow O'Neills
Fuggle and Firkin Oxford Goose
Fullback and Firkin Leicester Polar Bear Scream
Fulmar and Firkin Holborn, London Parker Place
Fuzz and Firkin Portsmouth Goose
Fuzzock and Firkin Leicester The Donkey
Goose and Firkin Southwark, London The Duke of York Shepherd Neame
Phantom and Firkin Plaistow London (demolished 2002)
Phantom and Firkin Loughborough Phantom Scream
Pharaoh and Firkin Fulham, London (now closed) O'Neills
Pheasant and Firkin London The Old Ivy House
Philanderer and Firkin Oxford The Jericho
Philanthropist and Firkin St Albans O'Neills
Philatelist and Firkin Bromley, London O'Neills
Philosopher and Firkin Oxford The University and City Arms
Phoenix and Firkin Camberwell, London The Phoenix
Photographer and Firkin Ealing, London O'Neills
Phrenologist and Firkin Slough The Assembly
Physician and Firkin Edinburgh The Crags Scream
Physio and Firkin Leicester The Phizz!

Note: The full name of the Ferret and Firkin, in Chelsea, was "The Ferret and Firkin in The Balloon Up The Creek". This referenced the original name of the pub - The Balloon - and its location, Chelsea Creek.

[edit] European pubs

Firkin Name Location Country Current Name Current Brand
Fiddler and Firkin The Hague The Netherlands Fiddler
Florin and Firkin Utrecht The Netherlands Florin

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Firkin Pubs
  2. ^ Allied says yes to Punch but leaves door open to bidders
  3. ^ Industry Watch 1 - the Major Players
  4. ^ Firkin chain to go as Punch Taverns looks to future - Telegraph
  5. ^ Company Details
  6. ^ fox hound alice springs british at firkinhound.com
  7. ^ http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/53/531/George/Tooting George, Tooting, London, http://www.beerintheevening.com, URL last accessed 2007-05-29

[edit] External links