| Type | Public (LSE: MARS) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brewing |
| Founded | 1890 |
| Headquarters | Wolverhampton, UK |
| Key people | David Thompson, Chairman Ralph Findlay, CEO |
| Revenue | £650.7 million (2010)[1] |
| Operating income | £148.7 million (2010)[1] |
| Net income | £47.5 million (2010)[1] |
| Employees | 13,000 (2010)[2] |
| Website | www.marstons.co.uk |
Marston's (LSE: MARS) is the colloquial name for the brewer and pub operator Marston's plc (formerly known as Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries plc until 2007 when it rebranded as Marston's). The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. As of 2010, it had a 1.1% share of the United Kingdom beer market, although historically this share has been declining.[3] It owns over 2000 public houses in the UK, and is the world's largest brewer of cask ale.[4]
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In 1834 John Marston established J. Marston & Son at the Horninglow Brewery at Burton upon Trent. Marston & Son Ltd amalgamated with John Thompson & Son Ltd and moved to Albion Brewery, where the company still operates.[5][6] Banks & Co has been brewing at the Park Brewery since 1875.[7] The Company was formed in 1890 as Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries by the amalgamation of Banks & Co. with George Thompson & Sons and Charles Colonel Smith's Brewery.[8] It was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1947.[8] It acquired Camerons Brewery in Hartlepool in 1992[8] and sold it to Castle Eden in 2002, whilst retaining some of Cameron's tied pubs .[9]
In 1999 the Company purchased Marston, Thompson & Evershed of Burton upon Trent (including Marston's Brewery which had been founded in 1834).[8] Also in 1999 the Company purchased the Mansfield Brewery Company of Mansfield.[8]
In 2005 Marston's Brewery took over production under licence from Interbrew of Draught Bass, succeeding Coors. Later, in 2005, the Jennings Brewery of Cockermouth was also purchased and in 2007 Hampshire based Ringwood Brewery, which was established in 1978, and brews Best Bitter, Fortyniner, and Old Thumper, was acquired.[10]
In 2007 the Company changed its name from Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries plc to Marston's plc.[11]
The company now owns and operates five breweries: the Park Brewery in Wolverhampton brews Banks's, Hanson's and Mansfield beers; the Marston's Brewery in Burton upon Trent brews Marston's and Bass; the Jennings Brewery in Cockermouth;[12] the Wychwood Brewery in Witney (which includes the Brakspear Brewhouse); and the Ringwood Brewery in Hampshire. The company also owns a sizeable chain of pubs, and several hotels.[13]
Marston's Brewery makes use of water from the famous Burton Well,[14] reputedly discovered by Benedictine monks in the 13th century.
Marston's is also the only remaining brewer to use Burton Union Sets; a system whereby fermentation barrels and troughs are linked together by a complex system of copper and brass pipework. The basic principle is one of preventing excessive beer and yeast loss through foaming, but the consequence is that the beer is both in contact with more wood and in contact with more beer (fermenting in a bigger volume). This results in a vastly more consistent flavour; and very little chance of a whole batch being ruined. All other large-scale brewers have abandoned this method in favour of stainless steel vats, which while they assure (through volume) a consistent flavour, do not permit the use of traditional yeast varieties. They also make selective use of the unusual double dropping process which introduces complex flavors due to a period of accelerated yeast growth.[15]
The current range is as follows:[16]
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Marston's also brews Draught Bass for A-B InBev and Tetley Mild and Dark Mild for Carlsberg[17]
Marston's Pedigree is a bitter; it is Marston's flagship brand, selling 150,000 hectolitres in 2010.[18] It is the only beer to use the oak Burton Union System so that it is fermented in wood; the ingredients are mineral enriched Burton Water, Maris Otter barley, and Fuggles and Goldings hops. The cask-conditioned and canned versions are 4.5% abv; since April 2009, the pasteurised bottle versions have been 5% abv.[19][20][21][22]