Of all the counties in the United Kingdom, it is fair to say that Surrey appears to have attracted the least amount of research into its history with regard the brewing industry. A few books are extant, notably Mark Sturley’s book (in 2 volumes) of the Breweries and Public Houses of Guildford, my own book on those of Reigate & Redhill, and an unpublished book, by Herbert Shaw on Brewing in Croydon and South East Surrey. This site is set up to attempt to redress the situation and is the result of endless hours of painstaking research, and although by no means complete, it represents the best state of knowledge up to this moment. There are, inevitably, many riddles as yet that remain unsolved, but we hope this may be regarded as a “marker post” of our research, and may serve to encourage others who may follow to explore further and deeper.
Many towns and villages in Surrey once had either a brewery, or a Common Brewer, or both, many operating on a very small scale, and short-lived, but some of considerable size and importance. Surrey, appears to have lost all its breweries now, except for a thin smattering of the modern Micro-Brewery which have arisen over the last 25 years or so.
All that often exists to mark their passing, is a one-line reference in a directory, or, if the researcher is lucky, an advertisment in a local trade directory. For others, we have extensive records, documents, photographs, etc, As this website grows, I will endeavour to record every entry I can find, even if it is only a one-liner.
To the right of this page, one can find a growing list of towns and villages. Just click on the appropriate entry required and you will be transported to a page dealing with the industry within that community. At the top of that page will be a link to return you to this front page. Alternatively, some pages contain further links to take you deeper into this absorbing subject.
If any readers have additional information, then do not hesitate to contact the author who will be pleased to hear from you.
