King & Barnes family launch new brewery
The King family has returned to brewing in Horsham, West Sussex, after selling their 200-year-old business, King and Barnes, to Hall & Woodhouse.
Bill King and his wife Kathy launched WJ King & Co (Brewers) on Wednesday (May 23) at a new microbrewery in Jubilee Estate, Foundry Lane.
With a weekly capacity of 20 barrels, its cask beers include Horsham Best Bitter (ABV 3.8 per cent) and Red River (4.8 per cent).
Mr King is the fifth generation of the family which owned King & Barnes until it was sold to Dorset-based Hall & Woodhouse a year ago. The brewery was closed and production of its Sussex ale transferred to the Badger Brewery in Blandford.
Mr King said: "I have spent the time since Christmas installing the brewing plant and developing two new cask-conditioned ales.
"Given the ever-changing beer market and consolidation among the national brewers, it is inevitable that the British drinkers' choice of beer products will be declining far quicker than expected. I hope the launch of this new venture will redress that balance in a very small way, so at least people in the local community will have more of a choice of what beer is available for them."
The beers will initially be available to freehouses, clubs and off-licences as well as directly to consumers through a home delivery service.
WJ King is part of Bishopric Investments, which also includes a gaming machine division, Venture Gaming Machines Services.
WJ King & Co (Brewers)3-5 Jubilee Estate, Foundry Lane, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 5UETel: 01403 272102Fax: 01403 754455
