18th century brewery to be brought back to life

One of London's oldest brewing sites is being brought back to life by the Meantime Brewing Company.

The brewer has just started excavation and renovation work at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich as part of a £5m project with the Greenwich Foundation to restore London's brewing heritage.

When work is complete at the end of next year Meantime, which produces hand-crafted bottled beers, will brew a traditional London porter at the site.

There was previously a brewery on the plot from 1717 until 1860 that supplied retired sailors with their daily ration of beer.

Today all that remains is a single storey with a series of vaults from the 1830s, including a well thought to be 200ft deep.

Meantime brewmaster Alastair Hook said: "The area of London between Bow, Shoreditch, Greenwich and up to and including stretches of the Southwark banks of the Thames, was the centre of the brewing world in the 18th century.

"London is the home of India Pale Ale, Porter and Stout but - in time honoured British tradition - we have allowed this rich heritage to be forgotten. Meantime and the Greenwich Foundation are determined to change this."

The brewery redevelopment will form part of a new education centre called Discover Greenwich. The finished project will also include a Meantime brasserie and bar and an exhibition charting the history of brewing in London.

"The pubs and breweries in our capital were once the envy of the world and in terms of commercial, industrial and social importance their impact was immense," said Hook. "The brewery exhibit and Meantime brewhouse, along with the cellars and bar will do everything possible to recapture the full glory of this fascinating age."