Marston’s Brewery has been part of Burton-upon-Trent’s brewing industry since 1834, producing beers that became established fixtures in pubs across the UK and preserving traditional brewing methods long after many breweries had moved to modern equipment.
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Its history reflects wider changes in British brewing, from the growth of regional breweries and established cask brands to decades of acquisitions that brought once-independent businesses under common ownership.
Today, the proposed closure of its historic Burton brewery raises further questions about the future of traditional ale production and the brands associated with it.
1834: John Marston establishes brewery
John Marston begins brewing at the Horninglow Brewery in Burton-upon-Trent, establishing the business that would eventually become Marston’s.
Burton develops into one of Britain’s major brewing centres, with its water and brewing expertise helping establish the town’s international reputation for pale ale.
1898: Move to Albion Brewery
Marston’s moves to the Albion Brewery on Shobnall Road following its merger with John Thompson & Son. The site, originally built for London brewers Mann, Crossman & Paulin, becomes the brewery’s long-standing home.
The move establishes the location most closely associated with Marston’s subsequent history, including its use of the Burton Union fermentation system and the production of Pedigree.
1905: Marston, Thompson & Evershed takes shape
Marston’s acquires Sydney Evershed Ltd and adopts the name Marston, Thompson & Evershed.
The company continues to develop its brewing and pub interests over subsequent decades, laying the foundations for the business that would eventually expand through acquisitions.
1952: Marston’s Pedigree is launched
Marston’s launches Pedigree, which becomes one of its best-known beers and an established presence in pubs across the country.
The beer becomes closely associated with the Burton Union system, a traditional fermentation method using linked wooden casks and troughs.
During fermentation, yeast could be collected and returned through the system, helping manage the process.
The Union sets become a defining feature of brewing at Burton. In their final years of operation, they are used exclusively for the cask Pedigree process, with Union-fermented beer blended with beer from stainless-steel fermenters.
1999: Marston’s joins Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries
Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries acquires Marston, Thompson & Evershed, bringing the Burton brewery and Pedigree into a larger brewing group.
The acquisition marks a significant step in the consolidation of British brewing. In 2007, Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries changes its name to Marston’s plc, reflecting the development of a much larger brewing and pub business.
Over the following years, the group expands its portfolio through further acquisitions, bringing established regional beers under common ownership.
2008–2009: Hobgoblin joins the portfolio and FastCask is introduced
Marston’s acquires Wychwood Brewery, bringing Hobgoblin into its portfolio alongside other established brands.
In 2009, the company introduces FastCask, a system using yeast beads to improve the clarity of cask beer. The development reflects efforts to adapt traditional cask production and handling to the needs of pubs and the wider supply chain.
2015–2017: Further regional beers join the group
Marston’s acquires Thwaites’ beer business in 2015, adding brands including Wainwright and Lancaster Bomber to its portfolio.
In 2017, it acquires the Charles Wells beer business, bringing brands including Bombardier, Young’s and McEwan’s into the group.
The acquisitions further expand the range of beers managed by the business and reinforce its position in the cask category. They also demonstrate how ownership of regional beer brands was changing, with established names increasingly becoming part of larger brewing portfolios.
2020: Carlsberg and Marston’s merge
Carlsberg and Marston’s establish Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company, with Carlsberg holding a 60% stake and Marston’s retaining the remaining 40%.
The joint venture brings brewing operations and brands together under a new ownership structure, while Marston’s plc continues to operate its pub business.
It marks a new chapter for the Burton brewery, placing it within an international brewing group while retaining its established beers and brewing heritage.
January 2024: Burton Union sets retired
Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company announces the retirement of the four remaining Burton Union sets at the Albion Brewery.
The company says declining volumes in the UK cask market have made the process commercially unviable, with production moving to stainless-steel fermenters. The change is also expected to reduce water and energy consumption.
The decision ends the system’s use in commercial brewing at Marston’s, where it had been used exclusively for Pedigree and survived long after other breweries moved away from the method.
Two sets are to be preserved at Burton, while others are subsequently transferred to Thornbridge Brewery in Derbyshire and Epochal in Glasgow, providing the historic equipment with a future beyond its original home.
The retirement does not mean the end of Pedigree, but separates the future of the beer from the traditional process with which it had become closely associated.
July 2024: Carlsberg takes full ownership of brewing business
Carlsberg acquires Marston’s remaining 40% stake in Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company, taking full ownership of the brewing operation and its brands.
The transaction further separates Marston’s pub business from the brewery associated with its name. Responsibility for the brewing operation and its portfolio now sits wholly within Carlsberg’s business.
2024–2025: Investment in Burton amid brewery closures
In October 2024, Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company announces plans to invest more than £6m in the Burton site, with ambitions to develop it as a national centre for craft beer and traditional ale brewing.
The investment is intended to strengthen Burton’s role in the group’s brewing network, including improvements to its cask production facilities.
However, the announcement comes against a backdrop of wider restructuring and brewery closures, including Jennings in 2022, Wychwood in 2023, Ringwood in 2024 and Banks’s in 2025.
The developments underline the changing footprint of the group’s brewing operations, as investment is concentrated at fewer sites while established brands continue to be managed across a wider portfolio.
January 2025: Carlsberg Britvic is formed
Carlsberg completes its acquisition of Britvic on 17 January 2025, bringing its UK brewing business and the soft drinks company’s operations together under the Carlsberg Britvic name.
The combined business creates a major multi-beverage supplier, bringing beer and soft drinks brands together within a single UK operation.
For Burton, it places the brewery within a wider drinks business, with its future considered alongside the group’s broader portfolio and investment priorities.
October 2026: Future of Burton brewery comes into question
Carlsberg Britvic announces a proposal to close Marston’s Brewery and its primary logistics operation in summer 2027, subject to consultation, putting approximately 310 jobs at risk.
Carlsberg Britvic says it intends to retain brands including Hobgoblin, McEwan’s and Brooklyn, while seeking new homes for other cask and regional ales.
It attributes the proposal to structural decline in the ale category, with UK cask volumes having more than halved in less than a decade, and the need to create greater long-term value.
The brewery and logistics operation are expected to continue during the transition period as consultation progresses.
However, the proposal raises questions about where some of Britain’s established regional beers will be brewed in future, as well as the expertise and production capacity associated with the Burton site.
For the cask category, Marston’s history brings together traditional fermentation, established pub beers and the consolidation of regional brewing into larger businesses.
The proposed closure is the latest milestone in that history, with the future of the site and some of its beers still to be determined.
