Until the first imports of tea and coffee in the mid 17th century, most people in England drank ale. Only the very wealthy could afford wine, only the very young drank milk, and it was only the very poor who drank water. Ale, with its proteins and vitamins, supplemented a meagre diet and, as water was boiled in the brewing process, ale was a liquid free of water-borne infections. Ale was the only safe drink widely available, and vast quantities were produced. Tudor households regularly consumed six pints of ale per person per day and it was considered one of the essentials in life, along with bread.
Beer was being produced in 1581, in preference to ale, when hops (introduced into this country by Dutch brewers) were added to the brewing mash as a preservative and to impart their distinctive bitter taste.
By the 19th century, 60% of the country's alehouses and tavern were either owned by brewers or operated under a 'tie' restricting sales in these 'tied houses' to the products of one brewery. With concern growing about the excessive power of brewers the government introduced the Beerhouse Act of October 1830 to encourage greater free trade. The Act - which applied to England and Wales - removed the duty on beer and allowed householders, eligible to pay the poor rate, to sell beer, ale or porter after purchasing an annual excise license for two guineas.
Brewing was seasonal work. Before technology could devise the means of controlling temperature, fermentation was uncontrollable in hot weather and brewers employed temporary workers at their busiest periods during the autumn and winter months.
Worcester breweries
Before the 19th century inns and taverns produced their own brews according to local taste. Then large breweries began to appear and to purchase public houses as outlets for their products. The introduction and popularity of bottled beers at the end of the century assisted in the decline of the 'home brewing' pubs. The first 'public' brewery in Worcester was the Britannia Brewery in Barbourne, founded in about 1850. In 1886 it was taken over by the Spreckley Brothers and the Spreckley family operated it until it closed in 1969.
Other breweries operating in Worcester included:
- Robert Allen & Co c. 1900 - 1935
- B.C. Harper & Co c. 1900 - 1920
- Joseland & Sons c. 1860 - 1900
- Lewis, Clarke & Co c. 1895 - 1970
