McMullen's Brewery

McMullen's is a regional brewery founded in 1827 in Hertford, England.

McMullen's
IndustryBrewing
Founded1827
Headquarters
Hertford
,
England
ProductsBeer
Websitehttp://www.mcmullens.co.uk/

History
The former McMullen's Brewery of 1891 on Hartham Lane, Hertford

McMullen's was founded in 1827 in Railway Street, Hertford by the son of a Scottish nurseryman. As the business grew, it moved first to Mill Bridge in 1832 and then to Old Cross in 1891. McMullens became a private limited company in 1897. A modern brewhouse was built in 1984. In 2002, the business was valued at £176m.

In the mid-2000s, the company had a narrow escape from closure as the controlling family split between those shareholders who wanted to receive a bigger dividend and those who wanted to keep dividends low to reinvest annual profits into the company. David McMullen stepped down as chairman following an unsuccessful attempted management buyout. A new independent chairman, Charles Brims, produced a compromise whereby several non-brewing property investments were sold to release cash to appease the majority shareholders and a plan was launched to build a new, smaller brewhouse. The company decided to shed contract brewing and take advantage of tax breaks by becoming a smaller brewer. As the new Whole Hop Brewery (opened 2006) was more compact than the 1984-built plant, the spare land was sold to Sainsbury's.

McMullen's brews cask ale and pasteurised bottled beers. The company owns over 130 freehold pubs, mainly in the Home Counties, with a number in London, including The Spice of Life in Cambridge Circus, The White Swan in Pimlico and The Nag's Head in Covent Garden. McMullen's is acquisitive and has recently purchased pubs and bars in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Sevenoaks, Fleet, Marlow, Milton Keynes and Bishop's Stortford. The company has no debt.

Beers

McMullen's produces three regular cask ales and several occasional ales. Its AK, first brewed in the 19th century, is the only beer of its type to survive in the UK.[1] The regular range consists of:

  • Original AK, 3.7% abv
  • McMullen's Cask ale, a new, hoppy ale launched 2006, 3.8% abv
  • Country, 4.3%

McMullen's brews a guest beer every month which is available for a limited period. These can include its IPA, Tooty Fruity, McDuff, and Harvest Moon.

Bottled Ales
  • Stronghart
  • Hertford Castle
  • Country Bitter

Guest beers
  • Love Herts (2014–present)[2]
  • IPA
  • Bard of Ale (2013–present)
  • Flying Frog (2014)

Out of production
  • Screaming Reels (2011–13)
  • Stag Bitter (2008)[3]
  • Harvest Moon (2006-2008)
  • Victory 1805 (2005)
  • Olde Time Strong Ale
  • Special Reserve Anniversary Porter (2000)
  • Oatmeal Ale (1997-2001)
  • Gladstone (1990s)
  • Crafter Low Alcohol Bitter (1970s)
  • Mac's Brown (1960s)
  • Nut Brown Ale
  • Oat Brown Stout (1950s)
  • No. 1 Pale Ale

Pubs
The Jolly Farmers, Enfield with a brewery lorry
The Peahen, St Albans
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References
  1. AK Beers
  2. Mcmullen beers
  3. Stag bitter
  4. Our locals
  5. Kings Mead now open
  6. The Bull Broxbourne
  7. "Heron awarded pub of the year". Archived from the original on 2016-01-06. Retrieved 2017-07-18.

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