Spiritual home of British beer

Once the capital of British ale production, Burton-on-Trent was world-renowned for its beer-making resources. And as Glynn Davis reports, it still casts a long shadow

It is widely known that London’s St Pancras Station is undergoing a major redevelopment as it becomes the new terminus for Eurostar but what is less well known is that the beers of Burton on Trent are having an impact on this construction work.

The platforms are being raised 20 feet above street level in order to accommodate the old cellars beneath the station that once stored barrels of Burton beer that had been transported to the capital by train.

These cellars are a reminder of the days when the beers of Burton had much more of an impact on London (and on the rest of the world) than merely hindering building work.

The emergence of Burton as a global force in beer production came about in the late 1700s when pale ale was first developed. This lager of its day (albeit with a tad better provenance than many modern day efforts) was unique to Burton because the high gypsum content of the town’s water made it possible for brewers to produce clear beers.

In contrast to the water sourced from the wells of the River Trent the ‘murkier’ water of London was more suited to the darker beer styles (porters and stouts) that were losing favour with the public.

The biggest player in the brewing game was the mighty Bass. After its creation in 1777 by William Bass it gained a reputation as the premier brewer of the increasingly popular pale ales. Roger Sellick, curator of the Museum for brewing at the Coors Visitor Centre in Burton, says brewers like Bass also benefited from Burton’s ce.....

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By Glynn Davis

Section : British Breweries

Page number : 23