Qualla: Batemans Brewery

Batemans Brewery: Introduction

Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

George Bateman sold his farm in 1874 to rent a brewery. That is the kind of decision that looks either foolish or visionary depending on how it turns out, and in Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, it turned out very well. More than 150 years later, the Salem Bridge Brewery is still there, still family-run, and still producing the cask ales that have made it one of England's most enduring independent breweries. The windmill that stands above the site — once derelict, now the brewery's trademark — is visible from the surrounding fenland for miles.

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Batemans Brewery: A Farmer's Gamble

Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

George Bateman bought the brewery equipment for £505 and 10 shillings, then paid £800 the following year to secure the lease on the building itself. His teacher in the craft was Edwin Crowe, the outgoing brewer, whose own expert employee stayed on to help despite his blindness. G...

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Batemans Brewery: Hard Times and the Windmill

Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The brewing industry hit a difficult stretch in the 1920s and 1930s. Restrictions carried over from the First World War, higher taxes, and a general decline in sales squeezed businesses across England. Batemans was no exception. At one point, Harry Bateman — George's son, who had...

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Batemans Brewery: The Ales Themselves

Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Batemans brews to a principle captured in its slogan: Good Honest Ales. The cask range centres on three regulars — Gold, XB, and XXXB. The XXXB was first brewed by Ken Dixon on 1 February 1978 and has been a flagship ever since. The brewery owns 69 public houses, with 23 in Bosto...

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Batemans Brewery: A Family Debate Settled

Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

In the 1980s, Batemans faced what many family businesses eventually face: half the family wanted to sell, half wanted to keep brewing. The brewery survived that internal argument intact. It remains in family hands, operating independently at a time when most English regional brew...

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