The Beer Tapestry Arrives In London

Greene King Brewery is today unveiling ‘The Beer Tapestry’ at one of its London pubs as the original and historic Bayeux Tapestry opens in the London Museum across the road – offering culture lovers the chance to bypass the legendary museum queues and toast a pint to history instead.

Displayed from today and throughout September, ‘The Beer Tapestry’ is a stunning eight-metre long embroidered artwork created by the brewer to tell the story of beer in Britain, from conquest and cask ale to the people, pubs and breweries that have kept the nation refreshed for centuries.

Illustrating the origins and enduring cultural importance of one of Britain’s most iconic creations, beer, the tapestry hangs at the Museum Tavern on Great Russell Street, one of Greene King’s most historic pubs. Located directly opposite the British Museum, the pub has been temporarily renamed ‘The Beer Tapestry’ for the duration of the exhibition.

The Beer Tapestry offers a free alternative to the Bayeux Tapestry, with a distinctly pub-friendly twist; visitors can see the artwork from the comfort of a bar stool, pint in hand. To mark the occasion, Greene King Brewery has also crafted a limited-edition ale - ‘The Beer Tapestry’ - a dark copper cask beer available at the Museum Tavern from today.

Speaking about the embroidered Beer Tapestry, Jack Palmer, Head Brewer at Greene King, said: “Beer has been a huge part of Greene King’s story for more than 200 years, so creating our own tapestry felt like the perfect way to celebrate the brewing moments that helped shape Britain’s beer culture. We couldn’t resist the chance to bring a bit of fun to Great Russell Street while our neighbours prepare to welcome another rather famous tapestry across the road. Ours comes with a great pub atmosphere and a limited-edition legendary beer, centuries in the making.”

Greene King brewing historian and chair of the Brewing History Society, Susan Chisholm, also commented: “The Museum Tavern has been part of London life since the eighteenth century, first opening on this site in 1723 as The Dog & Duck before becoming the Museum Tavern in 1759, when the British Museum opened. That makes it the ideal home for Greene King’s Beer Tapestry: a celebration not just of beer, but the brewers who have made it such a lasting part of British culture. Across eight scenes, the artwork weaves together national moments with Greene King Brewery’s own heritage, from its early beginnings in Bury St Edmunds, where we still brew to this day, to the modern brewery we are building for the future.”

The Beer Tapestry begins in 1066 when the Bayeux Tapestry ends, as the victorious William celebrates his new kingdom with the welcome discovery that, although the crown has changed hands - the ale has not.

The tapestry then moves on to the 15th century, when hoppy beers arrive from the Low Countries.  Initially met with suspicion, they soon become a national favourite. Then, Henry VIII dissolves the monasteries, including one of the most powerful Benedictine monasteries in Medieval England in Bury St Edmunds – home of Greene King – bringing an abrupt end to centuries of monastic brewing.

By the 1770s, the Royal Navy rules the seas, its sailors reputedly powered by eight pints of ale a day and a healthy disregard for the French. And, back in Bury St Edmunds, two brewing families become fierce rivals before burying the hatchet and joining forces to become the Greene King pub company and brewer that we know today.

War brings a new generation of women into the Greene King Brewery, keeping the beer flowing while the men are away. Finally, horse-drawn carts give way to trucks, forklifts and modern machinery as brewing enters the 21st century – with Greene King preparing to open its new brewery in 2027.

From conquest to cask, the country changes beyond recognition but its appetite for beer – and the Great British pub – remains reassuringly constant to this day.

To see the Beer Tapestry, visit the Museum Tavern, renamed The Beer Tapestry, 49 Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3BA, throughout September 2026.