Our history
It’s our rich heritage of more than 200 years that has taught us how to be the welcoming hosts and successful brewers we are today.
BREWING BEER AND RUNNING PUBS SINCE 1799
We’ve been running pubs and brewing award-winning beer from our base in Bury St. Edmunds ever since the company was founded in 1799 by 19 year-old Benjamin Greene.
It’s no wonder we’ve got a few stories to tell! Flick through the picture gallery and explore our history for yourself.
Our history | 1799 - 1899
During its first 100 years, Greene King grows from the Greene’s Brewery, established in Bury St Edmunds by Benjamin Greene, to Greene, King and Sons, following an amalgamation with Frederick King’s St Edmunds brewery in 1887.
Benjamin Greene handed over the Greene’s Brewery to his son Edward in 1836. After founding the brewery, Benjamin went on to own cane sugar plantations in the West Indies where he was a slave owner. Even in the 1800s, his views on slavery were extremely unpopular and in the brewery’s home of Bury St Edmunds he wrote columns in his own newspaper that were critical of those campaigning for the abolition of slavery.
Following his father’s departure from the brewery, Edward Greene grew the business in Bury St Edmunds significantly to the point where he merged operations with business rival Frederick King and Greene King began to become more recognisable as the brewery that we see today.
1799
Benjamin Greene moves to Bury St Edmunds to establish his own brewing business.
1806
He partners with William Buck – an elderly yarn-maker looking for a strong investment to secure his retirement. Together they buy the 100-year-old Wright’s Brewery in Westgate Street and rename it Westgate Brewery.
1836
Benjamin passes the business onto his son Edward Greene. Edward grows our business and by 1870 he doubles the number of employees to 50 and produces 40,000 barrels a year.
1868
Frederick King acquires the Maulkin’s Maltings in Bury St. Edmunds and renames it St. Edmunds Brewery.
1870s
Edward understands how important it is to look after our people. So he introduces housing benefits and pension schemes for our employees – practically unheard of elsewhere.
1887
“If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!” Struggling to compete, Frederick agrees to join forces with Edward and form Greene, King and Sons. Our new company quickly establishes a regional reputation for producing two of the finest types of beer – old ale and bitter.
1891
Edward Greene dies, aged 75
Our history | 1900 - 1969
By the time the two World Wars have ended, Greene King had acquired Rayments Brewery and opened a new brew house, and by the 1960s a new bottling store had been built and head office was modernised. Greene King had become an established player in the brewing and pub industry.
1938
We open our new Brewhouse in time to meet the demands of WW2’s Allied servicemen who are based in East Anglia. We built it to last and we’re proud to still be using the building today.
1940s
Wartime brings new opportunities for working women. At Greene King, our bottling girls work well together while many of the men are away. And we use the Theatre Royal as a barrel store during the war.
1960s
Entering the modern world, we introduce metal casks, beer cans, forklift trucks and pallets into our business.
1961
We lease the Theatre Royal Bury St. Edmunds to the National Trust. Located opposite Westgate Brewery, it’s the country’s sole remaining example of a playhouse dating from the Regency period. We also acquire Biggleswade-brewery Wells & Winch.
Our history | 1970 - 1999
The century concludes with Greene King taking control of the Old Speckled Hen brand, which would go on to become Great Britain's number one premium ale brand.
1979
The Morland Brewery produces a special commemorative brew to mark the 50th anniversary of the MG car factory in Abingdon. The new ale is named Old Speckled Hen after an old, paint-spattered factory car known locally as “Owld Speckl’d Un”.
1984
We’re honoured to produce a St Edmund Ale Special Brew to celebrate the 80th birthday of novelist Graham Greene – the great grandson of our company founder, Benjamin Greene.
1996
We begin what is to become a 20-year period of growth through a number of acquisitions. With Magic Pub Company on board, we bring Hungry Horse into our brand portfolio.
1999
We gain more than 500 pubs by acquiring Marston’s southern estate and Morland. The move also allows us to bring Old Speckled Hen and Ruddles into our beer range.
Our history | 2000 - 2009
Greene King’s portfolio is increased further following a number of acquisitions. Much-loved brands including Old English Inns, Belhaven and Loch Fyne all become part of the Greene King family.
2001
We continue to grow with the addition of more than 100 of the country’s most charming and historic pubs from Old English Inns
2004
We buy 432 neighbourhood pubs from Laurel Pub Company. In the same year, Greene King IPA wins the CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain (bitter category).
2005
Another year of growth as we secure The Belhaven Group plc, one of Scotland’s oldest and largest regional breweries. The gives us a second brewery, based in Dunbar, which continues to be dedicated to brewing Belhaven beers. We also purchase Essex brewer T D Ridley & Sons Limited.
2006
We buy Hardys & Hansons of Nottinghamshire. We continue to brew three ales under the Hardys & Hansons brand.
2007
We’re delighted to bring Loch Fyne Restaurants into our portfolio. With over 35 seafood restaurants nationwide, the premium brand brings a new dimension to our portfolio.
Our history | 2010 - Present
Greene King continues to go from strength to strength and is now the country’s leading pub retailer and brewer with over 3,100 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland.
2011
We buy 60 high-quality retail sites from Cloverleaf, RealPubs and the Capital Pub Company.
2013
We open our 200th Hungry Horse site – the Royal Horse in Leamington Spa! And our 1,000th Retail site opens – The Walls End in North Tyneside.
2015
We acquire Spirit Pub Company and bring great brands – including Chef & Brewer, Flaming Grill, Wacky Warehouse, Taylor Walker and Good Night Inns into our portfolio.
2016
Old Speckled Hen has gone from strength to strength and we now sell more than 53m pints a year.
UNCOVERED SECRETS…
In a rarely visited part of our brewery’s vast cellars, we discovered a 75-year-old ale which never went on sale. We had brewed the beer to celebrate the coronation of Edward VIII – the king who was never crowned. We held it back, of course, when Edward abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson.
…CHARMING ARTEFACTS…
Long before the days before of mobile phones, email and Whatsapp, Greene King employees relied on good, old-fashioned pen and paper and trusty in-trays and out-trays. But a new technological innovation was brought to the office. In the form of a very primitive telephone, the metal mouthpiece and tube connected the boardroom all the way to the secretary’s office!
…AND SERVING THE COMMUNITY: THE WESTGATE FIRE BRIGADE
After a boardroom meeting in 1888, the Westgate Fire Brigade was formed to protect Greene King and sons against fires.
After 110 years the company’s proud history of serving the brewery and local community ended, but Greene King still supports the fire service with four employees who are on-call firefighters.