Brewery in beer pledge; Vow to keep beer flowing.Byline: Tom Scotney A HISTORIC Midland brewery A brewery can be a building or place that produces beer, or a business (brewing company) whose trade is the production and sale of beer. Breweries can take up multiple city blocks, or be a collection of equipment in a homebrewer's kitchen. today insisted it will carry on making its famous beers - even though the company has collapsed with unpaid debts of more than pounds 1 million. Highgate Brewery, in Walsall, which makes Highgate Dark Mild as well as the Davenports range of ales, went into administration last week, and was immediately snapped up by two property developers. But managing director Bob Norton said he had been promised by the new owners that the flow of beer would not be interrupted. The brewery, in Sandy Mount Road, Walsall, has been making beer since 1899. Its Highgate Dark Mild is one of the best-known ales in the region. In 2002 it revived the famous Davenports brand. The beer used to be known for its television jingle of "beer at home means Davenports", but had disappeared from pubs in 1986 when the brewery on Bath Row, Birmingham was closed. The brewery has collapsed after getting into severe financial diffi- culties, including unpaid excise A tax imposed on the performance of an act, the engaging in an occupation, or the enjoyment of a privilege. A tax on the manufacture, sale, or use of goods or on the carrying on of an occupation or activity, or a tax on the transfer of property. duty of more than pounds 1 million. After going into administration it was bought by property developers Simon Toon and David Dindol for just pounds 80,000. Mr Norton said it was "inevitable" therewould be redundancies among the 25-strong workforce at the brewery and he was not sure if he would be staying himself. But he said the directors had told him drinkers would still be able to get Highgate and Davenports beers for years to come. "It's business as usual," he said. "The current orders are being met and their intention is to carry on brewing brewing: see beer. ." He said the effects of the recession on spending, the smoking ban and the rise in beer duty had left the brewery with no option but to go into administration. Highgate used to be owned by Birmingham pub giant Mitchells & Butlers. It came close to closure in 1995 when its owners decided they wanted to close what was then the smallest brewery in their company. Itwas saved by a management buyout Buyout The purchase of a company or a controlling interest of a corporation's shares. Notes: A leveraged buyout is accomplished with borrowed money or by issuing more stock. andwas later bought by the Global Star pub group. The brewery was also linked with about a dozen pubs aroundBirmingham, including the City Tavern The City Tavern is a historic building located at 138 South 2nd Street, at the intersection of Second and Walnut Streets of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Called the "most genteel tavern in America" by John Adams, it was the favorite meeting place of many of the Founding Fathers and near Five Ways - the only untouched Victorian pub in the city centre and the only pub still to carry the Davenports brand. The pubs were owned by a different part of the company . |
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