Batemans beer bonanza marks 150 years

The fiercely independent, family-owned Batemans Brewery will be marking its 150^th anniversary this year with a series of exciting events, promotions and celebrations. 

One of the few truly independent, family-owned breweries still operating in England today, Batemans Brewery is proud to celebrate 150 years and will be showcasing the achievements of Five Generations of the Batemans’ brewing family, which all began with George Bateman in Wainfleet Lincolnshire in 1874. 

Stuart and Jaclyn Bateman are the present guardians of the Batemans brewing legacy, with Stuart and wife’s Rachael’s children Harri and Ed preparing to carry on the family tradition. 

The brewer of 10,000 hectolitres of craft beer per year, the custodian of 52 community pubs and a flourishing free-trade network operating across Lincolnshire, the East Midlands and Norfolk, Batemans has not only survived Covid, two World Wars and the keg beer revolution, but also a family dispute and hostile approaches that very nearly saw the business broken up and sold. 

Today, Batemans is thriving, thanks in part to its Survival, Revival and Development plan, instigated in March 2020 in response to the pandemic-related lockdowns and trading conditions. This plan has brought to fruition new pub acquisitions, beer development, brewing collaborations and a pub refurbishment programme.

The sesquicentennial year was also seen as an opportunity to evolve their branding and the most visual part of the business, the pump clips. A strong recognisable new branding has been created, which harks to the past brewing traditions, retaining the slogan "Craft Brewers since 1874", but positions the brewery strongly for the next phase of growth.  The brewery’s key four brands are the first to receive the new branding; XB, Triple XB, Yella Belly Gold and the new Five Generations (5G) to be released in a couple of months.  The new branding will be available from mid March.

Along with the new cask beer, Five Generation (5G) 4.2% ABV beer brewed with only English hops; Harlequin, Fuggles and Olicana and local malts, there will be a year of celebrations including a limited edition bottled beer; Tradition with Ambition, a 7.8% beer that was brewed over 10 years ago and has been maturing in bottle, ready to celebrate the 150^th  Anniversary.  There is also a new celebratory sparkling wine, 5G Blanquette de Limoux, which has been specially sourced from France, to add to the Batemans wine merchant’s, Ridlingtons, range.

Batemans new brewer, Buster Grant, is recommissioning the Victorian brewhouse that has not been used for more than 20 years. It's planned that the Victorian brewhouse will be used for collaboration brews with Blue Monkey and Buxton Brewery, who are planning their 15^th year anniversary. 

Batemans Brewery Managing Director Stuart Bateman said: “Brewing is the backbone of our business and we are looking forward to brewing new beers and collaborating with other breweries. We are exceptionally pleased of all we have achieved over the past 150 years and look forward to celebrating our past, but also in taking this opportunity to shout about our new achievements, from our new and modern branding to our fresh approach, which will set Batemans on a solid footing for another 150 years.”

Celebrations started with the brewery staff Christmas party, at which each member of staff was presented with a commemorative plate plus the Long Service awards, 27 members of staff, who have an average of 30 years service each, the longest being 47 years.

Batemans Marketing Director Jaclyn Bateman said: “We are very proud of our past and looking forward to continuing our success. Tradition with Ambition perfectly sums up Batemans ethos and will be a theme running throughout our marketing this year.”

The celebrations will be in association with the charities, LIVES and Derbyshire Miners Skegness Children’s Home.

Pictured below: Stuart Bateman with his sons Harri and Ed who will become the sixth generation to run the brewery