The history of Robinson's Brewery
By Nub News guest writer
10th Aug 2024 | Local History
By Maureen Fahey - Stockport Heritage Trust
The origin of Robinsons Brewery traces back to when William Robinson and his wife, Juliet Shaw, moved from Bollington to Stockport in 1826. The pair then took over the running of the Unicorn Inn on Lower Hillgate.
This inn was first mentioned in 1724, at which time its prime position on the then main road through the town ensured a roaring trade. A century later, Wellington Road by-passed this ancient thoroughfare but the inn itself continued to thrive, remaining popular with farmers, market traders and travellers.
William and Juliet bought the inn from Samuel Hole in 1838, but William was not, by trade, a brewer. He was a cotton man, and so rather than venturing to brew his own beer, he bought drink from other breweries and sold that.
The couple had ten children, six of whom died in infancy, leaving George, Mary, Jane and Frederic. Juliet passed away shortly after the death of their youngest child, also named Juliet, and in 1849, William left the Unicorn, re-married and moved to Heaton Norris.
His elder son, George, took over the inn with his wife Clarissa and George began to brew ale on the premises. Frederic succeeded his brother ten years later, at a time when the brewing industry was highly competitive. He made the somewhat precarious decision to expand his brewing operations and began selling his fine ales to other inns and beer houses in the area, delivering it by horse-drawn dray.
The late 1800s brought a decline in beer consumption, coupled with yet more competition as other brewers utilised the railways to distribute their products further afield. Frederic, however, speculated by purchasing just a small number of pubs to use as outlets for his ales, thereby guaranteeing a consistently high quality of beer-keeping and so increasing demand.
The strategy paid off; profits rose and the business expanded, resulting in the ownership of five licensed premises. Frederic passed away at his home in Hall Street in 1890 and the business passed to his wife, Emma.
Sons William and Herbert both worked in the family firm, with William involved mainly in the business management side of things.
He concentrated his efforts on the brewing of top quality fine ales and resisted the opportunity to over invest in the purchase of other licensed properties, which various other companies had done.
This policy also paid dividends and despite the restrictions imposed by the 1904 Licensing Act, the business continued to prosper.
A new bottling department was added to the premises at Lower Hillgate in 1908 and new offices followed in 1913, by which time the firm owned more than thirty licensed premises.
In 1920, the business became a private limited company, and went onto acquire a number of other breweries and public houses.
William, the chairman of the company, passed away in 1933 and was succeeded by his son, John, who was father to Peter, Dennis and David, and who remained in the post until 1978.
He continued the family's business strategy and throughout the 1930s, the firm prospered, later expanding into North Wales and Derbyshire. Sadly, the Unicorn Inn, where it all started, was demolished in 1935 to enable the brewery yard to be enlarged.
Sir John Robinson, knighted in 1958, died in 1978, whereupon his son, Peter took over as chairman.
A new bottling plant had opened in 1975 in Bredbury, on land that the firm bought in 1919, and further development had taken place at this site over the years.
In 2022, Robinson's Brewery, still an independent, family-run business, and with some 250 public houses to its name, announced its plans to close the age-old premises at Lower Hillgate and relocate to the Bredbury plant.
The future of the premises on Lower Hillgate has yet to be decided.
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Those interested in learning more about Stockport's heritage can visit the heritage centre Tuesday 11am – 2pm and Saturday 10.30 – 2pm. The centre is situated inside St. Mary's Parish Church, Market Place, on the left hand side past the cafe.
The heritage trust also opens the former courthouse and dungeon to the public on the second Saturday of every month, from 10.30am until 3.30pm, or when the last visitor leaves.
The trust's website can be found HERE
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