Birkenhead Brewery (Cleveland Street), Birkenhead

Founded in 1845 by Henry Kelsall Aspinall. In August 1865, Aspinall’s Anchor Brewery merged with Cook Brothers’ Argyle Brewery to form Birkenhead Amalgamated Brewery. The company changed name to Birkenhead Brewery Company Limited in March 1872 and continued operating on two sites. The brewery in Cleveland Street / Livingstone Street was rebuilt in 1900. The brewery advertised that its beers were for use by families and they would deliver free by its own drays and the drayman would stillage and tap the casks. In 1948 the brewery acquired Mackie & Gladstone with 40 off licenses and in 1951 acquired Moorhouse Brothers mineral water producers. Birkenhead Brewery merged with Threlfall Chesters Brewery in 1962 and was taken over by Whitbread in 1967. Of the two Birkenhead Brewery sites, this was the main brewing site for Birkenhead Brewery until brewing ceased in 1968 following the takeover by Whitbread. The main brewery buildings were demolished and the site became used as a business park which has retained some of the old brewery buildings.