Cheers... it's beer at home with Davenport's - again!
Mar 6 2008 By Adam Smith, Birmingham Mail
CHEERS! Birmingham's famous Davenports beer is being relaunched and, in time-honoured tradition, it's going to be delivered to homes.
As well as being available in local pubs, the famous Davenports vans will soon be making home deliveries for the first time in a generation.
Davenports was brewed in Birmingham from 1896 until 1987 when it was bought out by Greenall and the Bath Row brewery closed.
However, Walsall-based Highgate Brewery resurrected the brand in 2003 with Davenports top Brew Delux and Original as niche products. Now the demand has forced the brewery to think big.
Managing director Bob Norton said: "We started it off as a bit of nostalgia but our Davenports beers really caught the public's imagination and we are now in the position to properly relaunch the brand with more new beers.
"The success of the Top Brew Delux in 2003 led to the launch of last year's Davenports IPA Export which has been phenomenally successful."
After buying the trade marks and brands, the brewery hired ex-Davenports staff, including head brewer Neil Dain to ensure the taste was the same as before.
Highgate has spent £1 million on new equipment and is installing a new bottling plant to produce Top Brew Delux, Original, IPA Export and the new Continental Lager, which will be launched at May's Publican Show at the NEC.
Mr Norton added: "This will be a fantastic summer for Birmingham as we will be using delivering vans to take the beer to customers because as everyone knows - Beer At Home Means Davenports.
"We have found some old footage of delivery vans and horses coming out of the Bath Row brewery in the 1920s which is just amazing to see."
Davenports started brewing beer in 1829 and from its headquarters in Bath Row, brewed millions of barrels of beer which was delivered across the country.
After a battle between Greenall Whitley and Wolverhampton & Dudley breweries, Davenports was sold in 1986 and production ceased in Birmingham within a matter of months.
"It was a sad day for the city when the brewery closed down and it will be a proud moment when the vans leave the factory and hit the streets of Birmingham for the first time," said Mr Norton.
