Clowes, George & Co

20 High St, Needham Market

George A Clowes, family brewery, Needham Market: A K, a good bitter ale, at 9s a firkin. Coombe, Delafield, & Co’s London Stout. Ipswich Journal, July 1870**

George Clowes' Steam Brewery was built in 1872 and continued brewing until 1913 (last listed in 1904).

In 1874 White's Directory George A Clowes & Co is listed as a brewer & maltster & coal, corn & hop merchant (High st)

In January 1875, the Ipswich Journal states: "A new brewery has recently been erected near the Railway Station for Messrs. G A Cowes and Co., malsters and brewers of Needham Market. The building which is from designs by Thomas Wilkins, architect, of London, late of Ipswich, has a very imposing appearance. The tower or main part of the building stands 70 feet high, on one side of which is the cooler house, and on the other the boiler house. The whole is built of red bricks, with white finishings to the windows and quoins, and is of a most substantial character. It is a five-quarters steam brewery, containing a boiler of ten horse power, and engine of four horse power. The tank near the top of the tower will hold 40 barrel, and on the same floor there is a malt mill; descending to the next floor we come to the engine room, where is also the boiling back and mash tub; on the same floor a room nicely fitted up, called the brewer’s room. Next comes the copper which will hold 24 barrels, and on the next floor the whole process of fermentation is carried on in three large tuns. Then there is the ground floor, and underneath a cellar for storage purposes. Thus it will be seen the malt, hops, and water are conveyed to the top of the brewery first, and as they descend are gradually transformed until, by the time they reach the bottom, they constitute different qualities of beer.

Messrs. G and R Scopes did the brickwork, Mr Theobald the woodwork, and Mr Cooper the plumbing and glazing all tradesmen from the town. The engineers were Messrs. Catchpool, Stannard, and Stanford, of Colchester, and the coppersmiths Messrs. Blundell and Co., London.

On New Year’s Eve Mr G A Clowes invited all who had been engaged at the building with their wives, together with his employees and their wives, to celebrate the opening of the brewery by partaking a substantial repast consisting of geese, roast and boiled beef and mutton, plum pudding, mince pies etc..

On New Year’s Day soup was given away at the Brewery to all who liked to fetch it."

An advert in the Ipswich Journal** in Jan 1880 states that :

Needham Steam Brewery
George A Clowes & Co pure home brewed special family ales.
AK 18s per Kilderkin 9s per Firkin
XXXK 22s 6d per Kilderkin 11s 3d per Firkin

Converted into a Malto-Peptone Yeast Food factory in 1899 - building is still standing.