Greene King has been brewing beer and operating pubs for over 200 years. Founded in 1799 by Benjamin Greene, it has grown steadily from its base in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk to become a leading pub retailer and ale brewer in the south of England.
It was Benjamin Greene who, in 1799, first laid the foundations of the company now known as Greene King when he moved to Bury St Edmunds to establish his own brewing business. In 1806, he entered into a significant partnership with William Buck, an elderly yarn-maker, to acquire the 100 year old Wright's Brewery in Westgate and begin brewing together.
In 1830, when the agricultural economy was in desperate trouble, the introduction of the Beer Act created a new type of public house - the beer house. Within the first six months of the Act, nearly 25,000 beer houses had sprung up around the country, and beer sales increased dramatically. Although a price war ensued, the company was able to continue to trade throughout this difficult period.
In 1836 Benjamin Greene handed over the reins of the company to his son Edward Greene, who oversaw a major expansion and diversification of the company. The brewery workforce doubled to 50 people and output increased to 40,000 barrels a year by 1870. Although the brewery was cramped and the word hard, Edward Greene introduced benefits for his workforce which were practically unheard of elsewhere, including a pension scheme for elderly and infirm workers and new standards of houses for his workers.
Meanwhile, Frederick King acquired the Maulkin's Maltings and adjoining buildings in 1868 with a view to becoming a brewer, renaming them the St Edmunds brewery. However, competing with the neighbouring well-established Greene's brewery was difficult and in 1887 agreement was reached to amalgamate the two companies and form Greene, King and Sons. It became one of the largest country breweries in England and owner of 148 public houses. The new company quickly established a regional reputation for producing two of the finest types of beer - old ale and bitter. Old ale - very sharp and strong - was a Suffolk speciality and greatly esteemed in the region.
As the old century closed and World War loomed, social and economic changes swiftly followed. The Temperance Movement, present for decades, was hugely influential in Liberal circles and with war came undreamt-of restrictions in licencing hours and the strength of beers. But a revival occurred during the 1920s and 1930s, when new pubs were built and bottled beer became extremely popular. In 1938, the company opened a long-awaited new brewhouse, in time to meet the war-time demands of Allied servicemen based in East Anglia and since the war the expansion has continued, with several smaller neighbours being acquired over the years. By the early 1960s the company owned over 900 pubs.
Present day Greene King's main businesses are the Greene King Managed Pubs (Local pubs) and Greene King Managed Food Pubs and Hotels (Destination Pubs) of our retail division; our tenancy and leasing division, Greene King Pub Partners; and brewing and distribution in our Greene King Brewing Company. Our Scottish business, Belhaven, operates the same three profit streams separately from the rest of the UK operations. In total Greene King operate over 2500 pubs and restaurants, two breweries (Bury St Edmunds and Dunbar) and a number of regional depots. Our head office is in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk and we also have regional offices in Scotland.
