For the past six months or so, I've been digging for information on the Friary Brewery in Guildford. In 1956 it merged with the Meux brewery to become Friary Meux, and was taken over by Allied Brewers in 1964.
Deep Google searches and newspaper archives are bringing up lots of fascinating stuff on the history of the brewery, but it's much more difficult to find any material on the beers themselves.
So I thought I'd put out an appeal. Do you remember drinking Friary Meux beers?
Any first-hand recollections would be hugely appreciated. Leave a comment, or if you prefer, drop me a line at joetindall at hotmail dot com.
Do you mean the Friary Meux branded beers reintroduced by Ind Coope in 1980, or the pre Allied beers?
ReplyDeleteIf I recall correctly the same beer across the whole Allied estate at 1037. Often brewed in the original breweries and branded with the regional names - F Meux, Taylor Walker and so on (CAMRA's 1982 Good Beer Guide list thme). But if I am right, the same recipe acroos the group? Rather than original recipes? That may be incorrect, memory fading. A pleasant enough bitter that was weclome because it saw cask beer reintroduced to pubs where it had not been on offer.
DeleteThanks John. A few sources back you up - an old London Drinker article says the beers were 'paired' and Friary was the same beer as Benskins.
DeleteA late reply as I've only just seen the post. I worked at the Guildford Brewery for a few months before it closed down in the late 60s. Just for interest, we were allowed 2 pints of beer daily in specially marked bottles to take home and then swap 1 for 1 for a full one. Seem to remember it was always bitter and a good pint.
DeleteHow interesting.
DeleteWhen I was 18 in 1965 we lived above the former Westminster Bank which was next door to the White Horse.
My dad preferred Double Diamond 2/6 a pint but my preference was Friary "ordinary" bitter 1/115 a pint!
Cheaper and a great drink
Does any brewer stills brew this with the same taste?
See above as unknown is Mike Pritchard
DeleteHi Malcolm. Anything branded Friary Meux - definitely interested in how people remember the beers brewed at Ind Coope.
ReplyDeleteI can remember Friary Meux sitting alongside Burton Draught in the early 80's; both were excellent but it was easier to say "pint of Burton Please" than... "pint of Friary meow/maux" (or however it was/is meant to be pronounced!)and the Burton was a much better beer anyway in my opinion. Just imagine having that choice today?!
DeleteThe Friary shopping Centre at Guildford was built on the site of the Brewery, hence the name I guess.
Easier to say fairy mix like we used to!!!
DeleteI've analyses of about 250 Meux beers, plus some Friary Holroyd and Friary Meux. The earliest is from 1854, but most are 1922 to 1960. You're welcome to them.
ReplyDeleteTake a look on my blog tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteAmazing Ron, thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteFriary Holroyd and Friary Meux today:
Deletehttps://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2021/02/friary-holroyd-and-friary-meux-beers.html
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThat'd be great - is there an email address I could reach you on? Thanks!
DeleteHere you go:
ReplyDeletehttp://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2021/02/meux-beers-1854-1960.html
The reintroduced Friary Meux Bitter was in fact originally brewed at Romford, along with Benskins Bitter and Taylor Walker Bitter (Ind Coope Bitter was brewed at both Burton and Romford). As well as Ind Coope Bitter and Halls Harvest Bitter, Burton brewed ABC (Aylesbury Brewery Company) Bitter. In 1986, all production of cask beer was concentrated at Burton, and the Ind Coope, Friary Meux, Benskins,Taylor Walker and ABC beers became "Best Bitter", with the recipes apparently tweaked. As well as draught Bitter/Best Bitter, there was a bottled Friary Meux Light Ale, a bottled Treble Gold, and a keg Drum Mild.
ReplyDeleteThanks John, very helpful :)
DeleteWould you be interested in exchanging a couple of emails on this again please John?
DeleteNo problem. I've sent you an e-mail.
DeleteNichollscheshire@aol.com although John's memories different to mine, I must be becoming addled in old age.
ReplyDeleteHi Joe
ReplyDeleteI have some experience with both selling and drinking Friary Meux, working at the King’s Arms & Royal Hotel in Godalming. I worked there for a few months, from early autumn 1998 until just after New Year 1999. At that stage the King’s Arms was owned by Allied Domeq and had one of their management training centres located in what was the pub’s former stable block.
Friary was our ‘ordinary’ bitter, being sold alongside Ind Coope Burton Ale, Marston’s Pedigree and a guest ale which was usually a Brain’s beer (for some reason) – either S.A. or Oddball. It was the cheapest on the bar, from memory about £1.05. For this reason it was particularly popular with the retired gents who’d come in for a few pints at lunchtime and while away the afternoon. A couple of them used to drink it as a light-and-bitter, with half of Friary in a pint glass and a bottle of Courage Light Ale to top up. Never having seen that done, I even tried it myself a few times, to some mockery from the other bar staff for having an ‘old fart’s’ drink.
The bar did a steady trade in Friary, although the most popular cask was the Burton Ale. Mick the landlord had won a cellarman’s award for keeping it, and it was always in top condition. After initial experimentation, I never bothered with Friary much, finding it a bit bland compared to Burton Ale or Oddball.
Allied Domeq agreed to sell their UK pubs to Whitbread in the summer of 1999. Although I didn’t drink there regularly once I’d changed jobs, I’m pretty certain the Friary pump wasn’t around for much longer. Might have made it in to the 21st century, but only just.
Thank you Clint!
DeleteI drank it in a few different pubs in East Grinstead in 1985, probably underage... I developed quite a taste for it. I live in the US - found this forum trying to figure out if it is still made and golly gee, could I get my paws on some? Seems unlikely.
ReplyDeleteHas the Friary Brass Band anything to do with the beer?
ReplyDelete@Geoff - yes it does! It was the brewery's brass band back when breweries had things like brass bands, football teams etc. The band outlived the brewery!
ReplyDelete@Unknown - weirdly someone spotted a keg nitro bitter branded Friary Meux in 2016 but I'm sure that has nothing to do with the beer you drank in 1985 (the brand is still owned by Carlsberg). So no I'm afraid you won't be able to taste it again :(
When I was at college in Chichester 1980 to 1981 all the pubs in the city served Friary Meux. Many were tied.
ReplyDeleteThis was available at the former Olive Branch in the Buttermarket outside the main Christ Church Gate into he Precincts of Canterbury Cathedral. A mate n I lived in the Precincts and is was a 30 sec walk to the pub. I remember the beer being low ABV and a real session ale. That wqs over 25 years ago but I dont think it was a bad pint... !
ReplyDeleteSorry, in addition the above, this would have been early 1990's
ReplyDeleteI've always thought that Meux was either a misspelling of the French word for best, Mieux, or a misappropriation of the French word for better, Meilleur; it turns out it's neither. So, two questions arise, what is the word's derivation, and how is it pronounced? Incidentally, I do remember drinking the beer in my teens when I lived in Horsell.
ReplyDeleteThe name comes from Henry Meux, who owned the Horse Shoe Brewery in London. He eventually merged with Friary, Holroyd and Healy of Guildford to form Friary Meux in 1956. I have always pronounced it 'mew'
DeleteThe Friary Meux pubs had the brewery name outside on an illuminated lantern trademark, it made them look welcoming on a winter’s evening.
ReplyDeleteThe bitter, when brewed at Romford in the late 60s was Ind Coope 'D'. On the daily tastings it was tasted on Wednesdays and the technical Brewer, Ken Wake, and I would always find a reason for extended discussion as the beer was so good. It was relatively pale and had a superb hop flavour and palate. Maybe a little like Landlord but with a heap more hop.
ReplyDeleteHi Joe,
ReplyDeleteI can't give you such informative details as my fellow commenters on this thread....but..I'm 64, now living in the USA. I was just doing a little research on a 'Friary Meux/Stout' bottle opener that I acquired some years ago in England somewhere, I believe, can't be sure. Anyway, that led me here, isn't it great how the internet takes us all down rabbit-holes?! So...I was raised in nearby Shalford, and spent much of my later teens and early 20s in the Queen Victoria with my mates, what a great time that was, so many wonderful characters, young, middle-aged, and elderly, many of whom are sadly no longer with us. Most of us younger lads drank Friary Meux bitter, and LOTs of it! It was quite normal for some of us (circa 76-early 80s) to drink 5 or more pints on a Friday/Saturday night. The landlords at that time were Nick Maskrey, and his lovely wife, Les, and Sam was their number one barman, all very pleasant people. Amongst the locals was a guy called Phil Collins, yes, that one, a nice quiet bloke, we never bothered him. Happy Days