175 Year Old Brewery Wins Family Business of the Year

Wednesday, 30 October 2013

Just one week after claiming the title 'BEER CHAMPION 2013' at the BBPA Awards Diner in London, Robinsons have received another accolade, this time 'FAMILY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR'.

There were a record number of nominations for this year's event, which was once again, a sell-out. The cream of the North West's entrepreneurial crop were all present to enjoy the 12th annual awards ceremony, organised by EN Business Awards and held at The Mere Hotel.

The calibre of entrants was extremely high but it was Robinsons Brewery who walked away with the 'Family Business of the Year' award (sponsored by Lancaster University Management School).

It is no secret that the Cheshire family brewers have been busy bees of late. In the past 12 months alone Robinsons have rebuilt their time-honoured Victorian brew house, combining cutting edge technology with 175 years brewing expertise; they have launched an innovative new beer and food matching concept with Simon Rimmer, and to top it all off they have enjoyed exponential success (both at home and abroad) with TROOPER, a beer created with Iron Maiden's lead vocalist and real ale aficionado Bruce Dickinson.

Kirsty Hewitt, editor of EN Magazine, said, "Robinsons Brewery is a rare example of a business which has been run by the same family for 175 years.

"One of the UK's biggest independent family breweries, it has gone from humble beginnings in Stockport to a multi-million pound empire boasting more than 340 pubs across the North West."

"The judges were impressed with the company's longevity and its innovative nature. They also said they are looking forward to seeing what Robinsons will do next."

Commenting on the award, William Robinson, Managing Director (Pubs Division) of Robinsons Brewery and member of the sixth generation of the Robinsons family, said:

"We are delighted to win this award – the timing couldn't be more perfect for us. We've been working very hard to raise awareness of Robinsons, both locally and internationally, by communicating better with our customers, bolstering our brands, and boosting our local economy with high quality training courses and a new Visitor Centre. This award is testament to the dedication of each and every tenant, employee and family member here at Robinsons."

A family tradition, and one which has grown over many years, the story of Robinsons – now one of Britain's biggest independent family breweries – is not just about the history of a brewery but of a family which has played (and continues to play) an immensely important role in British Brewing.