A beer museum for London?

Representatives from three London breweries, along with the Editor of the pub trade newspaper, the Morning Advertiser, met recently to discuss proposals for creating a museum dedicated to beer and brewing in the capital.

I floated the idea in the Morning Advertiser in my weekly column in November following a visit to the new Brew Wharf restaurant and micro-brewery site in Borough Market at London Bridge. Brew Wharf opened in late September and is the brainchild on two leading London restaurateurs, Trevor Gulliver of the St John Restaurant and Claudio Pulze of Aubergine. The successful Vinopolis wine museum and visitor attraction, a few doors from Brew Wharf, also has a stake in the brewery and restaurant.

I posed the question why London does not have a museum dedicated to beer and brewing. The capital was once home to scores of large national and regional breweries, including Charrington, Courage, Guinness, Truman, Watney and Whitbread, while the Hop Exchange, also at London Bridge, was where hop growers in Kent bargained over prices with London brewers. Two major regional brewers, Fuller's and Young's, still operate in London, along with the craft brewery Meantime, which recreates classic European beer styles, and several micros and brewpubs.

The response to my column was encouraging, but we would still need to tackle the thorny problems of a suitable location in London and the high level of rents in the capital. One idea is to contact Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, to seek his support for the venture.

At present the idea of a museum is only in its infancy but with good will and backing from brewers and other groiups it is just possible that the vibrant history of brewing in London may get the recognition it deserves in a permament home.