Collection of objects and archives from Boddingtons Brewery at Strangeways

Collection of objects and archives from Boddingtons Brewery at Strangeways, Manchester, c1883-2003.

Boddingtons beer was brewed in Manchester’s Strangeways Brewery, which was originally founded by grain merchants Thomas Caister and Thomas Fray around 1778. The brewery was established on the eve of the Industrial Revolution, when the growth in population and industry in Manchester created a ready market for locally brewed beer. Henry Boddington joined the brewery in 1832. He was made a partner in the business in 1848 and by 1853 was the sole owner. Three of Henry’s sons joined him and Boddingtons Brewery expanded rapidly over the 19th century to become the biggest brewery in Manchester.

Boddingtons Breweries Ltd became a publicly registered company in 1877, by which time it produced over 100,000 barrels a year and owned 71 public houses. In the following decades, despite the impact of the First World War and the Great Depression, the company consolidated its position as one of the leading breweries in Northwest England.

After bomb damage in the Second World War, Strangeways brewery was modernised in the post-war period. Boddingtons continued to expand, retaining its distinctive character and regional focus. This was despite pressure from mass-produced national brands and the increased popularity of lager rather than traditional styles of beer, like bitter, which Boddingtons specialised in. It remained as a family run business until Boddingtons' brewing interests were sold to Whitbread in 1989. Further expansion occurred in the 1990s, when Boddingtons was marketed as the ‘Cream of Manchester’ and became well-known nationally. Whitbread’s brewing business was sold to InterBrew UK in 2000, who closed the historic Strangeways Brewery in 2005, despite protests by local people, and moved production to other sites.

The museum holds a large collection of objects and archives from Boddingtons Brewery at Strangeways, including Boddingtons pint glasses, barrels, bar towels, beer mats, barrels, pump handles, signage and clothing. The archival material includes internal records, marketing materials and photographs.