Monument record SWD 169 - Adnam's Brewery

Adnam's Brewery is on the site of the 17th century Swan Hotel brewery, and was heavily restored during the 20th century.

The brewery was first known as Sole Bay Brewery which had its origins as a brewhouse adjoining the Old Swan Hotel, and had been established by 1641. The brewhouse was bought by William Crisp in 1825 who rebuilt it sometime before his death in 1844. The brewery was then operated by William Matthew Woodley and Samuel Gayfer, trading as Gayfer and Woodley. This partnership dissolved in 1851 and Samuel Gayfer was the sole owner until his death in 1854. By 1872 brothers George and Ernest Adnams had bought the brewery. George left the business in 1880 and Ernest went into partnership with Thomas Sergeant, trading as Adnams and Sergeant. In 1890 the company became Adnams and Company Limited.

The brewery was rebuilt in 1897 by the brewers’ architects and engineers Inskipp and Mackensie. The new build incorporated much of the older building and included the enlargement of the brewhouse. In 1902 brothers Pierse and Jack Loftus joined the brewery.

The brewery has been altered several times including a substantial enlargement and modernisation programme which took place during the 1970s. It is not thought to contain any pre-1940 brewing equipment, as the brewery has been modernised on several occasions the most recent being in 2001 when nine 250-barrel enclosed square stainless steel Briggs fermenting vessels were installed in the old bottling stores. By 2007 ten additional vessels had been installed. In 2007-8 a new stainless steel Huppmann brewhouse was installed in the old fermentation house. This resulted in the walls of the brewery frontage to be raised by about a metre.

In 2004 Adnams purchased land in neighbouring village of Reydon to expand its business with the construction of a new distribution centre which was designed by Jeremy Blake.