View Full Version : Cains Brewery - The Story of Liverpool in a Pint


Kev
12-28-2006, 12:47 PM
A CALL has gone out for help to produce a book on the history of Liverpool's Cains Brewery. :PDT_Aliboronz_24:

Freelance writer and editor Chris Routledge has been appointed by Cains joint owners Ajmail and Sudarghara Dusanj to write the official history, which has the working title The Story of Liverpool in a Pint.

Mr Routledge is aiming to submit his manuscript to Liverpool University Press by autumn next year, ready to hit the shops in early 2008.

He is currently researching brewery founder Robert Cain, but is keen to fill in the gaps from 1921, when the Toxteth brewery was bought by Higsons.

Mr Routledge, from Aughton, said: "The book will show the history of the brewery and its connection with the fortunes of the city of Liverpool. It's an interesting pattern.

"I'm looking at Robert Cain himself and how he came from Cork to Liverpool. It's a quite remarkable story.

"He's thought to have arrived here in 1844 and by the 1870s became known as The King of the Toxteth."

After working at sea, Cain had enough money to buy his first brewery in Lime Kiln Lane in 1850

Mr Routledge said: "It's an amazing story of enterprise because within a few years he started buying pubs.

"He established The Vines and The Philharmonic for the growing middle class to go and eat and drink because although Liverpool had thousands of pubs in the 19th and 20th century, most of them were full of bruisers."

By 1896 the company was valued at £1m and when Robert Cain died in 1907, Liverpool's 700th anniversary, he left almost £500,000 in his personal will.

However, MrRoutledge says the research trail goes cold after 1921 when the Cains brewery was bought by Higsons and he is appealing to ECHO readers for help.

He said: "I would like to hear from people who have their own living memories, particularly from the war years and the 1960s."

You can contact him at cainsproject@wordcave.co.uk

Source: IC Liverpool

PhilipG
12-28-2006, 01:08 PM
This is from the "Liverpool Official Handbook" for 1953.

theninesisters
12-28-2006, 01:35 PM
I received THREE christmas cards from Cains this year. Either I'm their best customer or something went wrong with their PC :)

marky
12-29-2006, 10:33 PM
There was an explosion at the brewery (late 1980s?) which blew a large gap in the wall of the modern extension on Grafton St. Quite a few bricks were knocked out.

FKoE
12-29-2006, 11:32 PM
I received THREE christmas cards from Cains this year. Either I'm their best customer or something went wrong with their PC :)


:PDT_Aliboronz_24: hahahaha

MissInformed
12-30-2006, 11:32 AM
i saw a book about Higsons Brewery in Reid of Liverpool yesterday...looked good..

Kev
08-28-2007, 08:29 PM
BOSSES of Liverpool’s Cains brewery today told of their plans to expand 10-fold over the next five years. Read (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2007/08/28/jobs-joy-as-cains-aims-for-1-000-pubs-100252-19695296/)

Steven
08-28-2007, 08:33 PM
We had a sort of meet up tour there a few months ago for one of the members birthdays. Fantastic value and the history, they come out with. I was telling Max, Marie and Jenny.
I think we should have a meet up there. We get a buffet and 2 pints > all fo about 3pounds 50p. And a full tour.

We enjoyed it.

Kev
08-28-2007, 08:35 PM
Tried to sort something out a while ago but it was booked up.

Steven
08-28-2007, 08:49 PM
You have to give them a few weeks. we couldn't get it for Maries Birthday and that was 2 weeks before. So a bit of planning will be needed. It's well worth it.