National Beer Day and Horsham

Today (June 15) is National Beer Day – a chance to celebrate what many (mostly beer drinkers!) consider to be Britain’s national drink.

We thought we’d join in the #CheersToBeer celebrations by looking back at Horsham’s most famous brewery, King & Barnes.

At one stage it owned most of the pubs around the district and brewed a variety of beers that many look back favourably on.

It started, though, way back thanks to James King, the founding member of a family firm of brewers.

However, he was originally a farmer in nearby Capel. In the 1860s, though, he began trading as a maltster (a person who prepares malt from grain for the purpose of brewing) in Horsham’s Bishopric.

Ten years later he joined his business with an existing Horsham brewery, Satchell’s, and started brewing under the name King and Sons.

Following James’ death, his wife Mary continued the business and later, under the leadership of her sons, the brewery went into partnership with Horsham’s G.H. Barnes, becoming King and Barnes.

The brewery moved to the Bishopric and many will recall the smell of hops drifting around the area.

However, in 2000 the company was sold to the Hall & Woodhouse family firm of brewers who transferred production to their own site in Dorset.

The Bishopric site was closed down and eventually turned into houses.