Few British institutions can celebrate almost two centuries of continued business, but as of September 2023, Young’s Pubs is celebrating 192 years of pouring pints.
We look back at the history of a local titan of industry.
Beer, the social lubricant that’s been uniting people for thousands of years; the staple of a British summer, and the liquid nectar many of us look forward to after a hard day’s work. Young’s story begins in 1831, when Charles Young and Anthony Bainbridge purchased the Ram Brewery in Wandsworth (which goes back to at least 1550 when it was originally owned by Elizabeth Ridon). By 1860, Young’s was producing their first home-brewed pale ale, which today can be enjoyed (at least in part) as Young’s Original.
In the late 19th century, Young’s created their iconic Dorset Horn Ram logo and began distributing their popular beverage via horse drawn carts, and by the turn of the 20th century they had established their first bottling plant at the brewery.
The beer’s popularity proved a success and Young’s pubs began springing up here, there and everywhere.
In the 1940s the much-loved Young’s Special arrived on the scene, further cementing the brewery’s iconic status, and it’s still a popular tipple today.
Fun fact: Although Young’s no longer delivers their brews via horse and cart, you can sometimes see, to this day, their iconic old-timey vehicle pass through Wandsworth Town for special occasions. Most recently the horse drawn cart came to town for the historic brewery’s 134th Annual General Meeting.
Okay, back to the story.
Young’s sold the Ram Brewery in Wandsworth Town in 2006 when their Chairman, at the time, John Young, passed away. The last batch of beer produced at the Ram site was served at his funeral. Today the site forms part of the Ram Quarter – a modern hub of urban living, featuring restaurants, entertainment, and a co-working space – and, interestingly, is now the home of London’s oldest independent brewery, Sambrook’s.
Although Young’s vacated the historic Ram Brewery they still call Wandsworth home, with their head office located on Garratt Lane.
Today, after surviving seven monarchs, 52 Prime Ministers (at last count), and nearly two centuries of beer-making, Young’s operates more than 200 pubs across the country.
We’ll drink to that.
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