Greenalls
Encyclopedia
De Vere Group is a hotel
s and leisure
business which until the late 1990s was a brewing
company known as Greenall's. It used to be listed on the London Stock Exchange
and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index
.
, the Company relocated to Warrington
in 1787.
It bought the Groves & Whitnall Brewery in Salford in 1961, Shipstone's Brewery in Nottingham
in 1978 and Davenport's Brewery in Birmingham
in 1986. For much of the twentieth century the Company traded as Greenall Whitley & Co Limited.
It ceased brewing in 1991 to concentrate on running pubs and hotel
s.
In 1999 the tenanted wing of the Greenall's operation was sold to the Japanese bank, Nomura, for £370 million.
In 1999 the main Greenall's operation, involving 770 pubs and 69 budget lodges, was sold to Scottish and Newcastle for £1.1billion.
In 2005 The Belfry
was sold by Greenalls to The Quinn Group for £186 million.
The Greenall family connection remained as Lord Daresbury
, the descendant of the original founder, remained the non-executive Chairman. This tie was eventually severed in 2006 when Lord Daresbury stepped down from the post and much of the family's interest was sold.
In September 2006 De Vere Group was acquired by The Alternative Hotels Group plc, a joint venture between HBOS
and eight investors led Richard Balfour-Lynn, for £745.5 million. The Alternative Hotels Group plc renamed itself De Vere Group again in December 2010. Richard Balfour-Lynn stood down as Chief Executive in September 2011.
in the Scottish Borders.
Greenall's-owned beer brands were brewed by Allied Breweries
at their Leeds
and Burton
plant. Greenall's ale can still be bought in some pubs in the North West of England, although it is slowly disappearing and often only the "Greenall's Mild" brand can be found. Greenall's Bitter is 3.6% ABV. Greenall's Mild is 3.1%.
Greenall's London Dry Gin is still produced and marketed by a division of the leisure group.
and Huddersfield Town
football clubs during the late 1980s
. Greenall's was also involved with the Warrington Wolves
Rugby League Club for some 115 years. The sponsorship ended in 1998 when Greenall's operations were sold to Scottish and Newcastle.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s and leisure
Leisure
Leisure, or free time, is time spent away from business, work, and domestic chores. It is also the periods of time before or after necessary activities such as eating, sleeping and, where it is compulsory, education....
business which until the late 1990s was a brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
company known as Greenall's. It used to be listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index
FTSE 100 Index
The FTSE 100 Index, also called FTSE 100, FTSE, or, informally, the footsie , is a share index of the 100 most highly capitalised UK companies listed on the London Stock Exchange....
.
History
Greenall's Brewery was founded by Thomas Greenall in 1762. Initially based in St HelensSt Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
, the Company relocated to Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
in 1787.
It bought the Groves & Whitnall Brewery in Salford in 1961, Shipstone's Brewery in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
in 1978 and Davenport's Brewery in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
in 1986. For much of the twentieth century the Company traded as Greenall Whitley & Co Limited.
It ceased brewing in 1991 to concentrate on running pubs and hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s.
In 1999 the tenanted wing of the Greenall's operation was sold to the Japanese bank, Nomura, for £370 million.
In 1999 the main Greenall's operation, involving 770 pubs and 69 budget lodges, was sold to Scottish and Newcastle for £1.1billion.
In 2005 The Belfry
The Belfry
The Belfry is a golf resort in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England, very near the Sutton Coldfield district of Birmingham, and owned since 2005 by Irish businessman Sean Quinn....
was sold by Greenalls to The Quinn Group for £186 million.
The Greenall family connection remained as Lord Daresbury
Baron Daresbury
Baron Daresbury, of Walton in the County of Chester, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1927 for Sir Gilbert Greenall, 2nd Baronet...
, the descendant of the original founder, remained the non-executive Chairman. This tie was eventually severed in 2006 when Lord Daresbury stepped down from the post and much of the family's interest was sold.
In September 2006 De Vere Group was acquired by The Alternative Hotels Group plc, a joint venture between HBOS
HBOS
HBOS plc is a banking and insurance company in the United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lloyds Banking Group having been taken over in January 2009...
and eight investors led Richard Balfour-Lynn, for £745.5 million. The Alternative Hotels Group plc renamed itself De Vere Group again in December 2010. Richard Balfour-Lynn stood down as Chief Executive in September 2011.
Operations
The Company is now focussed on its hotel franchises, De Vere and Village Leisure. Hotels include Barony CastleBlack Barony
Black Barony, also known as Blackbarony, Barony Castle, and Darnhall, is a historic house at Eddleston in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. The house is currently operated as a hotel, and is protected as a Category B listed building....
in the Scottish Borders.
Greenall's-owned beer brands were brewed by Allied Breweries
Allied Breweries
Allied Breweries was the result of a 1961 merger between Ind Coope , Ansells , and Tetley Walker .- Ansells :...
at their Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Burton
Burton upon Trent
Burton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
plant. Greenall's ale can still be bought in some pubs in the North West of England, although it is slowly disappearing and often only the "Greenall's Mild" brand can be found. Greenall's Bitter is 3.6% ABV. Greenall's Mild is 3.1%.
Greenall's London Dry Gin is still produced and marketed by a division of the leisure group.
Sponsorship
Greenall's sponsored Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
and Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
football clubs during the late 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
. Greenall's was also involved with the Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
Rugby League Club for some 115 years. The sponsorship ended in 1998 when Greenall's operations were sold to Scottish and Newcastle.