UK: Blackburn’s Thwaites brewery to celebrate 200 year anniversary in 2007

Blackburn brewery giant Thwaites is planning to mark its 200th anniversary with a year of celebrations, Blackburn Citizen posted October 11.

The world famous firm, which started trading in Blackburn in 1807 after being founded by Daniel Thwaites, is to mark its double centenary with events two-and-a-half years in the planning, designed to include all its present employees and some retired workers.

A huge party will also be held next June for 700 people, thought to be the largest gathering of its kind in the town's history, featuring all employees and partner businesses with food from top cooks at East Lancashire restaurant Northcote Manor.

Licensing industry leaders have praised the firm for its long success.

Brian Hickman, managing director of Thwaites, said: "Very few companies get the chance to celebrate a cente-nary let alone a double centenary and we are determined that such a marvellous milestone should be appropriately celebrated.

"While we have a number of exciting plans in the pipeline for the duration of 2007 Mr and Mrs Yerburgh - president and chairwoman - are keen that the company dinner should be a partic-ularly memorable occasion.

"Initially we thought of having the event on site but more than 700 people will be invited, making it simply unworkable.

"We considered several options before deciding that Ewood Park provided the best solution. We have just entered into a new trading partnership with Blackburn Rovers and the football club's impressive facilities, not least the involvement of Northcote Offsite, made it an easy decision.

"It promises to be a great night, a chance for everyone involved to get together in a social environment and raise a glass in honour of one Daniel Thwaites."

Daniel Thwaites' brewery division handles brewing, canning, bottling, whole-saling and retailing of beers, wines and spirits, and operates over 420 premises.

The firm also carries out brewing and packaging contracts for other brewers and supermarkets, and runs a hotel division, including the Millstone, Mellor and the Oaks Hotel, Reedley, near Burnley.

Derek Haworth, former chairman of the Blackburn branch of the Licensed Victua-llers' Association, and a former member of the old Thwaites Tenants' Association, said: "Thwaites has done the town proud. Everybody knows Thwaites thanks to its history, and the Christmas decorations on the tower, and it has won loads of national awards."

Thwaites - the seventh largest brewer in the United Kingdom - remains a fiercely independent family-controlled company. A vertically integrated business, Thwaites represents the epitome of a modern brewery, coupled with the traditional values of an illustrious history dating back to 1807. Boasting a superb fully-automated brewery, which still includes traditional open fermenters, Thwaites has a high-quality pub estate (420+) and a fast-expanding free trade operation (1000+).

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