H and G Simonds Ltd , brewers

The Brewery was founded in Reading in 1768 by William Simonds. The brewery moved to Broad Street in 1782 and Bridge Street in 1790. By late nineteenth century the brewery had established overseas branches to supply army garrisons. The business was incorporated in November 1885 as H and G Simonds Limited.

Acquisitions: Took over Hewitt and Son, Victoria Brewery, Chain Street, Reading, c.1900; George Crake, Tamar Brewery, Tamar Street, Morice Town, Devonport, Devon, 1919; Mackeson and Co. Ltd, Hythe Brewery, Hythe, Kent, and South Berkshire Brewery Ltd 1920; Arthur Cooper Ltd., wine and spirits merchants, 1929; Ashby's Staines Brewery and Wheeler's Wycombe Breweries Ltd. 1930; Newbury Brewery Co. Ltd., Castle Brewery, Northbrook Street, Newbury, 1931; W.R. Rogers Ltd., Jacob Street Brewery, Bristol 1935; J. Adnams and Son, Eagle Brewery, Broadway, Speenhamland, Newbury, 1936; Cirencester Brewery Ltd., Cricklade Street, Cirencester, Glos, M.P. Hunt, Lakeman's Brewery, Brixham, Devon, and J.L. Marsh and Sons Ltd., Town Brewery, Bryanston Street, Blandford Forum, Dorset, 1939; R.R. Bowley and Co. Ltd., North Wiltshire Brewery, High Street, Swindon, Wilts, 1945; John May and Co. Ltd, The Brewery, Brook Street, Basingstoke, Hants, 1947; Phillips and Sons Ltd., Dock Road Brewery, Dock Road, Newport, Gwent, 1949; R. Grant and Sons, Torquay, Devon, South Devon Co. and C.W. Blundell (Plymouth) Ltd., 1951; Pool and Son Ltd., Penzance, Cornwall, 1953; Octagon Brewery, Martin Street, Plymouth, Devon, 1954.

H and G Simonds Limited acquired a substantial interest in East African Breweries Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya, 1948. They also merged with Farsons of Malta to form Simonds-Farsons 1929 and with Malta Export Brewery Co. to form Simonds-Farsons-Cisk in 1948. The Company entered into a trading agreement with Courage and Barclay Ltd. in 1959 and merged with that company in 1960 to form Courage, Barclay and Simonds Ltd. The Bridge Street Brewery closed in 1979.