Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
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Founded | 2006 |
Headquarters | Bedford, England |
Products | Beer |
Owner | Charles Wells Ltd |
Website | http://www.wellsandyoungs.co.uk/wellsandyoungs |
Wells & Young's Brewery (Wells & Young's Brewing Company) was formed in October 2006 from the merger of the brewing operations of Charles Wells Ltd and Young's Brewery. Charles Wells initially had a 60% stake and Young's 40%. In 2011, Charles Wells took full control when it bought Young's 40% stake. Wells & Young's is now responsible for brewing, distributing and marketing Charles Wells' and Young & Co's brands at the Eagle Brewery in Bedford.
At the beginning of 2007, Wells and Young's made its first big investment and bought the Courage brands which included Courage Best and Courage Directors.
As well as brewing its own brands, the brewery contract brews other beers including Kirin Ichiban and Estrella Damm.
As well as selling its brands to all the Charles Wells Pub Company sites and the Young's Company sites, Wells and Young's supplies hundreds of 'free trade' sites and other pub company sites (including Enterprise Inns, Punch, Spirit, Admiral Taverns and Stonegate Pub Company) as well as major supermarkets such as Sainsbury's, Tesco, Aldi,Lidl, Morrisons and ASDA. The company's 'International Sales' department is also in growth with distribution to the USA, Canada, Russia, Japan, Europe and Australia.
Following a full rebrand in early 2015, the company went back to its roots and now trades as Charles Wells once again, reuniting the different arms of the business under its founding name.
In a bid to move away from 'super strength' and to focus on the brewery's core brands, the Kestrel brand was sold in October 2012 to the company's managing director.
Young's main brands are Young's Bitter (commonly known as Ordinary), a 3.7% abv bitter made with Red Tractor accredited Maris Otter and crystal malt and Fuggle and Golding hops; and Young's Special, a 4.5% abv version of the Ordinary.
Bottle conditioned brands are Young's Bitter at 4.5% abv, Young's London Gold, and Young's Special London Ale, a 6.4% abv strong pale ale which was awarded a gold medal for bottle conditioned beer at the 1999 CAMRA Great British Beer Festival, and it received a Grand Gold Medal at Monde Selection's World Quality Selections in 2010.