Cheers! To The Old Whitbread Brewery

Well established on the High Road by the 1820s, the Bell Brewery was owned by the Gripper family, who had been in the business of brewing since 1760. The Gripper family did much for the community in Tottenham. By 1881 George Gripper and his family were living at the brewery where he employed 30 men.

(George Gripper whose family owned the Bell Brewery for generations. From the collections and © Bruce Castle Museum and Archive)

In 1896, just before his death, George oversaw the sale of his family business to one of the UK’s biggest names in brewing, Whitbread & Co. Whitbread used the brewery site as their bottling depot where beer would be bottled up, labelled and shipped out to their supply chain.

(The Whitbread Brewery c.1950-60. From the collections and © Bruce Castle Museum and Archive)

In 1926, Whitbread redeveloped the Tottenham site, which involved removing the Bell's distinctive malt loft - thankfully Bruce Castle Museum & Archive holds some wonderful images in our collection that remind us of what the brewery once looked like.

(The Bell Brewery’ malt loft pictured just prior to demolition in 1927. From the collections and © Bruce Castle Museum and Archive)

The old brewery site at 676 High Road is now predominately housing. However, the striking presence of the Grade II Listed Southern Gate Building still survives as the gateway to the premises of a number of community organisations including the People’s World Carnival Band (in Tottenham since 1983) and Haringey Mencap. 

On 25 July 2012 during the Olympic Torch Relay that went through Tottenham to Alexandra Palace prior to the London Olympics, the community organisations in the Old Brewery were chosen for a special VIP visit. Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (as they were then) arrived for their third visit to Tottenham in a year. At the side of the High Road by the Old Brewery they joined the crowds to watch an Olympic ‘torch kiss’ or torch exchange by torchbearers Scott Moorhouse and Jay Kamiraz, whose Souls of Prophecy choir is a favourite of the Prince.

(Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall – complete with her ‘I Love Tottenham’ badge posing with torchbearer Scott Moorhouse during the Olympic Torch Relay on 25 July 2012. From the collections of Bruce Castle Museum & Archive. Photograph © Henry Jacobs).