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Ridley's Brewery

Ridley's Brewery
Industry Alcoholic beverage
Founded 1842
Founder Thomas Dixon Ridley
Defunct 2005
Products Beer
Owner Greene King

Ridley's Brewery is a defunct brewing company. It was founded in 1842, and was located in Hartford End, Essex. In August 2002 the company bought out the Tolly Cobbold brewery. Then, in 2005 Ridley's was bought by Greene King for £45.6m closing it's operations at Hartford End and Braintree and dropping of rivaling beers to their own brands. Ridleys Old Bob continues to be produced by Greene King at Bury St. Edmunds.

Ridley's was officially T. D. Ridley & Sons Ltd. It started as a water mill at Hartford End and from that it developed a flour milling business in Chelmsford, two maltings, also in Chelmsford, and the brewery which stayed at Hartford End. In the early 1970s, Ridley's is recorded as having "just over 60" tied houses, mostly in central and north-west Essex.

Nelion Ridley, son of last Ridley chairman Nicholas, started brewing again on a micro scale in 2011 under the company Bishop Nick Ltd named after family member Bishop Nicholas Ridley who was burned at the stake in 1555 for championing the Protestant cause against Mary Tudor. The brewery operates in Braintree.


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