Guinness is easily the most recognisable Irish product in the world. However, did you know for 70 years a huge volume of it was brewed in London at Park Royal? Even more interesting, the brewery was a landmark and an incredible example of how to keep people interested in going to work every day. We want to have a closer look here, then if you want to arrange estate management in Islington, guaranteed rent, or other services, you can rely on us.

Responding to high demand

The history of Guinness dates back all the way to 1759. It’s still brewed today at the St James’ Gate Brewery in Dublin. But, the company made the strategic decision to build a facility in London in the 1930s. At the time, they were shipping as much as 2/3s of their product to England. So, to save costs, they chose to start brewing here.

Park Royal became the home of Guinness in London in 1936. The brewery was an incredible sight, with 100ft high buildings, including the brewhouse, malthouse, and stores. The Art Deco design was a blend of modernism and industrial. Born of a collaboration between Alexander Gibb (a celebrated civil engineer) and Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (the designer behind Battersea Power Station), it is no surprise it became a landmark.

Amazingly, the Park Royal Guinness Brewery became one of the most productive in the world. Although originally designed to produce 650,000 barrels annually, at its peak it was producing 2 million. It was a major employer in the area, with 1,500 staff, and helped to make it a very popular place to live. Speak to us if you want estate management in Islington or other solutions.

Incredible ideas

As we said above, the design of the brewery at Park Royal was fantastic for making people want to go to work. This is a significant topic at the moment with many businesses looking at return to office mandates and reversing the trend of remote working. It’s incredible then that Guinness thought about job enrichment so long ago.

One of the key things was the concept; the idea was to create a ‘Garden Factory’. The site itself was 134 acres of greenfield. They retained the greenery with gardens, allotments, a farm, and sports facilities (including fields, a tennis court, and a bowling green). Additionally, there was a canteen and a pub. It created a great working environment with a wonderful community. On top of that, workers could borrow money to help them secure a mortgage.

Closure

Sadly, a seismic change in the market, with British drinking habits switching to lager instead of stout and ale, caused a downturn. By the early 2000s the Park Royal brewery was only operating at a small modern facility on the site, the 100ft buildings silent. Production stopped entirely in 2005. By this time the workforce was just a fraction of the size, small enough for names to be printed on the back of a special bottle. Get in touch and ask us about estate management in Islington.

More disappointingly, the decision was made to demolish the brewery. While there were efforts to save the landmark, including an application for statutory listing, it was not successful. The demolition took place in 2006. As a result, it is not surprisingly that two decades later, a lot of people never knew Guinness even had a brewery in Park Royal.

Today Park Royal is London’s biggest business park. It is a home to a huge array of businesses, specialising in everything from food to creative industries. Interestingly, Diageo, owner of the Guinness brand, had a London HQ in the area until 2019. They have since moved to Central London, with plans to convert the property into a hotel. More widely, there are redevelopment plans to create over 25,000 new homes and as many as 65,000 jobs in the area in the coming decades.

Do you want to arrange estate management in Islington?

Finefair Ltd provides exceptional services if you need any help with investment properties in London. We’re the leading guaranteed rent specialist, working with councils across the city. On top of that, we’ve got plenty of experience with managing properties, HMOs, and much more. Whatever you need, we can give you a great service.

So, get in touch today and discuss everything with us.