March Brewsletter: Batemans Brewery: “The Beginning”

March Brewsletter 2025

Batemans Brewery: The Beginning

The story of Batemans Brewery begins with my great-great-grandfather, John Bateman, a farmer in the village of Friskney. When he passed away in 1866, his farm was sold, marking a turning point for the family.

Among John’s ten children was George Bateman, born in 1844. With part of his small inheritance, George leased a local farm. However, when he married Susannah Simpson, a local beauty who had also recently lost her father, they combined their capital and took a bold leap into the unknown. In 1874, they rented the Wainfleet South End Brewery from Edwin Crow, purchasing the brewing equipment for just over £500.

A Growing Enterprise

In time, George and Susannah secured the lease of the brewery for £800 and also purchased Salem House, now home to the Batemans Brewery offices. They retained the existing brewer—cruelly nicknamed “Blind George”—who, despite his blindness, possessed an acute sense of smell and taste. He even tested the brewing temperatures by dipping his elbow into the beer—if it wasn’t painful, it was too cold; if it burned, it was too hot!

George soon relocated the brewing plant to the newly acquired coaching houses at the rear of Salem House. He expanded operations, bottling whisky, rum, and gin, selling wines and spirits, and even baking bread to pair with his beer. He also experimented with malting his own barley.

Customers & Community

Farmers made up the bulk of George’s customers, often visiting the brewery twice a year to settle their accounts—some paying in cash, others in meat, potatoes, or vegetables. True to their hospitality, George and Susannah hosted grand feasts for their customers, serving as much beer as they could drink—on one condition: they had to pay their bills in full!

Expanding the Batemans Legacy

George gradually grew his business, first leasing the Angel Inn and the Royal Oak beer house in Wainfleet. In 1879, he purchased his first pub, the Cottage Inn in Toynton Saint Peter.

It would be another 18 years before his next acquisition, the Anchor at Friskney, followed by a rather extravagant purchase in 1904—buying his son Harry the Old Chequers at Croft for his 21st birthday. Two years later, he added the Red Lion in Wainfleet to the family portfolio.

By the end of the 19th century, George was supplying 12 leased or owned pubs. With a thriving business and a growing estate, George and Susannah were ready for the next chapter—as their son Harry prepared to take the reins.