brewery brewery england produces including biggest selling bitter united_kingdom mid-1990s majority sales product variant available nationally stronger variant called available produced licence cameron acquired brewery following series acquisitions post world war period company largest regional brewers country operating licensed premises company taken courage extended distribution brewery products courage acquired operations purchased original produced brewery range products including million capacity brewery largest country known series highly successful nonsense television advertising campaigns featuring character 1970s 1980s shown followed 1990s addition major sponsor horse racing principal sponsor continues sponsor events history early years began brewery leeds arranged son john enter business died acquired business enlisting brother william help timing prove pale displacing porter beer choice hard water proved suited new style prosperity 1850s 1860s arrival railways realised greater opportunities brewers employed men enterprise operations quarter nineteenth century smith died leaving estate valued million adjusted inflation assets jointly inherited brothers william william purchased samuel share brother personal estate built modern brewery cost million time company staff died firm inherited partnership henceforth known terms firm expanded 1880s creating agency network establishing sixteen offices nearby settlements offering free trade beer percent higher brewery producing barrels annually company scientifically trained head appointed son partnership limited company called chairman company acquired public houses converted brewery turn century brewery considered best run britain class management sheffield spirits distributor acquired company began bottle beer company owned horses saw service world war artificially beer paired horse phased time world wars government raised duty beer forced brewers lower beer strength period including company horses retired horses delivered beer areas surrounding brewery far company exported beer belgium distributed brewery general strike belgium hired heavy bomber aircraft carry ton loads twice daily country order ensure supply firm public company fixed assets million licensed premises employees son nephew acquired licensed houses brewery immediately closed company began bottle imported response growing customer demand company began bottle company estate public houses acquired adding licensed properties growing estate company acquired newark trent whilst product took place popular lines milk maid stout retained closed acquired apart invested brewery added production site increasing distribution bitter result acquisitions largest regional country courage fixed assets million acquisitions family stake company percent present courage takeover growth bitter october courage purchased friendly takeover valued company million adjusted inflation time owned licensed premises north england far south lincolnshire parts merged company held assets worth million combining courage strength north national company created selected nationwide distribution group takeover facilitated wider distribution courage brands brewery substantially redeveloped expanded courage closed brewery loss jobs public houses supplied courage argued modernization site required massive investment reported times generally indifferent change taste profiles bitter bitter similar successful test marketing bitter distributed onwards accompanied extensive marketing budget research courage indicated southern considered yorkshire bitter superior beer sold sales beer doubled owing increase free trade outlets south beer highest selling courage brand highest selling bitter united_kingdom brands included pale export pale december introduced seven years phased june produced million beer annually november year new opened cost million production foster began launched cans introduced february distributed venues version beer renamed original order differentiate products claimed available outlets united_kingdom moved production near production brewery limited edition released celebrate anniversary brewery discontinued production remains available production moved cameron sixth highest selling beer brand united_kingdom highest selling bitter world february original reduced according decision taken order bring product line strength major competitors highest selling variant available cans original available nationwide found brewery yorkshire product frequently found yorkshire brewery brewery million annually million beer employed people lines bottle lines canning line currently packages brands original brands foster tiger vessels brewery steel use removed 1980s brewery uses conical tanks brewery site occupied acres wooden use 1960s beer line removed restored original converted brewery museum november new million opened production foster began brewery production capacity million barrels brewery brands new million facility opened described modern facility europe advertising trademark registered september brussels strength company association television advertising began love campaign followed big john campaign ran centred writing big bad john country music staple courage able demonstrate independent panel campaign resulted million sales increase north played campaign south campaign won large number advertising industry awards featured tonight starring johnny rolling died campaign continued successor despite success campaign detractors describing times campaign nonsense campaigns comedian starred nonsense campaign created campaign widely credited helping rise sixteenth fourth highest selling beer sales increased percent brand overtook highest selling brand world campaign won advertising awards turned rising comedian household resigned replaced cardboard cut known nonsense man advertising agency despite appearing clubs shops found impact advertisements represented brand campaign described advertising phenomenon introduced phrase public consciousness advertisements won advertising marketing awards making sixth awarded advertising campaign world despite success campaign perceived advertisements criticised rival sales beer women sponsorship major sponsor horse racing united_kingdom sponsored nonsense race days held year jump flat brand sponsored originally cup york longest running sponsorship flat racing world previously sponsored grand national august announced year sponsorship home football club rugby league club known stadium
John Smith's Brewery