As a heritage charity, we are used to talking about centuries-long timescales so, looking back a mere 6 months is unusual for us. However, I am very pleased to be able to report that already this year, we have made some great progress.
Firstly, I’m delighted that all the archive material has now been relocated to the temporary Brewery Heritage Centre at Station Street in Burton. This major logistical operation has taken over 12 months, required packing more than 500,000 items into 3000 boxes and onto 90 pallets. I am extremely grateful to our volunteers for their ongoing work to unpack and organise the Archive and ensure our extensive and important catalogue is up to date.
The Trust continues to play a vital advisory role in East Staffordshire Borough Council’s plans for the creation of a new, permanent location for the National Brewery Collection. The development, on Burton High Street, which includes Bass House and the Water Tower, promises to be a fitting home for the archives and many of the artefacts. I look forward to being able to outline details of some of the Council’s exciting plans over the autumn.
There is lots for us to do, in the short and long term, and I’m pleased to say that we are building our team to ensure we have the skills and resources we need. Recently we’ve been joined by Office Manager, Helen Jarvis. Find out more about Helen here.
On a personal note, I am very pleased to see that Katherine Smart has been elected as Master of the Brewers’ Company for 2024-25, meaning she has also become Patron of our Trust. I first met Katherine in the late 1980s when she joined the Bass R&D Department in Burton while she studied for her PhD at the University of Nottingham. She is the first woman to be appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Brewers and I wish her every success.
