St Austell Brewery is raising a glass to its 175th anniversary with the launch of a new bookcalled, unsurprisingly, A History of St Austell Brewery.
Photograph: Milly Fletcher
Written by the company’s archivist, Paul Holden, the book brings together stories, records, and personal insight to chart the evolution of one of the South West’s best-known businesses.
The story begins in 1851 with founder Walter Hicks, from his early days brewing at the Seven Stars Inn, in St Austell, to the construction of the Trevarthian Road brewhouse in 1893, where St Austell Brewery’s beers are still made today.
Designed around a gravity-fed system rather than pumps, the Victorian brewhouse reflects traditional brewing methods of the time and remains part of the working brewery — a rare and much-cherished link between past and present.
A standout chapter explores the role of Hicks’ daughter, Hester Parnall, who took over the business following her father’s death. At a time when women were rarely involved in brewing or hospitality, Hester led the brewery through periods of expansion and change, travelling across Cornwall and beyond to grow the pub estate, and helping to secure the brewery’s independence for future generations.
Drawing on meticulously-kept handwritten brewing logs and recipe books dating back to the 1800s, the book reveals how beer was once brewed using instinct, experience, and taste alone. Many of these rediscovered records have since inspired heritage beers brewed especially to mark the brewery’s 175th anniversary.
The book also details how St Austell Brewery adapted through some of the most challenging moments in its history, including both World Wars, when recipes were adjusted during rationing and buildings and labour were repurposed to keep the business running. Readers are also offered glimpses into a time when beer was delivered by horse and cart to local pubs, with ledgers detailing delivery routes, volumes, and even the impact of the weather.
Alongside this rich history, the book explores the stories behind modern favourites such as Tribute — originally brewed as Daylight Robbery for the 1999 solar eclipse — as well as Proper Job and Korev.
“This book is about the details as much as the big moments,” said Holden. “The handwritten notes, the delivery ledgers, and the people whose decisions shaped the brewery.
“It’s a story rooted firmly in the South West, but also one of resilience, change, and a long-standing pride in brewing great beer and building a thriving hospitality business across the region.”
The book is available via St Austell Brewery’s online shop.
