The history of brewing in Edinburgh can be traced back to the 12th century and over the years the city became known as the brewing capital in the world with over 40 breweries at one time. This talk, by John Martin, will explore how brewing evolved in Edinburgh from its early beginnings to the present day with some parts of its history that may surprise you. This talk will complement Ron O'Donnell's archive of images relating to the Caledonian Brewery (not on display in the exhibition).
John Martin was born in Edinburgh and worked for Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) for 40 years, within the Management Accounting function at its Head Office and at all the S&N breweries throughout the country. S&N grew to become the largest brewing company in the UK. After leaving S&N, John was asked to provide a finance consultancy service by the Magner’s Cider Group. He is currently the Chair of the Scottish Brewing Archive Association, with its main aim of promoting the history of brewing in Scotland, by researching and writing articles, giving talks and walking tours visiting the sites of some of the old breweries in Edinburgh.
Capital Brewing