Private company

Cains Brewery

Logo: Non-free logo, via Wikipedia3

Former brewery in Liverpool, England

Cains was a brewery in Liverpool, England, founded in 1858 by Robert Cain. The company merged with Peter Walker & Son in 1921 to form Walker Cains. Peter Walker & Son had a large brewery in Warrington so sold its Liverpool brewery to Higsons in 1923.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1858Founded1
  • HeadquartersLiverpool1
Cains Brewery 2
Photo: Frombowen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

Cains was a brewery in Liverpool, England, founded in 1858 by Robert Cain. The company merged with Peter Walker & Son in 1921 to form Walker Cains. Peter Walker & Son had a large brewery in Warrington so sold its Liverpool brewery to Higsons in 1923. Boddingtons of Manchester took over in 1985. In 1990, Whitbread acquired Boddington's brewing operations and closed the brewery. It was reopened by GB Breweries, who became part of Bryggerigruppen in 1991, and in 2002 was sold to Gardener-Shaw for £3.4 million.2

The story

Founded by Robert Cain in 1858.1

The Cains brewery was founded by Irishman Robert Cain in 1858 when he bought an established brewery. Cain had begun his brewing career aged 24 when he purchased a pub and brewed his own ales.

Within 25 years of founding his brewery, Cain had established 200 pubs, including the Philharmonic Dining Rooms, the Vines and the Central Commercial Hotel, which are currently listed as being of architectural merit. His personal mansion had each window arch inscribed with his monogram. In 1887 construction began on a second brewery.

In 1921, 14 years after Cain's death, the Cains brewery merged with Walkers of Warrington, becoming Walker Cains. Then in 1923 the original Stanhope Street Brewery was sold to Higsons, who continued to brew Cains ales.

In 1985, Higsons was bought by Boddingtons of Manchester. Five years later Boddingtons opted to concentrate on pub ownership and sold all its breweries to Whitbread, at which point the Stanhope Street site was closed.

From Wikipedia’s article on Cains Brewery, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Leadership

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Products and brands

  • beer

Listed on Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 1858Founded Founded1

Sources

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