The story
Founded by Henry Mitchell in 1898.1
Private company
Mitchells & Butlers
Logo: Andy Mabbett, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons3
Brewery in Cape Hill, Smethwick, England
Mitchells & Butlers Brewery was formed when Henry Mitchell's old Crown Brewery (founded in Smethwick in 1866, and in partnership with Herbert Glendilling Bainbridge, former partner in Young's and Bainbridge from 1888) merged with William Butler's Brewery (also founded in Smethwick in 1866) in 1898.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0
Last updated Oct 21, 2026.
Overview
1898Founded1
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Mitchells & Butlers Brewery was formed when Henry Mitchell's old Crown Brewery (founded in Smethwick in 1866, and in partnership with Herbert Glendilling Bainbridge, former partner in Young's and Bainbridge from 1888) merged with William Butler's Brewery (also founded in Smethwick in 1866) in 1898.2
Leadership
Who has led Mitchells & Butlers, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.
- FounderHenry Mitchell1
Acquisitions
The company merged with Bass in 1961. With the brand under ownership of Coors Brewers, the Cape Hill brewery closed in 2002 with production switched to Burton upon Trent. The brewery was demolished in 2005, and the site is now a housing estate, although the Mitchell & Butler war memorial, built in 1920, has been retained and restored.
Their most famous beer was Brew XI (using Roman numerals, and so pronounced Brew Eleven), advertised with the slogan "for the men of the Midlands". It is now brewed under licence for Coors by Brains of Cardiff.
A descendant company, which manages pubs, bars and restaurants throughout the United Kingdom, is still known as Mitchells & Butlers, and is based in Birmingham.
From Wikipedia’s article on Mitchells & Butlers Brewery, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4
Timeline
- 1898Founded Founded1
Links
- WikipediaMitchells & Butlers Brewery
- More imagesWikimedia Commons
- WikidataQ6881476
Sources
The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.
- 1WikidataMitchells & Butlers on Wikidata
- 2WikipediaMitchells & Butlers on Wikipedia
- 3Wikimedia CommonsMitchells & Butlers logo by Andy Mabbett, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 4
- 5Wikimedia CommonsMitchells & Butlers photo by Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain