Firkin Brewery

History

A chain of brewpubs initially launched in 1979.  Beer was often badged as coming from Bruce's Brewery, after the founder David Bruce. They were sold in 1988 to Midsummer Leisure and changed hands a number of times until taken over in 1991 by Allied Brewery.  Following this takeover there was a veritable explosion of Firkin pubs, many, however,  did not brew but received their beer from another near by Firkin.  All breweries were closed during October 1999 following the take-over of Allied Domecq tied estate by Punch Taverns.

Short histories of the brewpubs, where known, appear below.

Brewpubs

Faculty & Firkin Holt Street Aston University Campus Gosta Green Birmingham B7 4BD
Fahrenheit & Firkin Chobham Road Woking GU2 1HR	Opened in 1996.
Falcon & Firkin 360 Victoria Park Road Hackney London E9 7BT	This was the main Firkin for London non-brewing Firkins. Opened in June 1986.
Fantail & Firkin 87 Muswell Hill Broadway Muswell Hill London N10 3HA
Faraday & Firkin 66A-66C Battersea Rise London SW1 1EQ
Fathom & Firkin 20 Chapel Road Worthing BN11 1BJ
Feast & Firkin 229 Woodhouse Lane Leeds LS2 3AP	Opened in September 1994. The 10 barrel brewplant is now used at Cotswold Spring.
Fedora & Firkin Chapel Street Luton LU1 2SE
Felon & Firkin 26-30 Great George Street Leeds LS1 3DL
Fermenter & Firkin 480 Dudley Road Wolverhampton WV2 3AF	Previously the brewery of Holt, Plant & Deakin.  The plant was sold to Tomos Watkin Ales.  It became a Firkin in 1997.
Ferret & Firkin 114 Lots Road Chelsea London SW10 0RJ	Started brewing in June 1983. Plant used for Ramsgate Brewery.
Fiddler & Firkin 14 South End Croydon CR0 1DL
Fielder & Firkin 346 High Street Sutton SM1 1PR
Fieldmouse & Firkin at the Fighting Cocks St Mary's Row Moseley Birmingham B13 0HW
Finch & Firkin 467 Smithdown Road Liverpool L15 5AE	Plant used for Brewsters Brewery.
Finings & Firkin 91 Station Road Langley Oldbury Warley B69 4LU
Finnesko & Firkin 10 Dereham Road Norwich NR2 4AY	Formerly The Reindeer Trading Company.  Became a Firkin in the summer of 1997.
Firecracker & Firkin 2-4 Brighton Road Southgate Crawley RH10 3JT	Plant sold to the Rat & Ratchet
Firefly & Firkin 38 Holdenhurst Road Bournemouth BH8 8AD
Fish & Firkin 53 Alexandra Street Southend-on-Sea SS2 6ES
Fizgig & Firkin St Anne's Well Lower North Street Exeter EX4 9DU	Plant used for Hopdaemon Brewery.
Flag & Firkin Station Road Watford WD1 1ET	Plant used for Atlas Brewery.
Flamingo & Firkin 88 London Road Kingston upon Thames KT2 6PX	Sold in 1987 and therefore never strictly a member of The Firkin Brewery. See Kingston Brewing Company.
Flamingo & Firkin 1-7 Beckett Street Derby DE1 1HT
Flare & Firkin 225 Holborn Street Aberdeen AB10 1BP
Flea & Firkin 137 Grosvenor Street Manchester M1 7BZ	Became the Footage & Firkin.
Fledgling & Firkin Parliament Square Hertford SG14 1EX
Fleece & Firkin Old Wool Hall 12 St Thomas Street Bristol BS1 6JJ	Started brewing in March 1982, this was the first Firkin pub outside London.  Ceased brewing in 1990.
Flicker & Firkin 1 Dukes Street Richmond TW9 1HP	Started brewing in September 1994.
Flounder & Firkin 54 Holloway Road Holloway London N7 8HP	Started brewing in March 1985.
Fly & Firkin 18 Southfield Road Middlesbrough TS1 3BZ	Plant used for Doghouse Brewery.
Flyer & Firkin 54 Blagrave Street Reading RG1 1PZ	5 barrel brewplant.  Used for Walsh's Bakehouse Brewery.
Flyman & Firkin 166-170 Shaftsbury Avenue London WC2H 8JB
Font & Firkin Union Street Brighton BN1 1HB	Following the closure of all other Firkins this one restarted brewing in April 2002 as it is a condition of it's license.  Either the brewer from the Museum Brewery in Burton-upon-Trent or from Dark Star in Brighton brewed irregularly. The brewing equipment was removed from the pub during the summer of 2003.
The Font & Firkin, the last brewing Firkin.
Footage & Firkin 137 Grosvenor Street Manchester M1 7BZ	Was previously known as the Flea & Firkin.
Ford & Firkin 15 High Street Romford RM1 1JU	Brewplant sold to Nottingham Brewery.
Forger & Firkin 55-56 Woodbridge Road Guildford GU1 4RF
Forester & Firkin 3 Eastgate Street Stafford ST16 2NQ	10 barrel brewplant. Used for Acorn Brewery of Barnsley.
Fort & Firkin The Promenade Windsor SL4 1QX
Foundry & Firkin 240 West Street Sheffield S1 4EU
Fowl & Firkin 1-2 The Butts Coventry CV1 3GR
Fox & Firkin 316 Lewisham High Street Lewisham London SE13 3HL	Started brewing in May 1980.  The 6 barrel brewplant was sold to Halifax Steam Brewery on closure.
Freelance & Firkin 13 Brown Street Dundee DD1 5ED	Plant used for Pictish Brewery
Fresher & Firkin 16 Chesterton Road Cambridge CB4 3AX
Friar & Firkin 120 Euston Road London NW1 2AL
Friesian & Firkin 87 Rectory Grove Clapham London SW4 0DR
Fringe & Firkin 2 Goldhawk Road Shepherd's Bush London W12 8QD	Brew plant used for Quartz Brewing.
Frog & Firkin 41 Tavistock Crescent London W11 1AD	Not strictly part of the Firkin Brewery as it had closed before the Firkin Brewery came into existence, it started brewing in February 1981 and was the third of the Firkin pubs.  It closed in 1992.
Fruitmaker & Firkin 71 Albion Street Glasgow G1 1RU
Fuggle & Firkin 14 Gloucester Street Oxford OX1 2BN
Fuzz & Firkin 2 Albert Road Southsea Portsmouth PO5 2SH	5 barrel brewplant. Used for Bowland Brewery.
Goose & Firkin 47 Borough Road Southwark London SE1 1DR	The first Firkin pub which never became a brewing part of the Firkin Brewery opened in July 1979.
Phantom & Firkin 140 Balaam Street London E13 8RD	Opened in February 1987 it had closed before the main burst of Firkin pubs started.
Phantom & Firkin Leicester Road Loughborough LE11 2AG
Pharaoh & Firkin 88-90 High Street Fulham London SW6 3LF
Pheasant & Firkin 166 Goswell Road London EC1V 7DT	Brewing started in 1981 and ceased in 1987.
Philanthropist & Firkin 11- 13 Victoria Street St Albans AL1 3JJ	Started brewing in June 1994
Philatelist & Firkin Drill Hall East Street Bromley BR1 1QQ
Philosopher & Firkin 288 Cowley Road Oxford OX4 1UR
Phoenix & Firkin 5 Windsor Walk Camberwell London SE5 8BB	The sixth Firkin, housed in Denmark Hill railway station, started brewing in 1984.
Photographer & Firkin 23-25 High Street Ealing London W3 6ND
Physician & Firkin 58 Dalkeith Road Edinburgh EH16 5AD	Plant used for Cuillin Brewery.

Last Updated : 26th June 2005