Cleeves and Henry Palmer bought the Old Brewery in Bridport, West Dorset, in 1896. With a small staff - headed up by a brewery manager on a salary of £108 a year - producing Bitter Beer for sale at 1s/6d a gallon and developing a small wine and spirits business, the brewery turned a profit of between £500 and £1000 a year.
Today, four generations and over 200 years later, Palmers Brewery is a thriving business. With a staff of 45 people producing a range of superb, award-winning beers, selling its wares through a wine store and a network of pubs all over the south west of England
This is the story of a family business in an ancient and beautiful corner of rural England. It's a story that defies trend, political correctness and smart metropolitan thinking. Above all it's a tale of Englishness. This is an account of local life and how it works: a true story: no spin, no gloss, no hype!
The book tells the story of the #brewery. In an age of globalisation, this is a truly English story - of tradition, of community, of commerce and of survival. This long-standing family business, in the hands of the Palmers for well over 100 years, makes the most English of drinks in one of the most English corners of the country - it may not be the stuff of headlines but it is a fascinating slice of reality.