National Brewery Heritage Trust

The National Brewery Heritage Trust Ltd (NBHT) was formed to support the work of the museum, its collections, and to advance the education of the public in the history and heritage of brewing. It is an independent, not-for-profit, company limited by guarantee, and registered at the Charity Commission.

The role of the NBHT includes:

– The protection, preservation and making available to the public the collection of archives and artefacts of brewing in the NBC.

– The maintenance and expansion of the collection and ensuring that it remains intact in perpetuity – Supporting educational displays and events which demonstrate the impact of brewing on social and economic development, not just in the United Kingdom but worldwide.

– Promoting a greater understanding of the history of brewing.

To achieve these aims the NBHT:

– Works with the National Brewing Centre to ensure its continuing success.

– Works with volunteer groups who support the activities of the NBC.

– Works to secure the necessary funding for the maintenance, development and expansion of the collection.

Origins

Originally opened as the Bass Museum in 1977 to celebrate the bicentenary of the founding of that company, it became, with a change in ownership in 2003, the Coors Visitor Centre.

In June 2008 Coors (now Molson Coors) took the commercial decision to close the centre. Within days of the announcement, the then Member of Parliament for Burton, Janet Dean, called a meeting which led to the formation of a task group determined to save the Museum and maintain it as a focal point for the town and the region.

The group worked closely with Molson Coors to identify a sustainable solution that would result in the Centre reopening. In November 2009 Molson Coors, with the support of the group, reached an agreement with the leisure company Planning Solutions to run the museum and visitor centre. It reopened in April 2010 following some refurbishment work.

A successor to the task group, began working with Planning Solutions to ensure the future success and vitality of the museum and its collections. That group, in due course, became the National Brewery Heritage Trust.

The NBHT was incorporated at Companies House in August 2011 and was registered as a charity in July 2012. The initial working funding for the trust was provided by Burton Civic Society and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

The Future

The NBHT seeks to broaden the scope of the museum’s collections, and ensure that historical brewing records and artefacts from across the United Kingdom are preserved.

The NBHT’s ambition is to fund exhibitions, acquisitions and development of the NBC’s facilities by encouraging individual and corporate membership of the trust.

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Guided tours

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