Black Eagle Brewery

Lore & Background

The original brewery was probably established by the Bucknall family, who leased the site in the seventeenth century. The site's first associations with brewing trace back to 1666 when Joseph Truman joined William Bucknall's Brewhouse in Brick Lane. Part of the site was located on Black Eagle Street, giving the brewery its name. Truman acquired the lease in 1679 upon Bucknall's death. Through the Truman family's efforts, especially those of Sir Benjamin Truman (who joined in 1722), the business expanded rapidly. By 1748 the Black Eagle Brewery was the third largest brewery in London, likely the world, producing 40,000 barrels annually. In the mid-18th century, Huguenot immigrants introduced a new beverage flavoured with hops, which proved very popular. Initially, Truman's imported hops from Belgium, but Kent farmers were soon encouraged to grow hops to meet demand. Sir Benjamin died in March 1780, and the brewery passed to his grandsons. In 1789, Sampson Hanbury took over; his nephew Thomas Fowell Buxton joined in 1808, improved the brewing process, converted to steam power, and with expanding road and rail networks, the Black Eagle label became famous across Britain. By 1835, the brewery produced 200,000 barrels of porter a year. The company took on new partners in 1816, the Pryor brothers, and was known for good treatment of workers and support of abolitionism. By 1853 it was the largest in the world, producing 400,000 barrels annually on a six-acre site. Competition from Burton upon Trent breweries led the company to acquire a brewery in Burton in 1873 and build a new Black Eagle brewery there. In 1888, the company became a public company, but production shifted to Burton. The Brick Lane site remained active through a 1971 take-over by Grand Metropolitan Group and a 1972 merger with Watney Mann, but closed in 1989.

Reader's Guide

The Black Eagle Brewery's significance lies in its rise to become the world's largest brewery by 1853, a testament to the expansion of London's brewing industry and the influence of the Truman, Hanbury, and Buxton families. The site's history reflects broader trends: the adoption of hops from Huguenot immigrants, the shift to steam power, and the impact of improved transport networks that allowed its beer to become famous across Britain. The brewery's decline mirrors the rise of Burton upon Trent breweries, whose water was particularly suitable for brewing, leading Truman's to open a second Black Eagle brewery there. After closure in 1989, the Brick Lane site was redeveloped by The Zeloof Partnership as the 'Old Truman Brewery', now a major arts and commercial centre hosting over 250 businesses, cultural venues, and markets. The Director's House and former Brew House are listed buildings. The site's legacy also includes appearances in fiction: Charles Dickens' David Copperfield (1850) mentions Truman, Hanbury and Buxton, and the 2014/15 BBC series Ripper Street featured the brewery in a storyline reflecting real Victorian concerns about competition from northern breweries.

Did You Know?

• The brewery's name came from Black Eagle Street, on which part of the site was located.
• In 1748, the brewery was the third largest in London, producing 40,000 barrels a year.
• The site now houses over 250 businesses, including art galleries, restaurants, and retail shops.