Hurns Brewing Company

Hurns Brewing Company is a drinks business based in Swansea, Wales. Its origins lie in the Hurns Mineral Water Company, established by Arthur A. Hurn in the late nineteenth century. The original business operated from premises on Northampton Lane in Swansea and produced bottled soda water, ginger beer, lemonade, and cordials. This early focus placed Hurns within the long-established British mineral-water and soft-drinks trade, rather than exclusively in brewing. The company experienced a difficult succession period in the 1960s. Arthur Hurn's grandson, Idris, died in 1966, and Idris's son, who had been managing the business, died unexpectedly about a month later. Hurns subsequently declined for approximately a decade. In 1976, Idris's granddaughter Connie and her brother became old enough to take control of the business. Under the new generation, Hurns changed direction and concentrated more heavily on distribution and wholesale activities. Hurns later broadened its involvement in the alcoholic-drinks sector. In 2002 it acquired the Tomos Watkin brewery and its associated range of beers. Tomos Watkin had been relaunched in 1995 by Simon Buckley, initially operating from a small brewery in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, before moving to a larger Swansea brewery. The acquisition connected Hurns with a recognizable Welsh beer identity and expanded the company's activities beyond distribution and soft drinks. Hurns also owns or has owned several pubs in Wales, giving it interests across drinks supply, hospitality, and retail premises. The business remained associated with family leadership into the 2010s. In 2010, Hurns chief executive Connie Parry received the Welsh Businesswoman of the Year award at the Welsh Women Mean Business Awards. The recognition reflected her role in the continuation and development of the family company, although the available reference material does not provide detailed financial or operational data. In 2023, Hurns sold the Tomos Watkin beer range to new owners. Tomos Watkin is now associated with Drop Bear Beer Co., and its beers are produced and packaged at the Drop Bear Brewery in Llansamlet, Swansea. This transaction marked a change in Hurns's relationship with the beer brand and means that Tomos Watkin should not be treated as a currently controlled Hurns product line. Hurns is therefore best understood as a Welsh drinks and hospitality business with historical brewing interests, a distribution and wholesale orientation, and a long connection with the Swansea area.

Hurns began in Swansea in the late nineteenth century as the Hurns Mineral Water Company, founded by Arthur A. Hurn. Its early premises were located on Northampton Lane, where it manufactured and bottled soda water, ginger beer, lemonade, and cordials. The company's beginnings were therefore in the soft-drinks and mineral-water trade, even though its later public identity became associated with brewing and alcoholic beverages. A serious family succession crisis affected the business in the 1960s. Arthur Hurn's grandson, Idris, died in 1966. Idris's son, who had been running the company, died unexpectedly roughly one month later. Hurns then entered a period of decline lasting about ten years. In 1976, Idris's granddaughter Connie and her brother assumed responsibility once they were old enough to take over. Their leadership brought a change in commercial direction: instead of centering its activities primarily on manufacturing, Hurns increasingly focused on drinks distribution and wholesale. The company expanded into brewing through its 2002 acquisition of Tomos Watkin. The modern Tomos Watkin brewery had been established in 1995 by Simon Buckley. It first operated from a small facility in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, and later moved to a larger brewery in Swansea. Hurns's acquisition gave the company a substantial Welsh beer association and complemented its existing distribution activities. Hurns also developed a connection with the hospitality sector through ownership of several pubs in Wales. Connie Parry remained a prominent figure in the company. In 2010, while serving as Hurns's chief executive, she was named Welsh Businesswoman of the Year at the Welsh Women Mean Business Awards. The award was a public acknowledgment of her leadership of the family business, although the available sources do not disclose detailed revenue, employment, or production figures. The relationship between Hurns and Tomos Watkin changed in 2023, when Hurns sold the Tomos Watkin beer range to new owners. Tomos Watkin is now owned by Drop Bear Beer Co., and production and packaging take place at Drop Bear's brewery in Llansamlet, Swansea. The sale represents a strategic separation of the beer range from Hurns and establishes that Tomos Watkin is a former, rather than current, Hurns-controlled offering. Hurns's documented history consequently spans soft-drink manufacturing, family succession, wholesale distribution, pub ownership, and a period of Welsh brewing ownership.

• 2023

  Tomos Watkin beer range is sold

  [1]Hurns Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Hurns sells the Tomos Watkin range to new owners; the beers subsequently become associated with Drop Bear Beer Co.

• 2010

  Connie Parry is named Welsh Businesswoman of the Year

  [1]Hurns Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Hurns chief executive Connie Parry receives the award at the Welsh Women Mean Business Awards.

• 2002

  Tomos Watkin is acquired

  [1]Hurns Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Hurns acquires the Tomos Watkin brewery and its beer range.

• 1976

  A new family generation takes control

  [1]Hurns Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Connie Hurn and her brother take over the business and redirect it toward distribution and wholesale.

• 1966

  Family succession crisis begins

  [1]Hurns Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Idris Hurn dies, followed about a month later by the unexpected death of his son, who had been running the company.

• Hurns Mineral Water Company is established in Swansea

  [1]Hurns Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Arthur A. Hurn establishes the predecessor business in the late nineteenth century. The company initially makes bottled soda water, ginger beer, lemonade, and cordials.

A locally rooted Welsh drinks and hospitality company combining historic soft-drink production with wholesale distribution, pub ownership, and a former brewing portfolio.

• Soft drinks

  Bottled soft drinks

  Hurns's original manufacturing activities centered on bottled soda water, ginger beer, lemonade, and cordials. These products formed the company's early identity as a Swansea mineral-water and refreshment producer before its later emphasis on wholesale distribution and brewing-related operations.

• Beer · 2002

  Tomos Watkin beer range

  The Tomos Watkin range became part of Hurns's portfolio when the company acquired the Tomos Watkin brewery in 2002. Hurns sold the range in 2023, and the beers are now produced and packaged by Drop Bear Beer Co. in Llansamlet, Swansea.

• Distribution services · 1976

  Drinks distribution and wholesale

  Following the 1976 family takeover, Hurns changed direction toward drinks distribution and wholesale. The available sources identify this as a central part of the company's business model, but do not provide a complete current product catalogue.

• Hospitality

  Welsh pub operations

  Hurns owns or has owned several pubs in Wales, extending its activities into hospitality and the operation of licensed premises. The available reference does not list the individual pubs or specify their current ownership status.

• 2023

  Divestment of the Tomos Watkin beer rangeM&A

  Background

  After more than two decades within the Hurns portfolio, the Tomos Watkin range changed ownership.

  Action taken

  Hurns sold the Tomos Watkin beer range to new owners, with Drop Bear Beer Co. subsequently identified as its owner and producer.

  Aftermath

  Tomos Watkin beers are produced and packaged at the Drop Bear Brewery in Llansamlet, Swansea, and are no longer a Hurns-controlled range.

  Source

• 2002

  Acquisition of Tomos WatkinM&A

  Background

  Hurns had developed from a soft-drinks manufacturer into a distribution and wholesale business and sought a stronger connection with Welsh beer.

  Action taken

  Hurns acquired the Tomos Watkin brewery and its associated beer range.

  Aftermath

  Tomos Watkin became part of Hurns's portfolio until the beer range was sold to new owners in 2023.

  Source

• 1976

  Shift toward distribution and wholesaleStrategy

  Background

  After a decade of decline following the deaths of two members of the family leadership, Connie Hurn and her brother took control of the company.

  Action taken

  The business moved away from its earlier emphasis on manufacturing and concentrated on drinks distribution and wholesale.

  Aftermath

  This direction became a defining part of Hurns's subsequent business identity and supported its later involvement with pubs and brewing.

  Source

1. 1Hurns Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Tomos Watkintomoswatkin.com