Our History

In the 1770s, pub landlord Robert Brakspear began to brew the now infamous Brakspear Bitter. After partnering with his uncle, the duo moved the brewery to Bell Street in Henley-on-Thames. Fun fact – one of the Honeycomb Houses, the Bull on Bell, is located on the very same street!

Robert’s son William Henry joined the company in 1812 and was sole proprietor by 1848, trading as W. H. Brakspear and working tirelessly to expand the company. By 1979, the still-family-run Brakspear had 130 pubs (some of them still make up the Brakspear estate today!).

Meanwhile, in 1875, J.T. Davies opened the first of 12 pubs in London. These would later be passed onto his son Andrew, who formed the limited company J.T. Davies & Sons Ltd in 1913.

The Merge Of Two Family-Run Companies

By 1994, J.T. Davies owned 50 tenanted pubs. In 2000, the company bought its first share in W.H. Brakspear.

In 2007, the two family-run companies merged, with J.T. Davis buying Brakspear and its 150 tenanted and leased pubs. J.T. Davies then rebranded its 50 pubs as Brakspear, presenting the company as one.

Today, Brakspear has the 9 managed Honeycomb Houses, alongside 115 tenanted and leased pubs.

From the launch of Brakspear Bitter all the way back in the 1770’s to the launch of Honeycomb Houses in 2021, the Brakspear brand has stayed true to its roots.

It is passionate about its pubs, pints, punters and provisions. Lastly but certainly not least, the true pride of Brakspear lies in the fantastic family members that work hard to make our Honeycomb Houses, Honeycomb homes.

From trendy townhouse retreats and cleverly-converted mills to blinding bolt holes tucked away in the countryside, the Brakspear pubs are the ideal place to churn out laughter and libations.

Find out more about the history of Brakspear here.