William Younger & Co.

William Younger & Co., Limited, Abbey and Holyrood Breweries, Edinburgh ; Offices and Stores at 61, North Hanover Street.—

    The distinguished firm of Messrs. William Younger & Co., Limited, was founded as far back as 1749 at Edinburgh, where it controls the noted Abbey and Holyrood breweries. This house is one of the oldest and most famous of all the old and famous Scottish brewery concerns, and has recently been constituted a limited liability company, the senior partner being H. J. Younger, Esq., of Gilmerston, East Lothian, and Ashfield, Edinburgh.

    The Glasgow stores and offices are situate, as above indicated, at 61, North Hanover Street. They have been established and in flourishing circumstances for many years in this city, and are now under the control of Mr. Alexander Brown, who fills the important office of manager for Glasgow and the West of Scotland. The Glasgow premises belong to and are contiguous to the property of the North British Railway Company, and in connection with the railway Messrs. Younger have powerful hydraulic hoists for lifting the casks and barrels from the trucks to the stores. The latter are very extensive, are especially adapted for the trade to which they are devoted, and have the best of storage accommodation for three thousand barrels.

    In connection with the stores the large and handsomely appointed offices constitute a notable feature. These are occupied by a clerical staff of twelve ; and, in addition to a large force of storemen and draymen, the services of ten commercial travellers are retained for the West of Scotland alone. It is probable that Messrs. Wm. Younger & Co., Limited, are the largest brewers in Scotland to-day. Their Abbey and Holyrood breweries in Edinburgh cover a very great area, and, owing to the increasing demands of a constantly growing trade, the company have lately acquired a tract of sixteen acres of eligible ground at Easter Road, Edinburgh, upon which they are erecting very extensive malting, cooperage, and other premises. A description of the breweries of Messrs. Younger at Edinburgh would be eminently interesting here, but hardly comes within the province of the present sketch, which deals more particularly with the Glaswegian interests of the concern and with its general productive and commercial undertakings.

    Messrs. Younger brew pale ales, strong ales, and stouts of various qualities, and are quite unsurpassed in merit and in the popularity they have achieved. It is specially noteworthy that Messrs. Younger have for a great many years been purveyors of beers to Her Majesty’s forces. They supplied the troops actively engaged in the late Soudan campaigns, and at present supply the various British regiments still stationed in Egypt. The home trade is one of enormous proportions, and the export trade is fully commensurate in magnitude. It is to such firms as that of Messrs. William Younger & Co., Limited, that the magnificent ales of Scotland owe their world-wide fame ; and the ever-increasing demand for the productions of the Younger breweries seems to afford every reason for the belief that the achievements of this house in the past are simply the forerunners of much greater successes and augmented prosperity in their future undertakings in this, one of the most ancient and typical of Scotland’s national industries.

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