WHEN Hugh Tennent first unleashed his new brew on an unsuspecting public in 1885, newspapers at the time described it as a ‘madman’s dream’.

More than 130 years later, the Glasgow brewery at Wellpark is still going strong.

As the historic city institution opens its first visitors centre, with guided tours, Thanks for the Memories decided to delve deep into the rich past of this famous landmark.

Thanks to the University of Glasgow’s Archives, we have access to a whole series of photographs which shows what life was like for the workers at the East End factory through the decades.

From cask-washing to bottling, from the dispatch van drivers to crate-builders and Wellpark’s own Fire Brigade, the photographs capture the range of jobs carried out by men and women across the brewery operation.

There were stables too, for horses which pulled the delivery carts, long before the arrival of the recognisable trucks.

The new centre at Wellpark (originally known as Drygate) also includes the Tennent’s Story heritage centre, a guided experience which traces the history of Scotland’s oldest brewery from the 1500s to the present day. 

It is home to artefacts gathered from the first days of brewing at Wellpark in 1556, all the way through to today.

Although founded as H&R Tennent, by Hugh and Robert Tennent, brewing had been taking place at the same site on the banks of the Molendinar Burn since 1556, making it the oldest continuous commercial concern in Glasgow. 

Hugh’s sons, John and Robert, continued the family business, trading as J&R Tennent from 1769. The business expanded in the 1790s when the family purchased the neighbouring brewery of William McLehose, and renamed the five acre site Wellpark Brewery.

The firm originally brewed stout and strong export ales. 

By the mid-19th century J&R Tennent was the world’s largest bottled beer exporter, producing the first produced the first draught lager in 1924, the first canned lager in 1935 and the first keg lager in 1963.

Owners have changed over the years – the current owners are C&C Group, who bought the brewery in 2009.

Find out more about the brewery at tennents.com

Did you work at Tennent’s? What do you recall of the old days at the brewery? Did your relatives play a part in making the historic brewery what it is today?

We want to hear from you! Share your memories and photos by emailing ann.fotheringham@heraldandtimes.co.uk