Titanic

Titanic Beer: The Captain's Legacy
By Dan E. Parkes

Figure 1: An original bottle
of the 1985 Titanic Brewery
ale. (Photograph: Dan Parkes)
(Click to enlarge)

On 1 September 1985, when news broke that the wreck of the Titanic had finally been discovered, it reignited worldwide interest in the disaster and in some cases was also the genesis of inspiration. John Pazio was the landlord of the Traveller’s Rest pub in Middleport, Stoke-on-Trent, and in a path divergent from his background in music (with a career as a double bass player in the Royal Scottish National Orchestra), his dream was to start a brewery specialising in traditional ales. Exactly a month after the discovery of the wreck, on 1 October 1985, he began brewing his first ale, released under the name “Titanic Brewery.” It was not just about timing. The label on the front of the bottle had a picture of Captain Smith (Figure 1). The name was in recognition of Stoke-on-Trent as the birthplace of Titanic’s commander.^[1.]

It was a fine initiative, but local knowledge has it that Pazio was a better brewer than businessman. After a few years of struggling in a scene that was dominated by brewing giants such as Marstons and Ansells, the project faltered and in 1988 Stafford-born brothers Keith and Dave Bott took over. Keith Bott had worked as a brewer in the early days with Pazio and, seeing the potential for growth, raised enough finance along with his brother and father. They started with just a small seven-barrel plant called a ‘micro-brewery.’ Ten months later, 21-year-old Keith Bott and his brewer Phil Salt were lauded as taking on the giants with brews that “stand along the best” with an operation running at 4,000 pints a week (Figure 2).^[2.]

Figure 2: 21-year-old Keith Bott, 10 months after taking over the Titanic Brewery (Evening Sentinel, 20 May 1989).

Figure 3: A modern bottle
of Titanic Beer, “Captain
Smiths,” is still a popular
choice. (Photograph:
Dan Parkes) (Click image
to enlarge)

In 1992, they acquired the Bulls Head in Burslem and over the next 30 years, the Titanic Brewery expanded to 8 pubs, 8 café bars, with more than 200 staff, producing four million pints every year, their bottles distributed all over the UK and Europe. Keith Bott’s success was rewarded even further when he received an MBE in 2017.

The names of the craft beers are often connected to Titanic: Steerage, White Star, Anchor, Lifeboat and, of course, Captain Smith (Figure 3). Their most popular beer is the Plum Porter, which has received a gold medal in the Champion Beer of Britain competition. Not far behind, their Captain Smith ale received a silver award in 2022. At present, the Titanic Brewery craft beers are largely unknown outside of Staffordshire. But visit any one of the Titanic Brewery pubs and cafes around Stoke-on-Trent and local pride in the home-grown brew is most evident. The walls of the Bulls Head pub in Burslem are a veritable museum of both the brewery and Titanic history (Figure 6).

The Titanic Brewery itself does not shy away from its legacy. It funded the plaque that sits – albeit erroneously – at 51 Well Street in Hanley, identifying the street as the home of Captain Smith (Figure 7).

Figure 4: Titanic Brewery located in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent. (Photograph: Dan Parkes).

Figure 5: Inside the Titanic Brewery, kegs await delivery to mostly Stoke-on-Trent pubs. (Photograph: Dan Parkes).

Figure 6: The history of the Titanic Brewery can be seen in The Bull’s Head pub in Burslem, including the different tap badges over the years. (Photograph: Dan Parkes).

Figure 7: The Titanic Brewery funded a plaque that sits – albeit erroneously – at 51 Well Street in Hanley, identifying the street as the home of Captain Smith. (Photograph: Dan Parkes).

End Note References

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1. Howle Communications, press release, December, 2010 “Tribute to Titanic Brewery Founder John Pazio" https://public-relations-consultants.Co.Uk/tribute-to-titanic-brewery-founder-john-pazio/ ↩
2. Evening Sentinel, 20 May 1989 ↩