Ruddles Brewery

Ruddles Brewery is a former English brewery. The brand is now owned by Greene King who still brews beers under the Ruddles name in Suffolk though the current recipes are not those used at the original brewery.

The brewery was established in 1858 in Langham, Rutland but it was not bought by George Ruddle until 1912. Langham remained the home of the brewery until its closure in 1997. The company passed through the ownership of Watneys and then Grolsch before Morland & Co of Abingdon took over Ruddles Brewery in 1997. Morlands moved production to Abingdon only for that site to be closed by Greene King in 2000.

The local Langham well water was said to give the beer a unique character and quality which enhanced the brewery's reputation.

A television commercial for Ruddles (c. 1994) featured the last appearance of Vivian Stanshall narrating as Hubert brother of Sir Henry Rawlinson of Rawlinson End played by Mel Smith and a cross-dressing Dawn French.

In 1996 Ruddles Best won the gold medal in the ordinary bitter category at the first World Beer Cup. Beers include:
*"Ruddles County"
*"Ruddles Best"
*"Ruddles Organic"

References