Hall & Woodhouse

The brewery traces its roots to 1777, when Charles Hall founded the Ansty Brewery in Ansty, Dorset.[1] The Hall & Woodhouse partnership dates from 1847, when Charles' son and successor went into business with George Woodhouse, who had earlier been employed as head brewer.[1]

"The King Charles Head" pub sign in Goring Heath (2009)

Golden Champion Ale

In 1875, the firm's logo of a badger was first introduced, and in 1900, when a new brewery was built to replace the original, it was named after the logo. The logo has evolved over the years.[2] The firm remains a family business.

In 1991 the brewpub Gribble Inn in Oving, West Sussex was acquired. Though it was sold back to the landlord in 2005, Hall & Woodhouse retained the rights to the brand name Fursty Ferret, the brewpub's most well-known beer.

In 2000 the King and Barnes brewery business in Horsham was acquired. Hall & Woodhouse retained the King and Barnes chain of pubs and the rights to the brand names of the King and Barnes beers, but the brewery premises were sold.[3]

Tanglefoot beer

Blandford Fly (formerly Blandford Flyer) is a 5.2% dark bottled ale flavoured with ginger and spices.

Cranborne Poacher (formerly Poacher's Choice) is a 5.7% bottled ruby ale with strong flavours of damsons and liquorice.

Fursty Ferret is an amber ale, 4.1% as a cask ale, and 4.4% as a filtered beer in bottles and cans. It was originally brewed at the Gribble Inn, which was bought by Hall & Woodhouse in 1991. The pub was sold back to the landlord in 2005, with Hall & Woodhouse retaining the rights to the brand name Fursty Ferret.

Golden Champion is a 4.5% pale ale with an aroma of elderflower.

Hopping Hare is a 4.4% abv light coloured pale ale made from a mix of American Amarillo, Cascade hops and English Flagon barley.

Tanglefoot is a golden ale, 4.7% as a cask ale, and 5% as a filtered beer in bottles and cans. It is made from a mix of English Flagon barley, Goldings and Challenger hops, with a pear drop taste. According to a story presently written on the bottle, it was given its name when the Head Brewer drank "several tankards" and "fell on" a name for the beer.[4] The cask version is widely available in the south of England, and a pasteurised version is available in bottles and cans in supermarkets nationally.

Wicked Wyvern is a 5.5% pale ale with an aroma of grapefruit.

The company also markets soft drinks known as Rio.[5] In 1957 Hall and Woodhouse started manufacturing soft drinks, from 1974 under the Panda Pops[6] brand, but closed the plant and sold the brand to Nichols plc in 2005,[7] citing its key competitors as having the strategic advantage of lower production costs through greater scale, lower wage costs, better geographical location and more efficient and up-to-date plant.

In October 2023, it was announced Rio had been acquired from Hall and Woodhouse by British soft drink manufacturer, A.G. Barr for £12.3 million.[8]

• A Taste of Life (Hall and Woodhouse Celebrating 225 years), David Boag and Nick Wilcox-Brown, Hall and Woodhouse (2002), ASIN B000UTOJCG

• Official website