The decline of gentlemanly capitalism Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries and the consolidation of the UK beer market
The tweed jacket once worn by the gentleman brewer: in the attic. The gentleman banker’s pinstripe suit and bowler hat: donated to Oxfam. Gentleman brewer and banker have disappeared. With them have gone the British brewing industry and the British investment banks.
The gentleman banker conjures up an image of a middle-aged man in the City’s mufti, giving sage advice to well-heeled private clients. Among his clients would have been a gentleman brewer, who spent his life at his club, his country house, his brewery... and occasionally in the City to discuss investment opportunities. For centuries, British business and politics have reflected the values of the four pillars of society: the aristocracy, the clergy, the bourgeoisie and the "beerage", the so-called beer aristocracy.P...
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