The Brewing Industry Research Foundation is now part of Campden BRI, a research association serving all sectors of the food and drink industry. The Brewing Division was based next to the M23 at Nutfield, and the other Divisions are located in

Chipping Campden Chipping Campden is a market town in the Cotswold (district), Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It is notable for its terraced High Street, dating from the 14th to the 17th centuries. A wool trading centre in the Middle Ages, Chipp ...

, Gloucestershire, where about 250 people are employed.

History

Formation

In 1946 the Institute of Brewing recommended the setting up of an experimental research station, the Brewing Industry Research Foundation, with a full-time Director of Research and in 1947 Dr J Masson Gulland (Professor of Organic Chemistry, the

University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. Nottingham's main campus (University Park Campus, Nottingh ...

) was appointed to that position. Sadly Dr Masson Gulland was killed in a train crash before taking up his position and hence Sir Ian Heilbron (

Imperial College London Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a Public university, public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a Al ...

) agreed to become the second Director of Research at the new Brewing Industry Research Foundation (BIRF)in 1949.

Research building

In 1948 Lyttel Hall, Nutfield in

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

was purchased and the main Hall was converted into laboratories, the squash court into a pilot brewery and other new buildings were developed as a workshops and conference facilities. In 1951 the Duke of Edinburgh

Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

formally opened the site. BIRF later became The Brewing Research Foundation, BRF International, Brewing Research International and until its merger with CCFRA was simply known as BRI.

Research scope

Initially the BIRF focused on fundamental and applied research for the malting and brewing industries of the UK. Its staff made useful contributions in the areas of

barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

germination and

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom (biology), kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are est ...

physiology. Since that time its role has evolved to become more service orientated offering analysis, food safety and information packages to an international client base.

Brewers Patents Ltd

The control of Brewing Patents Ltd was transferred in 1976 from the Brewers' Society to the Brewing Research Foundation.

Important Brewing Scientist Training Ground

Many young scientists of the Brewing Industry found initial employment at this Foundation to become important contributors elsewhere in the Brewing and allied industries.

Merger

In October 2008, Campden BRI was formed by the merger of Brewing Research International with Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA) of

, which was formed in 1919 and is the largest membership-based food research organisation in the world. In the 1920s it devised the Campden Solution, which was later commercialised as the Campden Tablet. In June 2024, the Brewing site in Nutfield closed and is currently for sale.

Functions

Its services are used by the vast majority of the world's brewing companies.

References

External links

Campden BRI

Brewing Research International

Brewers Patents Ltd

News items

Healthy cider in May 2002
{{Authority control Beer in the United Kingdom Brewing research Food science institutes Research institutes in Surrey Research institutes in Gloucestershire Organizations established in 1946