The Brewery Big Birthday event-celebrating 21 years.

Saturday 23rd July 2022 11am-3pm: The management team and retailers from The Brewery, Romford’s retail and leisure complex, will be joining together to celebrate The Brewery turning 21 years old! With a Silent Disco, Balloon Selfie Station, Face-painters, Giveaways, Competitions and more – there will be plenty of fun for all the family!

The aim of The Brewery’s Big Birthday Event is to take time to reminisce over the past 21 years, share happy memories, and celebrate with their wonderful community; showing gratitude and love to their loyal customers.

Marvel at those retailers who have been with the complexsince the beginning – TK Maxx, Sainsbury’s, Boots, Starbucks, Pizza Express, Frankie & Bennies, Nando’s, Shopmobility, McDonalds and our 16 Screen Cinema! And show appreciation for all those retailers and leisure destinations who have joined them along the way.

We hope that the Romford community will join us in celebrating The Brewery’s long history and we look forward to seeing you on Saturday 23rd July for our special 21st Birthday Event.

The History of The Brewery

Prior to this, the site was home to the Romford Brewery – Romford’s main industry and largest employer for 200 years.

The once iconic Romford Brewery was founded in 1708 by Benjamin Wilson. It originated as an extension to the long-standing Star Inn on the old High Street. The River Rom enabled the Romford Brewery to take advantage of the river’s free-flowing water, a necessity in the brewing process! One of the Romford Brewery’s most popular beers was John Bull-Bitter, and if you are of a certain age, you may well remember it! 

The Romford Brewery closed its doors in 1993 and was demolished and redeveloped as The Brewery Shopping Centre, where it opened its doors in 2001. But the memory of the traditional site never goes far. One of the 160 ft (50 m) chimneys was incorporated into the design. It had dominated the Romford skyline for years, so it would have been sad to demolish it! Part of the site now houses the Havering Museum. On one side of the old Romford High Street, where the Romford Brewery once stood, there remains a row of some of the original factory buildings, which retain many of their original design features. 

With the opening of a mainline railway network at Romford in 1839, the town was able to grow. Today, the centre is a two-minute walk from Romford train station, and the centre is served by over 40 bus routes!

The Brewery Romford Shopping and Leisure Complex

Since opening in the summer of 2001, the Brewery has brought an exciting mix of retail, dining, leisure, and entertainment, with an indoor-outdoor shopping experience. 

Even through the challenges of the Global Pandemic, The Brewery has maintained its place at the centre of the local community, providing a safe shopping experience, as well asmanaging to withstand the significant downturn many shopping centres have faced. Instead it has seen its centre thrive, welcoming exciting new tenants and building an even better centre for its customers.

Throughout the years, the centre has been a major employer of local staff too. Today, The Brewery shopping centre, that we all know and love, employs over 550 staff and is home to 14 Cafes & restaurants, 23 Retailers and 5 Leisure Destinations.

From beer to bargains, some of our wonderful staff used to work in the Romford Brewery. 

Bonnie, for example, has worked at Sainsbury’s since the opening of the shopping centre. 

She started her working life aged 14, at The Brewery Company Ltd, alongside her whole family, contributing together over 100 years of service! 
When Bonnie returned to the centre, she explains, “it was like coming home.” 
And while the smell of hops is a distant memory for Bonnie, these days she enjoys dining at Patisserie Valerie and catching up with friends at Costa Coffee.