If Carlsberg did... 28 billion pints in 50 years

Martin Heath,BBC News, Northamptonshire
Carlsberg Tall concrete factory building under construction with scaffolding Carlsberg
The longboat-inspired brewery was already taking shape in June 1972

A brewery that pumps out two million pints a day is celebrating a major milestone.

The Carlsberg brewery in Northampton was officially opened 50 years ago on 10 May 1974.

It is thought to have produced about 28 billion pints over the last half century.

The famous National Lift Tower in the town is being lit up to mark the occasion.

Carlsberg Brewery, showing silos, chimney and large concrete buildingCarlsberg
By November 1973, the brewery was up and running
Carlsberg Factory yard, showing pallets of lager and a lorryCarlsberg
Thousands of pints were being brewed each day by 1975

Lager was still a relatively new phenomenon in the UK when the engineering firm Arup and the Danish architect Knud Munk were commissioned to create a new brewery in Northampton that would "express the best in modern Danish architecture".

The cost of the project was £15m.

The River Nene was diverted to create space for the huge concrete building which was inspired by a Danish longboat.

It won architectural awards, even if the brutalist style was not to everyone's taste.

Getty images Princess Benedikte, wearing a small hat and black jacket, steps out of a carGetty images
Princess Benedikte of Denmark officially opened the brewery on 10 May 1974
Getty images Princess looking through an inspection window of a hopper while two men in suits watchGetty images
Princess Benedikte, said to like a beer at bedtime, toured the factory

Brewing had started on site in 1973, but the official opening was performed on 10 May 1974 by Princess Benedikte of Denmark who is said to enjoy a cool beer before bed.

The plant got bigger over the years, with a major expansion in 2013 increasing brewery output by a third.

It now employs about 230 people and runs an engineering apprenticeship scheme for new recruits to the industry.

Carlsberg Aerial shot of Northampton showing brewery in foregroundCarlsberg
The Carlsberg brewery has been a familiar feature of Northampton for fifty years

To celebrate the 50th anniversary, the brewery and its rival for dominance of the skyline, the 418-foot National Lift Tower, will light up in Carlsberg green on Friday and Saturday.

A ceremony has already taken place to bury a time capsule containing historic and modern items from the brewery, with instructions for it to be opened to mark the centenary.

An abseil down the lift tower is being organised for staff to mark this year's 50th anniversary of Northampton Hope Centre.

Jacob Aarup-Andersen, the chief executive of Carlsberg Group, said: “As the first brewery Carlsberg built outside of Denmark in Europe, the Carlsberg Brewery in Northampton holds a special place in our history."

Carlsberg - known for its famous "If Carlsberg did..." advertising slogan, was founded in 1847 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

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