6th September 2024
#Heritage
Did you know that, long before lorries, the delicious beer that stocked our pubs was delivered by horse and cart? The magnificent horses that pulled our barrel-laden wagons were once the vital link between brewery and bar. And while trucks have now taken over that chore, we still honour the hard work of those faithful animals every year.
‘What’s a Dray?’ we hear you say
They were the flat carts piled high with beer barrels. And the special Shire horses that pulled them were known as (not surprisingly) Dray horses. By the end of the 20th Century, we had over twenty of these gentle giants, and we still had twelve when we closed the brewery in 2006. If you ever meet one, you won’t forget it. They’re incredible creatures that are impossible not to love. They’re mild-mannered but oh-so-powerful (strong enough to haul tons of beer around London’s streets). They look even more imposing in their elaborate working harness and regalia, driven by their smart-suited, bowler-hatted Draymen.
For our first Century and a half (give or take a decade or two), the horses would rest in the stables at the Coach & Horses in Kew (where they would have been in the company of some straight-out-of-Dick-Turpin characters). And, of course, at the stables at our Wandsworth brewery, which became a bit of a wildlife sanctuary.
There were Geese — lucky Geese, even. It was maintained that they brought good luck to the brewery and that bad luck would happen if they flew away, so you can imagine how well spoilt they were. There was a Shetland pony (who looked like a toy horse next to the Shires). There were two donkeys who had been re-homed in the stables after they were abandoned outside a Young’s pub. They got the names Brenda and Glynis (after two of John Young’s favourite colleagues). And there was a cat called Dave there to keep an eye on everything and everyone. Every member of the stables family was treated like royalty, and every Sunday (in the 1970s – 90s), the local community was invited to come in and meet them. That made it a bit of a city farm, really.
But there is one stablemate of the Drays who needs special mention
The Dorset Horn ram is our proud mascot. And, a real one named RamRod D’Arcy lived in the brewery stables, too. Pride of the pack he was. All the animals and this super-cute woolly wonder lived in harmony together. Can you imagine the scene? We think it’s so, so cute.
See our Drays on Young’s Day
In fact, we doted on our Dray horses so much (and so did the local community) that some remained in service in Wandsworth right up until 2006. But even though our beer deliveries are now fully motorised, the Dray tradition will always be remembered. Young’s Day (it’s on September 19th this year) is a time for fun and frolics, with parties held across all our pubs, but it’s also a moment to remember our heritage. So, it’s the perfect excuse to proudly parade our two pairs of majestic Drays through the City of London and Greenwich (much to the wide-eyed wonder of passers-by).
So, why not come and say hello if you’re out and about on the day? Here are their routes to help you follow in their hoofsteps.
