The Blue Stoops pub in central London is reviving one of the great names in British brewing, Allsopp’s which traces its roots to 1730 at the Blue Stoops Inn in Burton-upon-Trent.
Pub culture is one of the things I love the most about the U.K. Everyone has their “local,” the place where co-workers go to unwind, football fans gather before heading to the match, and families share the classic Sunday roast. Although the current situation for pubs across the U.K is dire—according to the BBC, nearly two pubs close each day in the U.K—a unique pub in Kensington, West London, is at the heart of the revival of one of the most storied names in British brewing history.
At first glance, The Blue Stoops looks like your classic British boozer. Inside, the bar area is bustling, filled with locals chatting away and tourists who wander in, lured by the appeal of having a pint in a historic London pub. It’s friendly, with the feel of a proper local. But a closer look reveals what’s unique about this one—absent from the bar are the ubiquitous commercial brews. Here, people come to drink Allsopp’s ales.
One of the great names in British brewing, Allsopp’s traces its roots to 1730 at the Blue Stoops Inn in Burton-upon-Trent, where Benjamin Wilson began brewing the robust ales that would bring him international fame. In 1807, his great-nephew Samuel Allsopp—then just 27—bought the brewery for £7,000. By 1822, he had pioneered the India Pale Ale that would make the family name famous across the Empire.
