The King and Queen Commemorate 250 Years of Hall & Woodhouse

Their Majesties The King and Queen  were today (Thursday 16 July 2026) welcomed to the Hall & Woodhouse Badger Brewery in Blandford, Dorset to mark the beginning of the company’s 250^th anniversary.

Hall & Woodhouse was founded in 1777 by Charles Hall, a Dorset farmer who began brewing beer from his excess grain. Today, the company is owned and stewarded by 7^th and 8^th generation family members.

As well as commemorating the brewer’s 250-year history, the visit acknowledged Hall & Woodhouse’s confidence in its future. The company is committed to providing opportunities, giving back to the communities in which it operates, and protecting the planet for the next generation.

During the visit, The King and Queen met a number of company’s current chef and brewing apprentices. Their Majesties also met the team behind local Teddy Rocks festival, a charitable festival which Hall & Woodhouse has sponsored since 2019. To date, Teddy Rocks has raised more than £1million to children’s cancer charities.

Anthony Woodhouse, chairman and 7^th generation custodian of Hall & Woodhouse, said: “It’s an immense privilege to welcome The King and Queen to Blandford during such a remarkable moment for our business. We’re celebrating our first 250 years and have our sights firmly set on success for many more generations ahead. We’ve expanded our apprenticeship schemes in recent years, building and growing our team for the future and it was an honour to introduce Their Majesties to some of our apprentices today.

“We are incredibly proud of our heritage and are committed to continuing the success of the company for the benefit of communities now and for generations to come. Our support for extraordinary charity initiatives, such as Teddy Rocks festival, remains a non-negotiable, and we’re more committed than ever to reducing our impact on the planet and inspiring positive change for our environment.”

During the visit, Toby Heasman, Head Brewer, presented The King with a bottle of Coronation Ale, which the brewery first produced in 2023 to celebrate His Majesty’s coronation. The King and Queen also unveiled a commemorative plaque that honours the organisation’s first 250 years. The plaque is displayed within Hall & Woodhouse’s Brewery Tap bar and café, situated in the Victorian maltings of the original brewery.

Today, Hall & Woodhouse produces over 9 million pints of beer every year, employs more than 1,500 people, and runs circa 140 pubs across the South of England. Its company purpose is to ‘Make People’s Day and Enrich Our Communities from Generation to Generation’.

Find out more about Hall & Woodhouse in the 2026 Impact Report: hall-woodhouse.co.uk/impact-report/