Our Story
A Sleeping Giant
Our now Managing Director, Steve Nuttall, first came across the Joule’s trademark when he was a young Marketing Manager working for Bass Brewers around 1990. Joule’s was always in the back of his mind, it irritated him that such an astonishing brand was left, literally, on the shelf. He made a call to an old friend, still in the marketing department and asked if Bass Brewers would sell the trademark, which they did, 18 years later…
The 4th Joule’s Brewery
In 2010 as soon as they had finished building the new Joule’s Brewery [technically the fourth, the first one was in Salford, the second created by Francis in Stone, prior to John making the third, obviously the largest] we looked to find a pub so we could have a presence in the brands home town of Stone. To find out more about the now 4th Joule’s Brewery head over to the Joules Brewery website.
Sympathetically Restored
The pub dates back to 1623 and has been sympathetically restored to encompass the new Brewery which has been built on a half-acre site behind the ancient pub. The Red Lion is a true reflection of the Joule’s Trade Mark and we have designed the brewery around it.
Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson of Kilburn
The ‘Mouseroom’ was carefully installed between the Brewery and Tap in 2010 with fantastic Mouseman panelling as the centrepiece of our hospitality room. We have a philosophy in the way we go about restoring our Taps, we use natural materials and local Craftsmen to help us do the work. We use the best materials we can lay our hands-on and we find the more natural the material, the better, as it lasts, and it gains a lustre. These materials have been around forever, so it suits our style and with over half our Pubs being listed buildings then it suits them too. We use oak as our timber, the colour, texture and patina is unique. In total, the Tap has 7 carved mice and the only nodding mouse the Mouseman ever crafted. Over the years, we have added a few more pieces, 3 Mouseman church pews as well as some furniture from Mouseman apprentices known as the ‘Yorkshire critters’ who each carved their signatures [look out for Gnomes, Beavers & Lizards].
BP Portrait Award Winning
To celebrate the people who helped bring Joule’s to Market Drayton in 2010, the Directors of the Brewery commissioned renowned artist Andrew Tift to paint 8 Craftsmen, each representing their trade. Andrew Tift normally works on portraits of the rich and famous; Tony Benn, Neil Kinnock, and Ken Livingstone among others. Winner of the BP portrait award and nationally recognised, Andrew is famously slow, as his work is meticulous, so the Brewery has been sitting patiently, the complete work is yet unfinished. The whole commission will be done over several years unveiling the Monks one by one as they are completed. Well worth a visiting soon slipped away…
74 Foot Below
In the main bar, tucked around the corner is the original well and water source for the site, which the original Red Lion Inn would have used as the main watering point. Now it’s glazed over and you can stand (if you dare) and stare down to the illuminated watery depths below. The well is fed by an aquifer that runs between Stone and Market Drayton, the very water that Joule’s Brewed with at the 2nd and 3rd Brewery and today at our 4th site.
Brewed a stones throw away
There is a large beer yard at the heart of the Brewery & Tap, central to the whole site. As you sit outside you can see through the large windows into the Brew House and the Mouseroom, certainly a great nosey spot. You might even bump into one of our Brew team found sampling their brews after a hard day’s work, they’re always happy to chat. Always on Tap, Joule’s Pale Ale, Slumbering Monk, Pure Blonde and our English craft lager Green Monkey, alongside our rotating seasonal ale and cold craft beer. All brewed in Market Drayton with pure Shropshire mineral water.
By Joule’s It’s Brewed
Don’t miss our public tours held on the first Wednesday of every month, tickets are available to buy from the bar or by calling the team on 01630 652 602.