Beginning right here in Sudbury, as far back as 1795, we at Mauldons have been brewing for almost 230 years! Centuries of crafting ales with the same passion you see today; we continue to build on our traditional methods whilst being mindful of the environment.
Our legacy to become the oldest brewery in East Anglia began with Anna Maria Mauldon. The Mauldon Family first purchased The White Horse Inn and later The Bull Inn; forming a partnership between Anna Maria and her son Christie Edwin Mauldon. It was here that she began brewing Mauldons’ beers and by 1891 the business was well-known under the name ‘A.M. Mauldon & Son.’
Anna was fed up with breweries serving average beer - so she started brewing her own. She happened to be very good at it!
Over the following years, hundreds of beers were brewed and poured at both The White Horse, The Bull and the 7 pubs that had been added during that time. Demand was so high that a separate brewery had to be constructed behind The White Horse – appropriately dubbed ‘The White Horse Brewery’. Business is never a straight upward climb, which the family discovered when the business was struck by a fire, causing significant damage to their properties. This fire did not put Mauldons to an end, as the brewery was rebuilt to an even larger size than before!
Difficulties then returned, the as long-term impact of the Second World War caught up with the business. The limited access to new technologies such as electricity, culminated into the sale of J.C. Mauldon & Sons Ltd to Greene King in 1958. The sale included 28 licensed houses and an off-license shop.
It was Anna Maria Mauldon’s great-grandson, Peter Mauldon, who re-established the business around 20 years later. In 1981, the family tradition had returned to its roots in Sudbury once again! Peter has been passionate about brewing all his life having worked for breweries across the country. When the newly constructed brewery was up and running again on the Chilton Industrial Estate, Steve Birch began brewing alongside Peter. Over 40 years later, Steve remains our head brewer!
In 2000 Steven and Alison Sims purchased the brewery, upon Peter Mauldon’s retirement. Steve continued his dedication to well-crafted cask favourites; all produced through traditional methods with quality local ingredients.
As of 2019, Mauldons has been owned and managed by Charles Buckle at Nedging Hall Estate. Both Charles and Steve’s passion for brewing has helped Mauldons flourish and grow. Our most recent growth has been the addition of ‘The Birch Building,’ a large purpose-built cold store dedicated to Steve Birch.
At its core Mauldons is a family business, and we continue to reinforce those values. Our brewery family, although small, have a strong passion for making great beer. We are brought together by our shared drive to continue to produce carefully crafted ales whilst being mindful of the environment We're proud of our Suffolk roots and have a fascinating heritage behind us; having been associated with brewing for 230 years
Whenever you open one of our bottles or pour a pint, just know that it has been crafted with the same care and precision as Anna Maria Mauldon all those years ago.
