Archive record · Brewery
Bass Brewery
Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom
- Founded
- 1777
- Archive ID
- TB-FFS309XG
- Last checked
- 2026-08-05
Who owns this brewery?
The direct owner is recorded. No company is held above it.
- Bass BreweryThis brewery
- Anheuser-Busch InBevConglomerate
From the record
Summary
Founded by William Bass. Its red triangle was the first trademark registered under the UK Trade Marks Registration Act, in 1876. Bass Pale Ale was exported worldwide and appears in Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergère. The brand is now owned by AB InBev and brewed under licence.
A summary written during research. The sourced facts are in the sections below.
Tally’s Take
The red triangle is the oldest registered trademark in Britain, and a man queued overnight to be first to file it. Bass was the beer of the empire — Burton water made pale ale possible and Bass sent it everywhere. It is now a licensed brand rather than a brewery, which is a quiet ending for something that once defined an entire style.
The Museum
Timeline
- 2000Sold to Interbrew
Interbrew buys the brewing operations of Bass PLC in June 2000 for £2.3 billion. The Bass name — holder of the first registered trademark in Britain — passes out of British ownership and eventually into AB InBev.
The People
Behind the beer
The Beer Library
Beers
Bass Pale Ale
Year-RoundEnglish Pale Ale
The beer behind the first registered trademark in Britain. Burton's sulphate-rich water made pale ale possible, and Bass shipped it across the empire.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Follow the money
How it changed hands
1 recorded move- 1777Founded
- 2000Sold to Interbrew
Interbrew buys the brewing operations of Bass PLC in June 2000 for £2.3 billion. The Bass name — holder of the first registered trademark in Britain — passes out of British ownership and eventually into AB InBev.
Today the chain tops out at Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Show your working
Sources
- controlConfirmed
Bass Brewery is controlled by Founder / family.
Anheuser-Busch InBev — SEC filing · U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission · 2026-02
PrimaryHigh reliabilitySource accessed 2026-08-05Claim last checked 2026-08-05
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about Bass Brewery
- Who owns Bass Brewery?
- Bass Brewery is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Bass Brewery is based in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
- Is Bass Brewery still independent?
- No. Bass Brewery is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev and is no longer independent.
- When was Bass Brewery acquired?
- 2000. Interbrew buys the brewing operations of Bass PLC in June 2000 for £2.3 billion. The Bass name — holder of the first registered trademark in Britain — passes out of British ownership and eventually into AB InBev.
- When was Bass Brewery founded?
- Bass Brewery was founded in 1777 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
Drinking Bass Brewery? Stamp it in your passport.
Discover it here — collect it in the Passport. Track every beer, earn stamps, and build your own beer passport.
Every brewery deserves its full story told.
If you're the owner or team behind Bass Brewery, we'll build out your complete profile — history, the people, every beer — and feature you in a Tally's documentary. No cost, just your story.
No payment affects this record — editorial policy