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Fifty years ago, Nottinghamshire had around 430 breweries, but today only one regional one survives: namely Hardy & Hansons (H & H) of Kimberley.

Regrettably the Mansfield Brewery in the North of the county was closed last year following a takeover bid in 2000 by West Midlands based Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries.

Fortunately for Nottinghamshire’s real-ale drinkers’, nine full-mash microbreweries (smaller versions of the vast complexes like the Kimberley plant) now exist.

Mention Nottingham and breweries to most ex-Nottinghamians and ‘ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Ales’ and ‘Shipstones’ will probably be top of their list. Both are long gone but their memories live on.