From Marmite to ale, the
FROM DOUBLE DIAMOND TO DRAUGHT BURTON ALE - THE DUKE LOVED HIS BURTON-BREWED BEERS
THE Duke of Edinburgh was no stranger to Burton, visiting the area’s landmark companies, be they breweries or Marmite.
Prince Philip’s first visit was on Thursday March 28, 1957, and encompassed a lengthy 23-mile Royal route from Sudbury station to its termination at the famous archway of Repton School.
This visit to Burton was history in the making as Her Majesty became the first reigning Queen to grace the town with her presence.
After stepping off the Royal train, the Queen and Prince Philip were greeted by the Lord Lieutenant of Stafford, Mr H Wallace-copland, and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Dr Charles Hill, while the two station waiting rooms were filled to the rafters with flowers.
After miles of country lanes and residential streets, the Royal party finally arrived at the town hall in King Edward Place.
A guard of honour was formed as the obligatory visitors’ book and portrait were signed before the Queen and Prince Philip made their way to the town hall balcony to wave to the throngs of supporters.
During the Queen’s visit in 1957, time was taken to plant a tiny horse chestnut sapling on The Green at Tutbury Castle. Her Royal Highness joked that she was unlucky with planting trees and said with a chuckle: “I don’t appear to have very green fingers.”
While the Queen’s next visit to the area was in 1982, she travelled without the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip.
The Duke’s next visit to the area was in December 1995 when, along with Her Majesty the Queen, the royals marked the golden jubilee of digger giant JCB at its Rocester headquarters.
Arriving in separate cars, the Duke arrived before Her Majesty the
Queen and was greeted by Sir Anthony Bamford, the company’s chairman and managing director. The Duke was then given a tour of the foyer of the Rocester headquarters and was shown the production lines of the loading shovel and JCB Loadall models.
Her Majesty and Prince Philip later regrouped to tour the office area of the headquarters alongside Sir Anthony Bamford, chief executive Martin Coyne and the Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire James Hawley. After lunch, the Queen and Duke travelled together by car to the replica garage at Hollington Road where an anniversary plaque was unveiled in front of 100 former JCB employees.
At around 3pm, 20 minutes behind schedule, the Royal party left for Burton.
While the Queen officially opened the town’s £34 million hospital complex, the Duke of Edinburgh went to the Carlsberg Tetley Brewery at Station Street.
The Duke was known to be a fan of the beer Double Diamond and so a trip to Burton for the Duke would not have been complete without a visit to see where it was brewed.
The Duke arrived at the Samuel Allsopp Brewery – a brewery within a brewery – where he was greeted by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Lieutenant Colonel David German.
The Duke was escorted to the famous Allsopp brewhouse where he was introduced to head brewer Peter Sunderland. It was here that the Duke was shown the Samuel Allsopp brewing log of 1935 which listed the grandfather of the Double Diamond beer.
The brewery was in the process of brewing a special Royal Diamond ale to mark the Royal visit and it was here that Peter Sunderland discovered Prince Philip’s dry sense of humour. When asked if he would like to add the hops to the brew, the Duke of Edinburgh said: “You’re paid to do it, you should put it in.”
Brewery insiders said that the Duke did not taste any Double Diamond beer during his visit despite being offered a sample. Instead he opted to taste Draught Burton Ale and Skol lager.
However, in May 2016, the Duke of Edinburgh was sent two bottles of Dual Diamond – a beer brewed by the town’s Old Cottage Brewing Company to mark the launch of a book on the Ind Coope brewery. The Royal’s next visit to the town was on July 3, 2002, and was part of the golden jubilee celebrations. Cheering crowds lined every yard
When asked if he would like to add the hops to the brew, the Duke of Edinburgh said: “You’re paid to do it, you should put it in.”