Malting and brewing

Malting and brewing began in Wellington long before the Nineteenth Century and was recorded in the town by 1601. When the Victorian era began, most publicans brewed their own beer, relying on local maltsters to provide them with the raw materials to carry out the process. In 1840, there were at least 10 malthouses in Wellington providing this service, although some public houses, such as The Raven in Walker Street (currently known as 'Rasputin's') had their own facilities. By 1861, there were still 21 maltsters, malt men and malt makers working in the town, but by then the trade was beginning to turn from a cottage industry into a large-scale commercial operation.

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