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Original Text (Annotation: EAW044008 / 2007191)
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The Elephants Head Brewery (Camden Brewery). Purchased by Courage in 1923, Brewing ceased in 1926.
During this time, London was the brewing capital of the world, with some enormous breweries positioned around the capital. Two of those were Courage and Barclay Perkins (at one time the world’s largest brewery), both based in south London.
Courage and Barclay Perkins also owned many pubs and they were looking to increase their property at the time when they could see that Camden Brewery was struggling. Camden were making 42,000 barrels a year at this point (about 12 million pints a year!), but Courage and Barclay Perkins weren’t interested in the beer, they wanted the pub estate to broaden their reach across London, particularly in the north. When it came to be acquired, instead of bidding for the brewery, the chairmen of both Courage and Barclay Perkins came together and tossed a coin to see who would get Camden Brewery. Courage won, and you can still see their mark on pubs across London today. '