On Your Doorstep: Banks’s Brewery

Put On Your Beer Googles – It’s Time for a Bank’s Brewery Tour!  

One of the many great benefits of living here at TheStudios in Wolverhampton is the sheer number of things to see and do, both in the immediate area around the building and a little further afield too. Ours is a city full of culture and excitement, there is always something to tickle your fancy!

We’re lucky to have a very popular tourist destination right here on our doorstep too – the famous Banks’s Brewery lies just over the road, just a 5-minute walk away from TheStudios. Banks’s Beer, founded in Wolverhampton in 1875, has been brewing its famous selection of beers, including the world-renowned Banks’s Mild, on this site for almost 150 years. With its iconic chimney standing tall in the Wolverhampton skyline to this day, the brewery is a jewel in the crown of industry in the city.  

A Brief History of Banks’s Brewery

The first cask of Banks’s rolled out of this brewery in 1875. Since that day, the business has grown and grown, seeing rapid expansion in recent years with mergers and pub expansion across the UK and further afield.

In 1999, the company purchased Marston’s, the famous pub chain. Just a few years ago they again continued expansion and are today known as the Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company, having merged with the Danish Carlsberg Group in 2020. Marston’s sold their share of the business (which included their breweries but not their pubs) in July 2024.

Throughout England, Scotland and Wales, there are over 1,350 Marston’s pubs, all of which sell the well-known and loved Banks’s Beers. Banks’s selection now includes a wide range of beers and ales, from Amber Bitter, Golden Beer and Mild to Barley Gold and Dark Mild.

In 2011, Banks’s opened their visitors centre and brewery tour, allowing the public to enter the brewery and witness the brewing process for the very first time.

Brewery Tours!

The Banks’s Brewery Tour is a great experience for those who are beer lovers, looking to learn more about the Black Country-based beer and the process behind creating some of the most beloved names in brewing.

Throughout the tour, you are given the opportunity to explore the brewing process, see what goes into a Banks’s beer and even taste some samples. Who could resist? Those taking the tour can look forward to three free half pints of cask ale as they make their way around.

This is a great day out for those who are partial to a pint. Whether you go alone, with friends or with some of your neighbours here at TheStudios, you can look forward to a real insight into the Wolverhampton-based brewery and the beers they create.

Ideal for Corporate Stays

Our proximity to the brewery works in both directions too. If you’re an employee of the Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company and find yourself needing accommodation in Wolverhampton, we offer our fully furnished studio apartments starting from as little as four months’ residency. Our luxury living high rise merges modern comforts with top-notch amenities, all within walking distance of Banks’s Brewery.

It’s an excellent choice for brewery employees looking for a short commute and a vibrant community to return to after work. Enjoy the ease of our all-inclusive living, where everything from your utilities and internet access to regular housekeeping is covered, allowing you to focus on work and leisure without the hassle of a typical rental agreement.

Find out more

If you are staying at The Studios, this is a great opportunity for you to relax and enjoy some time in the city of culture that is Wolverhampton. The Banks Brewery Tour is available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11am, 2pm and 6:30pm, and on Saturdays at 12pm. Prebooking is essential so head to the Banks’s Brewery website to see prices and availability.

NB: While we were updating and refreshing this blog from a previous version, we heard the sad news that the brewery will be closed in the autumn of 2025 as part of a restructuring operation by the owners.