From fire to future learning: nostalgic return to brewery site for former Mitchells & Butler worker

A former Mitchells & Butlers employee who spent more than three decades working at the historic Springfield Brewery has returned to the site where his working life began – now transformed into the University of Wolverhampton’s Springfield Campus. 

Stuart Burgess, who worked for the brewery for 33 years, was given a guided tour of the campus last week, accompanied by his daughter, Leigh Burgess, who now works at the University as a School and Programme Administrator. 

The visit proved deeply nostalgic for Stuart, who began his career at the brewery as a young man on a temporary three‑week contract, taken on simply to earn enough money for a holiday. 

“I started as a temp, just filling barrels in the cellars,” Stuart said. “I was planning on leaving, but before I knew it, they asked me to stay on – and that was it. One thing led to another.” 

Over the next three decades, Stuart worked his way up through the ranks, starting in the cellars before moving into the brewhouse, working rotating shifts that covered everything from early mornings to overnight production – including Christmas Day and Boxing Day. 

“You did all the shifts – six till two, two till ten, ten till six,” he recalled. “The yeast doesn’t stop for Christmas.” 

Stuart went on to become a manager, eventually overseeing major logistics and delivery operations across Birmingham and the wider region. He was also working as a manager at Springfield at the time of one of the most significant events in the site’s history – the devastating fire of August 2004. 

The blaze broke out on the evening of Sunday 15 August and burned through the night, requiring more than 100 firefighters to bring it under control. The four‑storey, largely timber‑built brewery was left severely damaged and structurally unsafe. 

“The building was mainly timber in places,” Stuart said. “When it went, it really went. You don’t ever forget seeing something like that. It was heartbreaking.” 

For many former employees, the fire marked the emotional end of an era for one of Wolverhampton’s most recognisable industrial landmarks – a workplace that had provided skilled employment for generations and brewed the famous Springfield Bitter. 

Returning to the site more than 20 years later, now reimagined as a centre for education and innovation, stirred powerful memories for Stuart. 

“It brings everything back,” he said. “We lived just around the corner when I worked here. Walking through it now, you can still picture where everything was – the brewing areas, the labs where the yeast was tested, the people.” 

He reflected positively on the building’s new role as part of the University’s Springfield Campus, home to teaching and research focused on the built environment. 

“It was always a place of learning,” he added. “You had to learn so many skills here – nothing was random. To see it being used to educate people again feels right. After the fire, I never thought I’d see it brought back like this.” 

For Leigh Burgess, accompanying her father on the tour was equally meaningful. 

“It means a lot to see where Dad spent so much of his life,” she said. “And now to work here myself – it feels like things coming full circle.” 

The visit highlights Springfield’s unique place in Wolverhampton’s industrial heritage, and how the site continues to shape lives and careers, even as its purpose has evolved. 

As Stuart left the campus, memories of hard work, friendships and pride clearly lingering, he summed up the experience simply: 

“It was a good life. I’ve got nothing but fond memories of this place.” 

Photo caption: Stuart Burgess reminisces at brewery visit with daughter Leigh Burgess