Manchester brewery Joseph Holt has produced a commemorative beer glass marking the achievements of welfare pioneer Lady Margaret Holt.
Margaret was married to Edward, grandson of the brewery’s eponymous owner, Joseph Holt. She put the welfare of Manchester at the heart of her work, sitting on the founding committee that set up the National Health Service in the city.
She also worked indefatigably to help create a centre of excellence for cancer treatment in the North West. Previous members of the family had fundraised to establish the Manchester Radium Institute, which pioneered the use of radium for the treatment of cancer. In 1933, this merged with The Christie Hospital and was the forerunner of the present day leading international cancer centre.
As founder and chair of the Women’s Trust Fund, originally known as the Christie Women’s Auxiliary Committee, Margaret became a key figure in deciding the progress of the hospital.
When Margaret passed away in 1996, she left £7.5 million worth of Joseph Holt shares to be used for cancer research. At the time, this was the largest ever legacy to be made to a hospital in the North West.
Along with that of Lady Margaret, the brewery is releasing other commemorative glasses to honour trailblazers among the six generations of the Joseph Holt family who have contributed so much to the industry and the community.
Lady Margaret Holt
Others include founder Joseph Holt, who started his brewing career in 1849. In 1860, he built the current brewery, close to the centre of Manchester. These glasses will be used to serve customers who order Holt’s recently launched Trailblazer stout. The drink is the first time Joseph Holt has brewed its own stout. Already, Trailblazer has trounced Guinness in a blind taste test, says the brewer.
As with the other glasses, Lady Margaret’s portrait has been artfully stencilled with white and red graphics, along with key aspects of her life. All these become pronounced when Trailblazer, with its dark, velvet body and firm creamy head, is poured into the glass to create a perfect contrasting background to such historical details.
Jane Kershaw is the sixth generation of the Holt family to work in the business. As well as being a master brewer, she is the first woman to sit on the board of Joseph Holt.
“The Joseph Holt brewery puts community at the heart of our business,” she said. “Lady Margaret Holt was a true trailblazer who did so much for charity. It seemed a perfect fit to commemorate her legacy and that of others in the family story with a glass that celebrates her trailblazing role.
“Lady Margaret was an amazing woman who did so much for the brewing industry and for the welfare of the people of Manchester. The fact that she is the first woman to be celebrated on a beer glass this way makes us particularly proud.”
