Behind every pint of Brewhogs beer lies a remarkable story – one that spans continents and decades. Our brewery starts its story in 1984 when Robert Morton DG Ltd (RMDG) from Burton-On-Trent, UK, was commissioned by South African Breweries to design and supply a classic showpiece brewery for the newly opened Gold Reef City theme park in Johannesburg. Known for their expertise in stainless-steel fabrication and process design, RMDG were well positioned to produce this one-of-a-kind brewery for SAB.
The brewery was manufactured in the UK, shipped to South Africa, and established at the Heritage Brewery in Gold Reef City in 1985. Under the watchful eye of head brewer Bill Higgins, the brewery produced the famous “Diggers Draught” for the nearby Barney’s Tavern (it was also fondly referred to as “Barney’s Draught” by customers). For beer enthusiasts of a certain age, the mention of Barney’s Draught conjures up many fond memories of sipping their favourite beer in the goldrush-themed pub in Gold Reef City in the 80s. When we tell our older customers of the provenance of our brewing equipment, they often respond with tales of drunken nights at Barney’s Tavern in Gold Reef City. It’s always a treat!
The showpiece brewery is a bespoke 3,000L system capable of complex stepped mashing which enables us to produce a wide range of different beer styles. The lauter vessel (which separates the sweet wort from the spent grain) has a fully adjustable rotating rake for fine control over this separation process. The fermenters feature full temperature control, allowing us to program specific temperature setpoints for optimal fermentation conditions, and can reduce beer temperature down to 0°C for perfect cold-conditioning. All the vessels feature high-grade stainless-steel shells, are fully insulated, and clad in beautiful English oak wood.
A special thank you to Angela Frost of Briggs of Burton PLC (Briggs of Burton PLC acquired Robert Morton DG Ltd in 1988) for providing us with these photos. We believe there to be no other photographs of the original brewery, as all current images were unfortunately destroyed in a fire at Gold Reef City.
In 1993, the brewing equipment was relocated to SAB’s “World of Beer” museum in Newtown, Johannesburg where it stood as a working showpiece in their pub. Officially opened in 1995 by then-President Nelson Mandela, the SAB World of Beer stood as a monument to South Africa’s favourite alcoholic beverage. However, times change, and the strategic imperatives of South Africa’s largest brewery meant that the Robert Morton equipment would be decommissioned and retired to a storage facility in Ga-Rankua, northwest of Pretoria.
With the help of SAB royalty and friends of Brewhogs: Mike Williams, Wayne McCauley, and Maurice Egan, the dormant brewery was purchased by Brewhogs in 2013. The equipment was completely refurbished, and re-established in Kyalami, where it stands today. Every part was stripped, cleaned, and either serviced, overhauled, or replaced entirely so that once we started brewing, we would have no service-related issues. It was all hands on deck, and every sleeve rolled up to move the vessels into position. A mammoth task that earned the Brewhogs team several well-earned beers!
With the purchase of the brewing equipment, Brewhogs also came into possession of a filing cabinet full of original documents from its time at Gold Reef City. We have a treasure trove of specification sheets, hand-drawn technical drawings of the equipment, newspaper clippings, sentimental memos relating to historic South African events (such as the 1992 referendum and the 1994 election), and brewsheets for Barney’s Draught. In fact, in 2022, Brewhogs took inspiration from these original brewsheets to recreate Barney’s Draught (with some artistic liberties) – we called it the Heritage Lager; a tasty, full bodied lager beer to reignite Joburg’s passion for great beer.
In January 2025, we hosted the legend himself, Bill Higgins, at our brewery. Though he may be 85, Bill is still as nimble as ever and sharp as a tack. After his time as head brewer at the Heritage Brewery in Gold Reef City, he pursued a successful career in enzyme technology at Novozymes and later at Danisco/Dupont.
It was a poignant moment when we gave Bill a tour around the brewery. Stopping to touch the old oak cladding on the vessels and reflect on the rich history of this equipment, he remarked that he was grateful to see that the brewery had been restored and is still in use today. We spent the morning looking over the old documents – many of which were written by Bill himself. We might have spotted a happy tear or two as Bill paged through the faded, yellowed documents that he would have last laid eyes on four decades ago. It was such a treat to share this with him.
As a long-time brewer, Bill is not afraid of a beer, so at 9am the first pints were drawn, and we can report that Bill Higgins thoroughly enjoyed his morning Brewhogs beers. He said that they were, “Very good,” which may be the best endorsement that Brewhogs has ever received. Cheers, Bill.
To us, this equipment represents more than just a means to brew beer. It is a piece of South African brewing history, and a testament to enduring craft of brewing and the skilled brewers who do so. Every pint we pour carries a bit of that legacy, and we are honoured to share it with you.
Brewhogs is open from Monday to Friday, from 8am to 5pm (Mondays to Thursdays), and 8am to 7pm on Fridays. Why not treat yourself to some award winning Brewhogs beer and a Brewery Tour where you can also lay your hands on one of South Africa’s oldest working craft breweries.
Cheers.