James Herbert Porter

James Herbert Porter was born in Burton upon Trent, the son of a master brewer. He began working for Newcastle Breweries in 1909,[2] but his career was interrupted by the First World War, during which time he received the Distinguished Service Order twice for gallantry.[3]

After the war, Porter returned to Newcastle Breweries.[2] The company's directors became aware of the rising demand for bottled beer in the early 1920s and they asked their brewers to begin developing a new product. As assistant brewer, Porter worked alongside the firm's chief chemist, Archie Jones, to create a new formula: Newcastle Brown Ale.[4] First advertised in 1927,[4] it won all seven major awards at the 1928 Breweries Exhibition.[2] Porter became managing director of Newcastle Breweries in 1931; five years later, he was appointed to the Institute of Brewing's Council, and he served as its president between 1939 and 1941. In 1948 he was appointed a vice-chairman of the institute's Research Fund Committee and served on the council until 1951. Having been a member of the IOB since 1915, he received life membership in 1965.[3]

In 1953 Porter was appointed vice-chairman of Newcastle Breweries and two years later became its chairman. Following the company's merger with Scottish Breweries in 1960, he became the latter group's vice-chairman and subsequently its vice-president. He died on 22 March 1973, aged 81,[3] leaving a widow, two daughters and one son, Henry, who became chairman of Newcastle Breweries and a director at Newcastle and Scottish Breweries.[2]