The Neale family had been connected with the malting industry for a number of years before Thomas Neale founded a brewery in Church Street, Reigate, in 1801.

In 1806 he acquired premises in Bell Street and with a partner ran the two breweries until 1928, during which time he also acquired a number of public houses.

The partnership was eventually dissolved and the business became Thomas Neale and Son. In the 1850s the brewery passed to Thomas Neale's sons, who formed a partnership with Frederick Mellersh, the business being known as Neale and Mellersh. In the 1860s it became Neale Mellersh and Neale and in the 1880s Mellersh and Neale.

Up to 1900 water for brewing was obtained from two wells on the southern slopes of Reigate Hill. These were replaced by a new well bored on the Bell Street premises. For a number of years in the early 1900s beer was matured in the Reigate caves.

The company had been made a limited company in 1899 and in 1938 was taken over by Meux. Although brewing ceased, with Meux using the premises as a depot for its own London-brewed for a number of years, the manufacture of mineral water continued.

The Bell Street premises extended on to the High Street where the breweries offices were. Some local people will still remember them and the brewery tower which stood behind and was a local landmark.

The offices had been derelict for some time when they burnt down in 1942.

Use of the site for beer ceased after the war and the manufacture of mineral water had ceased by 1963.

Parts of the site were sold with much of it laying derelict until it became Safeways in 1988.

Article by Alan Moore, author of A History of Redhill Volumes 1 and 2. History website www.redhill-reigate-history.co.uk