In 1958, Watney, Combe, Reid merged with Mann, Crossman and Paulin to form Watney Mann. The new company strengthened one of Britain's major brewing groups. It formed part of the rapid post-war consolidation that reduced local brewing diversity.

The merger helps explain why later pub writing so often mourns the replacement of local ales by national brands. It gives historical depth to the anti-keg, anti-corporate language that entered literary essays, comic verse, and pub memoirs, reflecting a longing for authenticity in cultural expressions.