Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton Ltd Round Black Backed Steel

Owned
SKU
BT0237

Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton Ltd black backed steel tray dating from the early 1930s. The Company is based in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton Ltd black backed steel tray dating from the early 1930s. Established in 1777 by William Bass, within 100 years the Company, and its 'Red Triangle' Bass Pale Ale, were famous on every continent. When William Bass died in 1787 his son, Michael Thomas Bass, inherited the business. In 1796 John Ratcliff joined Michael Thomas Bass as a partner in the Company. In 1821, Bass became one of the first brewers to export its Pale Ale to India. Its East India Pale Ale was soon imitated by many other brewers. Michael Thomas Bass died in 1827 leaving his son, also named Michael Thomas, to run the business. He was responsible for the Company's worldwide reputation for its superb ales, and Bass became the largest brewer in Britain. In 1835 John Gretton joined the firm which was renamed Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton in 1837. The expansion of the railways greatly benefitted the growing business, and a second (Middle) brewery opened on the North side of Station Street in 1853. A third (New) brewery, on the South side of Station Street, started operating in 1864. The Old Brewery, on High Street, was completely rebuilt in 1876. By 1877 Bass was the largest brewery in the world and its Red Triangle became the first product to be registered under the Trademark Registration Act. In 1880 Bass was registered as a Limited Liability Company, and traded as Bass, Ratcliff & Gretton Ltd. Following the death of the second Michael Bass in 1884, his son, Michael Arthur Bass, later the 1st Baron Burton, took over control of the firm. In 1888 it was incorporated as a Public Company. John Gretton's son, also called John Gretton, joined the business in 1888, becoming its Chairman in 1908. Throughout the first half of the 20th Century, the conservative Gretton pursued a strategy of mergers & acquisitions and opted to focus on the free trade rather than to develop its own tied estate. The largest merger was with Worthington & Co. Ltd in 1927, both were famous brand names and both continued to trade separately. Bass also purchased another Burton-on-Trent giant, Thomas Salt & Co. Ltd in 1927, which it closed immediately. After Gretton died in 1947, Arthur Manners, a lifelong Bass executive, assumed the title of Chairman. Manners management style, also like Gretton's, was conservative and he too rejected the need to modernise the business. After numerous takeovers of breweries across Britain, the Company became unwiedly, putting a strain on its profits. The need to develop a pub estate resulted in a merger with Mitchells & Butlers Ltd of Smethwick in 1961, when Bass, Mitchells & Butlers was formed. The Company merged again in 1967, becoming Bass Charrington Ltd, after amalgamating with London based Charrington United Breweries Ltd. During the 1960s many additional breweries were purchased across Britain, including the Welsh brewer William Hancock & Co. Ltd with 505 tied houses. Most of the breweries Bass purchased were later closed. In 1971 the original Bass brewery was demolished leaving two others, the Middle and the New, to continue operating in Burton-on-Trent. In 1983 the Company became Bass plc. In 1997 most of its public houses were sold and Punch Taverns was formed. In 2000, the Belgian Company Interbrew, later named AB-InBev, purchased the Bass brewing operation, whilst the remaining retail estate consisting of pubs & hotels became Six Continents plc. As a result of a Competition Commission review, Interbrew was forced to dispose of the brewery and certain key brands to Coors, later becoming Molson-Coors Brewing Company (UK) Ltd, however they did manage to retain the rights to the Bass Pale Ale brand. AB-InBev chose not to brew Bass Pale Ale (Draught Bass), preferring to grant Coors Brewers Ltd the licence to brew it. In 2005, when this licence came to an end, it was transferred to Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries PLC, later named Marstons PLC. Draught Bass is still being brewed at the old Albion Brewery of Marstons, Thompson & Evershed Ltd. AB-InBev continues to brew Bass keg brands for export at their Salmesbury brewery near Preston. Bass is brewed separately in the USA and Belgium. The site of the Middle Brewery is still used for brewing albeit in a much altered form. The New Brewery site has retained much of its original buildings. The manufacturer's mark states - 23-b-a B.A.T.Co Ltd Smethwick.5422

More Information
Brewery Origin England
County Staffordshire
Reverse Finish Black Backed
Tray Manufacturer B.A.T Co. Ltd
Tray Material Steel
Year Of Manufacture 1931
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