Charrington United Breweries Ltd Deep Round Tin

Charrington United Breweries Ltd tin tray dating from the 1960s. The Company was founded in Bethnal Green by Robert Westfield in the early 1700s. In 1766 John Charrington joined the business, which then traded as Westfield, Moss & Charrington from the Anchor Brewery on Mile End Road. By 1783 John Charrington and his brother were in full control of the Company. The firm acquired Steward & Head in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1833 and subsequently traded as Charrington & Head Co. The Company took over Lewis Meakin's Abbey Brewery based in Burton-on-Trent in 1872 resulting in the the ownership of two separately run businesses. In 1880 the Company became Charrington & Co. and then Charrington & Co. Ltd when it was registered in 1899. In a sixty year period from 1897 to 1960 Charrington & Co. Ltd acquired eleven breweries and also the public houses of Charles Hammerton & Co. Ltd. in 1926 brewing of pale ale at the Abbey Brewery in Burton had been transferred to the Anchor Brewery and ties with the brewing capital ended. One significant acquisition in the 1930s was that of Hoare & Co. Ltd whose famous 'Toby' trademark was immediately adopted by Charrington & Co. Ltd. The Anchor Brewery merged with United Breweries Ltd in 1962 to form Charrington United Breweries Ltd. Charrington United Breweries Ltd continued to acquire more breweries and these included Offilers' Brewery Ltd of Derby in 1965, Dunmow Brewery Ltd also in 1965, and Massey's Burnley Brewery Ltd in 1966. Charrington United Breweries Ltd finally merged with Bass, Mitchells & Butlers Ltd in 1967 to form Bass Charrington Ltd. The Anchor Brewery closed in 1975 but remained the Company's head office. Bass plc, as it had become by 1997, sold all its public houses, including the Charrington estate, to a newly created business, Punch Taverns. The brewery site, other than its offices, was demolished in 1976 becoming the Anchor Retail Park. The manufacturer's mark states - Printed in Great Britain by Reginald Corfield Ltd 0069