Steward & Patteson Ltd Round Alloy

Steward & Patteson Ltd alloy tray dating from the early 1950s. In 1793, John Patteson purchased Charles Greaves' brewery in Pockthorpe near Norwich. Before the end of the 18th century, Patteson had acquired James Beevor and Jehosophat Postle in Norwich, and Fisher's North Quay Brewery in Yarmouth. Two members of the Steward family joined Patteson's son in 1820, when the Company became known as Steward, Patteson & Steward. In 1830, the Oak Street brewery of John Morse was acquired, then in 1837 Peter Finch's brewery, and the Company became Steward, Patteson, Finch & Co. In 1845 it acquired the Yarmouth brewery of Samuel Paget & Son with 25 public houses. The original brewery was called the Anchor Brewery, however by the end of the 1850s it was rechristened as the Pockthorpe Brewery. The Company's aggresive expansion strategy continued with the purchase of Bell's of Gorleston with 20 houses in 1866, and Bircham & Sons of Reepham with 52 houses in 1878. The business was registered as Steward Patteson Ltd in 1895. Acquisitions continued unabated with the purchase of Morse & Woods of Swaffham with 51 houses in 1895, William J.J.Holding of Weybourne with 14 houses in 1897, and the Eye Brewery with 20 pubs in 1914. In 1922 it acquired Charles Pearce's Crown Brewery of East Dereham and more significantly W. & T. Bagge's brewery of Kings Lynn with 75 houses in 1929. It was however after WWII that the largest acquisition was made, with the purchase of Soames & Co. Ltd of Spalding with 240 public houses. In 1957 the Company purchased the Forehill Brewery of East Anglian Breweries Ltd in Ely. After Morgan's Brewery Co. Ltd of Norwich went into liquidation with 450 public houses in 1961, it was jointly taken over with Bullard & Sons Ltd adding 225 public houses to its estate. When Steward & Patteson Ltd was taken over by Watney Mann Ltd it owned 632 public houses and operated two breweries in Norwich and Ely. Brewing ceased in Ely in 1969 and at the Pockthorpe Brewery in 1970. Most buildings including the chimney were demolished between 1972 and 1974, however the old brewery offices were renovated and restored. The manufacturer's mark states - 6 MB The tray featured was produced at the time of the death of King George VI. A similar tray has the words Brewers to H.M The King. This one does not.