Tollemache & Cobbold Breweries Ltd Square Tin

Tollemache & Cobbold Breweries Ltd tin tray dating from 1959. The history of Tollemache & Cobbold Breweries Ltd involves two brewers from Ipswich. Tollemache's Brook Street Brewery was founded in 1880 when it was purchased by the Tollemache brothers from Charles Cunningham & Co. The Cobbold family, on the other hand, started brewing in Harwich. In 1746 it the Company built a second brewery in Ipswich. The Cliff Brewery became Cobbold's only brewery when in 1876 its Harwich operations closed. When Tollemache's Breweries Ltd merged with Cobbold & Co. Ltd in 1957 it owned three breweries. It purchased Collier Brothers Essex Brewery of Walthamstow in 1920, and the Star Brewery (Cambridge) Ltd in 1934, which along with the Brook Street Brewery in Ipswich, were all still brewing. The new Company was registered as Tollemache & Cobbold Breweries Ltd with a combined estate of 451 public houses. Tollemache's Brook Street Brewery closed in 1961, the Essex Brewery in Walthamstow ceased brewing in 1971, although it contnued bottling until 1974, and the Star Brewery in Cambridge closed in 1972. All brewing was concentrated at Cobbold's Cliff Brewery from 1972. The Company was purchased by Ellerman Shipping Lines in 1977 which was acquired by the Barclay Brothers in 1983. Tolly Cobbold's final acquisition was Paine & Co. Ltd in 1987 which it immediately closed. The Cliff Brewery was sold to the Brent Walker Group and this resulted in it's closure in 1989 when it was decided to contract brew Tolly Cobbold beers at J.W.Cameron & Co. Ltd based in Hartlepool. After the collapse of the Brent Walker property empire, the Cliff Brewery re-opened after a management buy-out in 1991 but sadly closed again in 2003 and it was purchased by T.D.Ridley & Co. Ltd. The buildings were listed after its closure. The manufacturer's mark states - Reginald Corfield Ltd Lombard Road. London. S.W.19. 592 Although the tray pictured solely advertises Tolly Light & Dark it is definetely a post merger tray.