Rayment & Co. Ltd (Owned by Greene King & Sons Ltd) Round Alloy

Rayment & Co. Ltd (Owned by Greene King & Sons Ltd) alloy tray dating from the 1950s.

The Pelham Brewery Origins

William Rayment leased Furneux Pelham Hall from the Calvert family in the 1840s.
Farming was his primary business however he started brewing at the premises from 1855.
When the lease exipred in 1860 William built a new Pelham Brewery on a site at Barleycroft End in the village. There he employed 14 men.
Despite William's death in 1861 growth was rapid.
The business was continued by his executor, Stukeley Abbot, both as a brewer and a manager until 1888.

Lake & King form Rayment & Co.

In 1889 Edward W.Lake and James M.King, the joint managing directors of Greene King & Sons Ltd, purchased the brewery with 18 public houses and formed a private partnership named Rayment & Co.
Rayment & Co. purchased H.Newall's two breweries at Radwinter and Saffren Walden in 1910, and the Little Hadham Brewery of A.H.Lawson in 1912.
In 1912 James King withdrew from the partnership resulting in the Lake family controlling the Company and it being registered as Rayment & Co Ltd.
During the First World War, the Company installed its first bottling plant and this was expanded in 1920s.

Greene King & Sons Ltd Acquisition

Rayment & Co. Ltd was completely taken over by Greene King & Sons Ltd in 1931 with 36 tied houses.
The Lake family continued to maintain its interest in the brewery and Captain H.N.Lake continued as managing director for another 35 years.
Under his leadership the business developed its club trade from 77 outlets in 1937 to 255 outlets in 1966, when he retired.
As demand continued during the 1970s Greene King & Sons Ltd added new investment into the brewery infrastruture, although the bottling plant was closed in 1973.
The Pelham Brewery brewed its last ales in 1987 when the site was used as a distribution depot until the late 1990s.
The brewery buildings were sold for residential development.