Bullard & Sons Ltd Round Tin

Bullard & Sons Ltd tin tray dating from the 1950s.

The Anchor Brewery is Founded

The Anchor Brewery was founded at St. Miles Bridge in Norwich, by Richard Bullard and James Watts in 1837.
Its famous 'Anchor and Rock' trade mark was used from the beginning of trading.
The partnership traded as Bullard & Watts from 1839, but this was dissolved in 1847 when Watts left the business and Richard Bullard became the sole owner.
When Richard Bullard died in 1864 his sons Harry, Charley, and Fred, took over the brewery and named it Bullard & Sons.
A new impressive Anchor Brewery was built on the same site in 1867, becoming fully operational the following year.

Bullard & Sons Ltd Expansion

In 1895 the Company was registered as Bullard & Sons Ltd .
The Company continued to expand, and in 1897 it purchased the Rock Brewery based in Eye, Suffolk.
By 1907 the Anchor Brewery covered an area of seven acres.
In 1909 the famous 'Fat Man', designed by Alfred Munnings, became the firm's trade mark.
By 1914 the Company owned 133 public houses in Norwich alone.
Two further acquisitions were made during the 1920s, including Bidwell & Co. of Thetford, with over 100 public houses in 1924, and Hogge & Seppings Ltd of Setchey in 1928.
More importantly though, Bullard & Sons Ltd acquired two of its local Norwich rivals.
Youngs, Crawshay & Youngs Ltd was taen over in 1958, followed by a share, with Steward & Patteson Ltd, of the 600 tied houses of Morgan's Brewery Co. Ltd in 1961.
The separation of these tied houses was achieved by cutting a deck of cards!

Watney Mann Ltd Gains Control

The Morgan's deal however, proved to be a costly long-term mistake for both companies.
Morgan's Old Brewery was sold to Watney Mann Ltd, with an agreement that its beers could be sold into Steward & Patteson's and Bullard's pubs.
Watney's beers gradually became the most popular in the area.
The Company however continued to prosper, making it a prime target for a takeover by a large national brewer.
This takeover arrived in 1964 when Bullard & Sons Ltd, with its Anchor Brewery and 530 public houses, was acquired by Watney Mann Ltd.
The Company was closed in 1968, and in 1982 the brewery, including its famous chimney tower, was demolished.
The area was redeveloped into luxury apartments and offices, and named the 'Anchor Quays'.

The manufacturer's mark states - A 'Hancor, Mitcham' Product.