Tollemache’s Breweries Ltd Round Black Backed Steel

Tollemache's Breweries Ltd black backed steel tray dating from the early 1930s.

Origins of the Brook Street Brewery

The Steam Brewery on Upper Brook Street in Ipswich was founded in 1855 by Charles Cullingham & Co.
It was sold to the Tollemache brothers, Douglas, Stanhope, and Mortimer, in 1880.
Tollemache's first acquistion was H.G. & W.Ridley of Ipswich with 15 public houses in 1890.
The Company was registered as Tollemache's Ipswich Brewery Ltd, with its Brook Street Brewery as it was now named, in 1896.
After its registration two more breweries were acquired; Ranson & Sons of Stowmarket with 18 public houses in 1896, and Taylor, Sons & Dowson of Diss in 1897, which was resold to E.Lacon & Co. Ltd in 1898.
In 1919 the famous 'Lady with the Grapes and Baby' trade mark was introduced.
When Tollemache's purchased Collier Brothers Essex Brewery of Walthamstow in 1920 it operated two breweries and changed its name to Tollemache's Breweries Ltd to reflect this.
In 1921 the Company acquired the Wine & Spirit Merchants of Barwell & Sons in Norwich.

Tollemache's Breweries Ltd Further Acquisitions

The Company continued to expand and purchased three breweries before the Second World War.
The Unicorn Brewery Co. Ltd of Ipswich was wound up in 1923 and the 56 public houses were divided equally between Tollemache's Breweries Ltd and Cobbold & Co. Ltd. In 1926 Tollemache's acquired Robert Brassey Jones of Cambridge, and in 1934 it purchased the much larger business of the Star Brewery (Cambridge) Ltd with 119 tied houses. The Company contiuned to operate the Star Brewery.
After the war the Company purchased Stone & Sons of Tollesbury in 1950, and Ashby & Sons of Long Melford in 1952.

Tollemache & Cobbold Breweries Ltd Merger

In 1957, the two remaining Ipswich breweries of Tollemache's Breweries Ltd, and Cobbold & Co. Ltd, merged to become Tollemache & Cobbold Breweries Ltd, with a total estate of 451 public houses.
Brewing was concentrated at Cobbold's Cliff Brewery and the Brook Street Brewery was closed in 1961. The buildings remain.
Tollemache & Cobbold Breweries Ltd brewed at the Essex Brewery in Walthamstow until 1971, although bottling continued until 1974.
The Star Brewery in Cambridge ceased brewing in 1972 and was demolished in 1981.
Tollemache & Cobbold Breweries Ltd was the subject of a number of takeovers from the 1970s.
In 1987 Tolly Cobbold Ltd acquired the John Bull Brewery of James Paine Brewery Ltd with 24 public houses. The brewery was closed.
The Cliff Brewery closed in 1989 but reopened in 1991.
When it closed again in 2003 the Cliff Brewery became a listed building.