Steward & Patteson Ltd Deep Square Alloy

Steward & Patteson Ltd alloy tray dating from the 1950s.

John Patteson Founder

In 1793 John Patteson purchased the Anchor Brewery of Charles Greaves in Pockthorpe near Norwich, with a view to finding an occupation for his son, John Staniforth Patteson.
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.
In 1820 the Company became known as Steward, Patteson & Steward. The new partnership consisted of John Staniforth Patteson, William Steward, Ambrose Harboard Steward, Timothy Steward, and his son also named Timothy Steward.
In 1830, the Oak Street brewery of John Morse was acquired.
John Staniforth Patteson died in 1832 and his father, John Patteson, died a year later in 1833.

Steward, Patteson, Finch & Co. Expansion

In 1837 the Company acquired Peter Finch's brewery, and it then traded as Steward, Patteson, Finch & Co.
In 1845 Steward, Patteson, Finch & Co. 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 had been renamed 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.

Steward & Patteson Ltd Continued Expansion

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, and William J.J.Holding of Weybourne with 14 houses in 1897.
By 1901 John Patteson's great-grandson, Henry Tyrwhitt Staniforth Patteson, was its managing director.
The Eye Brewery in Suffolk was acquired with 20 pubs in 1914.
In 1922 it acquired Charles Pearse's Crown Brewery of East Dereham and more significantly W. & T. Bagge's brewery of Kings Lynn with 75 houses in 1929.
However, it was after the Second World War that the largest acquisitions were made.
The Company purchased Soames & Co. Ltd of Spalding with 240 public houses in 1949.
In 1957 the Company acquired 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 a further 225 public houses to its estate. The brewery was sold to Watney Mann Ltd.
As part of the trading deal, Steward & Patteson Ltd and Bullard & Sons Ltd agreed to supply their tied houses with Watney's keg beers including 'Red Barrel'. It was not long before Watney Mann Ltd was outselling both Norwich breweries in their own public houses.
The Morgan's deal left the Company financially stretched and it was now a prime target for a takeover.

Watney Mann Ltd Takeover

When Steward & Patteson Ltd was taken over by Watney Mann Ltd in 1963, 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 - 8 MB. Made in England.