The following article was written for alford.info by Richard Percival, a collector with an interest in Alford’s long forgotten brewery.

I am a leading collector of pre-Second World War British brewery memorabilia, or ‘breweriana’ for short. My collection includes Victorian and Edwardian mirrors, showcards and all sorts of ceramics such as jugs, ashtrays, coasters and matchstrikers.

However, the main focus of my collection is British brewery trays. I believe I have the world’s largest collection of brewery trays with about 1500 pre-1970s in total.

Despite collecting since 1982 I have never able to add a tray from Soulby, Sons & Winch Ltd. I have made considerable efforts to try and find one but with no joy. I know of at least two trays that exist and there may be more. The two mentioned are photographed.

Edward Soulby started his business in the 1840s but did not start brewing at the Anchor Brewery on West Street in Alford until 1869. Soulby’s merged with T.M.Winch & Co. of Louth in 1896, when the new Company was registered as Soulby, Sons & Winch Ltd. After a serious fire at the brewery in 1945, the Anchor Brewery was taken over by J.W.Green Ltd of Luton in 1951. The Company owned 144 tied houses therefore it is likely that a few trays still survived. The Anchor Brewery was closed in 1952 and was eventually demolished in 2008.

It is highly likely that the trays mentioned were manufactured by one of B.A.T. & Co. Ltd, Hancock Corfield & Waller Ltd, Sir Joseph Causton Ltd, or Reginald Corfield Ltd.

Another brewery which did not own any public houses but supplied Alford, and indeed the whole of Lincolnshire, was Thomas Salt & Co. Ltd once of Burton-on-Trent. The Company had a distinctive Maltese Red Cross trademark. If anyone has any artefact from Salt’s I would also be interested too. A photograph of a 1900s ashtray is one item I am searching for from this firm.

For your reader’s interest I have just launched a new website which is an encyclopaedia of brewery trays and brewer memorabilia. Please visit brewerytrays.co.uk and enjoy videos, including Antiques Road Trip, and the history of each brewery represented in my collection.

If anyone can help Richard find a Soulby, Son & Winch Ltd tray, please contact him on 07715 369540 or via https://brewerytrays.co.uk/