Leading collector seeks rare West Berkshire brewery trays and memorabilia

Rutland-based Richard Percival is looking out for rarities from pre-World War II breweries

Britain's leading collector of vintage brewery trays and memorabilia has used lockdown to resume his quest for a set of West Berkshire-related items he has been seeking for more than 30 years.

Richard Percival – based in Rutland – has amassed a vast repository of antique trays and curiosities over the past few decades.

At present, he is enquiring into defunct Berkshire breweries, hoping to locate trays that have so far eluded him.

Mr Percival said: "I am Britain's leading collector of brewery trays, and also collect any other pre-Second World War brewery memorabilia.

"My passion though is my collection of trays

"I have been collecting for over 40 years and have appeared on TV on numerous occasions, my favourite being BBC's Antiques Road Trip.

"Like most the British nation, I am currently at home and looking for things to occupy my time.

"In years gone by, I was a prolific writer to newspapers all over the country and I was constantly trying to trace brewery trays missing from my collection.

"Sometimes I struck gold, but mainly I hit a blank."

Of particular interest to Mr Percival is a tray produced by the South Berkshire Brewery Co Ltd.

This Newbury-based firm owned two breweries, the Atlas Brewery and the West Mills Brewery.

At one time, the company was a major force in the local ale scene, owning around 200 pubs and inns.

In 1920, it was acquired by H&G Simonds Ltd of Reading.

Mr Percival believes the South Berkshire Brewery tray has a black back, and that it bears a maker's mark from Causton, B.A.T. Co. Ltd or Hancock Corfield & Waller Ltd.

He already owns a matchstriker from the South Berkshire Brewery, but this is his only item from its collection.

Mr Percival is also renewing his search for H&G Symonds' own range of black-backed trays.

These items are well-documented.

However, the collector's inquiries with J. Adnams & Son Eagle Brewery and the Newbury Brewery Co Ltd – both of which were, at one time, owned by H&G Symonds – have yet to yield results.

In addition, Mr Percival hopes to locate a tray from Thomas Salt & Co Ltd.

This once-prolific firm closed in the 1920s, and was actually based in Staffordshire.

However, it supplied extensively to the Berkshire area, and Mr Percival regards a tray from this company as his own ‘Holy Grail'.

Mr Percival said: "The tray would most likely feature their trademark, a red Maltese Cross.

"Salt's produced mirrors, showcards, ashtrays, matchstrikers, coasters, playing cards and even dominoes and pens, but I've never found a tray."

Any reader who believes they can help Mr Percival track down these trays – or any Salt's-related memorabilia – can contact him at richard.percival@hotmail.co.uk or by calling 07715 369540 or 01572 490170.

The collector's website, showcasing his extensive range of brewery items, can be found on his website.