Thomas Peatling, a Bury St. Edmunds man, started a wine and spirit business partnership with a Mr Hepplewhite in 1826 at Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. By 1830, Smith, Brown & Peatling had established branches at Bedford and St. Ives. Later Brown dropped out and the company became known as Thos. Peatling & Sons.
At the beginning of the last century, Peatlings acquired an old business in Kings Lynn and in 1911 took over the spacious cellars of Aplin Robinson & Percival. They then became agents to Greene King & Sons of Bury St. Edmunds with whom they joined forces in 1934.
A further addition to this alliance was Herbert Cawdrons wine and spirit business at nearby Wells-on-Sea in 1954, followed in 1957 by H.A. Tidnam of Wisbech, renowned particularly for its Port trade and with strong House of Commons connections.
The company then trading as Peatling & Cawdron incorporated several other small businesses before reverting to its original name of Thos. Peatling in 1988.
