Biscuit firm couple's treasures set to fetch £1m

The couple married in 1949 and were together until Mr Palmer's death in 2020

The contents of a house owned by the fourth and final generation to lead a family-run biscuit empire are expected to fetch £1m when they go under the hammer.

Bill Palmer was the last member of his family to serve as a director of Reading-based Huntley & Palmers.

Mr Palmer, who died in 2020, lived in Berkshire for 57 years with his wife Cherry, who died last year.

The auction will include Chinese artworks, 18th and 19th Century furniture and fine art, including pieces by 20th Century artists Paul Nash and Alfred Wallis.

The couple lived at their home, near Newbury, for decades

The Palmers moved from Cheshire to Bussock Wood, near Newbury, in 1963 and had four children.

Artworks that will be sold include Nash’s Studio Interior, which is expected to sell for between £50,000 and £80,000.

Wallis' Penzance Fishing Boat near the Coast is expected to fetch between £20,000 and £30,000.

Joe Robinson, head of Dreweatts' house sales and collections, said: “We are thrilled to have been appointed to sell the contents of Bussock Wood.

"The collection demonstrates a passion and extensive knowledge of art and antiques that has continued through each generation of the Palmer family.

"The sale offers a wonderful opportunity to purchase something that has exceptional provenance and has been treasured by erudite collectors,” he added.

The items will be sold over Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Queen Mother met the company's directors, including Bill, on one visit

The Palmers were involved in many local causes. Mr Palmer served as a district and county councillor and was Deputy Lieutenant of Berkshire in 1992.

Mrs Palmer volunteered for the Red Cross in Berkshire and was a supporter of the Newbury Society.

The company that became Huntley & Palmers was founded in 1822 in London Street, Reading, and initially sold baked biscuits to travellers on the London to Bath stage coach route.

It opened a factory in Kings Road in 1846 and transported biscuits on the River Thames to London and Kent and on canals to other well-populated areas.

It left that site in the 1980s and was taken over by American giant Nabisco Brands Inc in 1983.

The impact of the company on the town was such that Reading Football Club were previously known as the Biscuitmen.

The items from Bussock Wood are expected to fetch a total of £1m