Peckham's
Peckham's is a Scottish delicatessen, café, wine merchant and specialty-grocery brand founded in Glasgow in 1982.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Peckham's is the trading name of a Scottish chain of delicatessens and cafés that combined specialty grocery retail, food service and licensed drinks sales. Founded by Tony Johnston in 1982, the first shop opened on Clarence Drive in Glasgow's West End. The business was created to address what Johnston regarded as a gap in Scotland for specialist consumable products that were not readily available through conventional grocery stores. The typical Peckham's branch brought several formats together under one roof. Customers could shop from a delicatessen counter, buy prepared food and drinks in a café, and use an off-sales area selling wines, spirits and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Branches also carried a broader assortment of grocery products and selected non-food items. The company presented itself as a "vintners, victuallers and delicatessen" business and developed a reputation around imported, premium and giftable products rather than mass-market supermarket lines. It also offered luxury hampers and gifts through an online service, although no current website is identified in the available material. An early point of difference was extended opening. Many stores stayed open until eight or ten in the evening, while some operated until midnight, helping the chain serve customers seeking specialty food, drinks or prepared products outside conventional retail hours. Over time, Peckham's expanded beyond Glasgow. Its branch network included locations in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Stirling, Lenzie, Newton Mearns and Prestwick, as well as sites associated with transport hubs such as Glasgow Central Station, Edinburgh Waverley Station and Prestwick Airport. The business also pursued acquisitions. In 2009 it bought four Mcleish stores in Aberdeen, Dundee and Broughty Ferry. Those locations subsequently ceased trading. Peckham's and its associated operating company Peckham and Rye experienced financial strain during the 2000s and 2010s. The company faced rising costs, changes in licensing rules and uneven trading conditions. Peckham and Rye entered administration in 2011, leading to branch closures, redundancies and the sale process for its specialty delicatessen shops. A Glasgow Hyndland Road branch later reopened in 2012, but the wider network continued to contract. In 2017, Peckham's Scotland Limited entered liquidation shortly after Andrew Duncan and Lee Fish took over the two remaining stores, on Byres Road and Hyndland Road. Their intervention preserved those branches and 25 jobs, but the stores closed in 2018 after the new operators were unable to secure additional investment. The closure was accompanied by a dispute concerning use of the Peckham's name, according to contemporary reporting and statements attributed to Johnston. The brand subsequently returned under Johnston's direction. He opened a new Peckham's branch on the site of the original Clarence Drive store in Glasgow in 2021. In January 2023, he opened a Peckham's restaurant in Helensburgh, extending the name beyond its earlier delicatessen-and-café format. The available reference material does not establish a complete current branch network or a separate corporate structure, but these later openings indicate that Peckham's remained an active Scottish food and hospitality brand after the closure of the former chain.
History
Peckham's began in 1982 when Tony Johnston opened the first store on Clarence Drive in Glasgow's West End. The concept was intended to fill a perceived Scottish market gap for specialist consumable products. Rather than operating as a conventional grocery shop, Peckham's combined a delicatessen with café service and an off-sales operation for wines, spirits and other drinks. The stores also carried specialty groceries, selected non-food goods and gift products. The company described its business using the terms vintners, victuallers and delicatessen, reflecting the breadth of its retail and hospitality offer. Extended opening was part of the original proposition. Many stores remained open until eight or ten o'clock in the evening, and some operated until midnight. This allowed Peckham's to serve customers outside the hours associated with traditional delicatessens and helped integrate the stores into urban neighbourhoods and transport locations. The company later offered luxury hampers and gifts online, broadening its sales beyond in-store purchases. During its expansion period, Peckham's established branches in several Scottish cities and towns. Locations included Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Stirling, Lenzie, Newton Mearns and Prestwick. The group also operated sites connected with major transport venues, including Glasgow Central Station, Edinburgh Waverley Station and Prestwick Airport. In 2009 it acquired four Mcleish stores: two in Aberdeen, one in Dundee and one in Broughty Ferry. Those former Mcleish locations eventually stopped trading. The company encountered financial and operating difficulties in the 2000s and 2010s. A reported sheriff court winding-up petition was contested in 2002. Peckham and Rye recorded a pre-tax loss of £29,000 in 2007 amid difficulty absorbing rising costs, although its 2009 accounts reportedly showed an after-tax profit of £54,719. Changes to licensing laws introduced in September 2009 were reported to have affected sales. These pressures contributed to a major restructuring of the retail network. In 2011, Peckham and Rye entered administration. Three branches—Newton Mearns, Lenzie and Raeburn Place—were closed, 31 employees were made redundant and a further 140 positions were reported to be at risk. The administration period was associated with the closure of additional sites, including branches at Prestwick Airport, Hyndland Road, Bruntsfield Place, Schoolhill and Union Street. The Hyndland Road store reopened in April 2012, but the chain did not return to its former scale. A further corporate transition occurred in June 2017, when Peckham's Scotland Limited was placed into liquidation. Shortly beforehand, Andrew Duncan and Lee Fish had taken over the two remaining stores, located on Byres Road and Hyndland Road. Their operation preserved 25 jobs and continued trading under the Peckham's identity. In August 2018, both stores were announced for closure after the operators failed to secure additional investment. Statements attributed to Johnston also referred to a legal dispute concerning use of the brand name and to the possibility of reopening stores. Johnston subsequently revived the brand independently. In 2021 he opened a new branch on the site of the original Clarence Drive shop in Glasgow. In January 2023 he opened a Peckham's restaurant in Helensburgh. The available sources do not provide a definitive list of all current activities, but the later openings show that the name continued after the closure of the earlier chain and evolved from a multi-branch delicatessen retailer into a smaller food and hospitality operation.
- 2023
Helensburgh restaurant opens
[1]A Peckham's restaurant opened in Helensburgh in January.
- 2021
Brand returns to Clarence Drive
[1]Johnston opened a new Peckham's branch at the location of the original Glasgow store.
- 2018
Former chain's last two stores close
[1]The remaining Byres Road and Hyndland Road locations closed after additional investment could not be secured.
- 2017
Remaining stores transferred to new operators
[1]Andrew Duncan and Lee Fish took over the Byres Road and Hyndland Road stores and retained 25 jobs.
- 2012
Hyndland Road branch reopens
[1]The Glasgow Hyndland Road location resumed trading after the administration-related closures.
- 2011
Peckham and Rye enters administration
[1]The company entered administration, with multiple branch closures and significant employment losses or risks.
- 2009
Acquisition of four Mcleish stores
[1]Peckham's acquired four Mcleish locations in Aberdeen, Dundee and Broughty Ferry.
- 1982
First Peckham's store opens in Glasgow
[1]Tony Johnston founded Peckham's and opened its first store on Clarence Drive in Glasgow's West End.
Products and positioning
A Scottish specialty-food and hospitality retailer positioned around premium delicatessen products, wines, spirits, prepared food, café service and giftable goods. The brand historically differentiated itself through specialist assortment, late opening and a combination of retail and food-service formats.
Food retail · 1982
Specialty delicatessen foods
Peckham's core offer consisted of specialist delicatessen products selected for customers seeking alternatives to standard supermarket ranges. The available reference does not provide a complete product catalogue, but the stores were positioned around premium and distinctive consumable goods.
Beverages · 1982
Wine and spirits
Branches generally included an off-sales area selling wines, spirits and other drinks. This licensed-retail component was central to the brand's identity as a vintners and victuallers business.
Food service · 1982
Café food and beverages
Peckham's stores commonly incorporated cafés serving prepared food and drinks alongside the delicatessen and retail areas. This integrated format made the brand both a shopping destination and an informal hospitality venue.
Gifts
Luxury hampers and gifts
The business offered luxury hampers and gifts online, using its specialty-food and drinks assortment for presentation-oriented purchases and seasonal gifting.
Restaurant · 2023
Peckham's restaurant
Opened in Helensburgh in January 2023, the restaurant represents a later extension of the Peckham's name into a dedicated hospitality setting rather than the earlier combined store, café and off-sales format.
Brand decisions
2023
Extend the brand into a Helensburgh restaurantProduct launchBackground
The revived business expanded beyond the traditional delicatessen and café retail model.
Action taken
Johnston opened a Peckham's restaurant in Helensburgh in January 2023.
Aftermath
The brand gained a dedicated restaurant format in addition to its Glasgow branch.
2021
Revive the brand at its original Glasgow siteStrategyBackground
Following the closure of the former chain, founder Tony Johnston pursued a new operation using the Peckham's name.
Action taken
Johnston opened a new branch on Clarence Drive, where the original Peckham's store had operated.
Aftermath
The opening re-established a Peckham's presence in Glasgow, although the available source does not document a return to the former branch count.
2017
Transfer of the two remaining storesOtherBackground
After the chain's earlier financial difficulties, only the Byres Road and Hyndland Road stores remained under the relevant operation.
Action taken
Andrew Duncan and Lee Fish took over the two stores and continued trading under the Peckham's name.
Aftermath
The transition saved 25 jobs, but the stores closed in 2018 when further investment was not secured.
2011
Administration and branch restructuringStrategyBackground
Financial pressure, rising costs and reported effects from licensing-law changes contributed to the company's administration.
Action taken
Peckham and Rye entered administration and closed multiple branches while putting the specialty delicatessen shops up for sale.
Aftermath
Thirty-one employees were made redundant and a further 140 jobs were reported to be at risk; the chain's network contracted substantially.
2009
Acquire four Mcleish storesM&ABackground
Peckham's sought to expand its Scottish specialty-food footprint through the acquisition of four Mcleish stores.
Action taken
The company bought two Aberdeen stores, one Dundee store and one in Broughty Ferry.
Aftermath
All four former Mcleish locations later ceased trading.
Recent events
- 2023
Peckham's restaurant opens in Helensburgh[1]
Product launch
Tony Johnston opened a Peckham's restaurant in Helensburgh, extending the revived brand's presence into restaurant operations.
- 2021
Peckham's returns to Clarence Drive[1]
Product launch · Other
Founder Tony Johnston opened a new branch at the site of the original Peckham's store in Glasgow's West End.
- 2018
Final two former chain stores close[1]
Other
The Byres Road and Hyndland Road stores closed after the operators failed to attract further investment.
- 2017
Remaining Peckham's stores change operators[1]
Other · Leadership change
Andrew Duncan and Lee Fish took over the two remaining stores, preserving 25 jobs and continuing to trade under the Peckham's name.
- 2012
Hyndland Road branch reopens[1]
Other
Peckham's reopened its Hyndland Road location in Glasgow after the earlier contraction of the branch network.
- 2011
Peckham and Rye enters administration[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
The specialty-food business entered administration, closing several branches, making 31 employees redundant and placing additional jobs at risk.
Sources1 sources
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