In this week’s edition of our first offices series, we’re taking a look at some of the oldest companies in the UK. This is by no means a definitive list, but we hope you find it as interesting to read as we did to write it.
Berry Brothers & Rudd
Berry Brothers & Rudd are one of the UK’s oldest wine and spirit merchants. The company was founded by widow Bourne in 1698 – her first name is unknown – trading at number 3 St James’s Street, London. Amazingly, the business still operates from the same premises today.
The company has a very colourful history – they supplied 69 cases of wine which sank on the doomed Titanic, provided smugglers with wine and spirits in prohibition-era America, and sheltered Napoleon III in the cellars beneath the shop!
Today, the company have two Royal Warrants and eight Masters of Wine, along with branches in Basingstoke, Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.
Twinings
Twinings is an English tea company which was established in 1706 by Thomas Twining. He opened the nation’s first known tea room at number 216 Strand, London. The company holds the distinction of being London’s longest-standing rate payer, since they have occupied the same premises since 1706. They are also renowned for having the world’s oldest continually used company logo, which was created in 1787.
At the time of the tea room’s establishment, the market was saturated with coffee houses. Twining’s unique offering gave him a competitive edge, which meant that the fashionable and wealthy visited his premises. According to the company website, Twinings Gunpowder Green Tea was sold for a price equivalent to over £160 pounds per 100 grams today!
Today, Twinings is owned by Associated British Foods and is based in Andover, Hampshire.
Sotheby’s
Samuel Baker, a London bookseller, established “Baker and Leigh” on 11 March 1744, when he presided over the auction of the library of Sir John Stanley. After Baker’s death, the company passed into the hands of John Sotheby and his family, after whom the company was renamed.
In 1917, Sotheby’s relocated to 34-35 New Bond Street, which the company still uses as its London base. They are also the world’s fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation. Today, they are headquartered in New York, with 90 locations in 40 countries around the world.
Shepherd Neame
Shepherd Neame is the oldest brewery in Britain, having been officially established in 1698 in Faversham, Kent by Richard Marsh. The company has been family owned since 1864, when it became known as “Shepherd Neame & Company”.
Today, Shepherd Neame produce over 230 000 barrels of beer a year, and export to over 20 countries. They also own around 360 pubs around Britain.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of “First Offices”. Which companies would you like to see featured next?