International Tea Co. Stores
Encyclopedia
International Tea Co. Stores was a leading chain of grocers based in London
. It was a constituent of the FT30 index of leading companies listed on the London Stock Exchange
.
) and Gilbert Augustus Tonge as the International Tea Co., with the objective of selling tea direct to consumers rather than through wholesalers.
Their main blenders were Ridgways.
Soon most towns in the South of England
had their own International Tea Co. store, as immortalised in a verse from John Betjeman's
poem "Myfanwy":
International Tea Co. Stores fell out of the FT30 index in 1947 to conform with market developments at the time.
in 1972. After acquiring the large foot print Mac Food Centres from Unilever
's closure of Mac Fisheries
, in 1984 it was sold on to The Dee Corporation. This became Gateway Corporation in 1988, and then Somerfield
in 1994.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It was a constituent of the FT30 index of leading companies listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
.
History
The business was founded in 1878 by Hudson Kearly (later Viscount DevonportHudson Kearley, 1st Viscount Devonport
Hudson Ewbanke Kearley, 1st Viscount Devonport, PC, DL was a British grocer and politician. He founded the International Tea Company's Stores, became the first chairman of the Port of London Authority, and served as Minister of Food Control during World War I.-Early life and business...
) and Gilbert Augustus Tonge as the International Tea Co., with the objective of selling tea direct to consumers rather than through wholesalers.
Their main blenders were Ridgways.
Soon most towns in the South of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
had their own International Tea Co. store, as immortalised in a verse from John Betjeman's
John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
poem "Myfanwy":
Smooth down the Avenue glitters the bicycle,
Black-stockinged legs under navy blue serge,
Home and Colonial, StarStar Supply StoresStar Supply Stores were one of three British high-street stores immortalised in a verse in John Betjeman's poem Myfanwy:Smooth down the Avenue glitters the bicycle,Black-stockinged legs under navy blue serge,Home and Colonial, Star, International,...
, International,
Balancing bicycle leant on the verge.
International Tea Co. Stores fell out of the FT30 index in 1947 to conform with market developments at the time.
Demise of the business
The company was subsequently rebranded International Stores and was acquired by BAT IndustriesBritish American Tobacco
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco company by global market share , with a leading position in more than 50 countries and a presence in more than 180 countries...
in 1972. After acquiring the large foot print Mac Food Centres from Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
's closure of Mac Fisheries
Mac Fisheries
Mac Fisheries was a branded United Kingdom retail chain of fish mongers, founded by William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme, the co-founder with his brother of Lever Brothers, which later merged to become Unilever.-Isle of Lewis:...
, in 1984 it was sold on to The Dee Corporation. This became Gateway Corporation in 1988, and then Somerfield
Somerfield
Somerfield was a chain of small to medium sized supermarkets operating in the United Kingdom. The company was taken over by the Co-operative Group on 2 March 2009 in a £1.57 billion deal, creating the UK's fifth largest food retailer. The name is currently being phased out and replaced by the...
in 1994.