Collection GB 0074 ACC/3527 - J. LYONS AND COMPANY LIMITED

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 ACC/3527

Title

J. LYONS AND COMPANY LIMITED

Date(s)

  • 1891-1995 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

30.35 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

J Lyons and Company Limited , food manufacturers and caterers

Biographical history

Lyons was founded in 1886 as a catering business, earning a reputation as caterers for exhibitions at Newcastle, Glasgow, Paris and London's Olympia. In 1894 it was incorporated as a public company and established its head office and food factories at Cadby Hall in Hammersmith. The company rapidly established a chain of Teashops, Cornerhouses and Restaurants with the opening of the first Lyons Teashop in 1894 in Piccadilly, the Trocadero Restaurant in 1896 and the First Lyons Corner House in 1909 in Coventry Street. To keep pace with this expansion, the factories were moved to Greenford in Middlesex in 1920 and the largest tea packing plant in the world opened. Further progress was made during the Second World War with the development of the FROOD a revolutionary frozen cooked food process. The company is also famous for its work in less obvious fields - from 1941 to 1945 it operated a munitions factory at Elstow near Bedford on the reputed site of the slough of despond. In 1954 it developed LEO (Lyons Electronic Office), the first computer in the world capable of use for commercial work.

Further growth came in the 1970s with the acquisition of a number of businesses both in the UK and overseas. In 1978, Lyons became the food division of Allied Breweries which was renamed Allied-Lyons in 1981. In 1990 the head office was moved from Cadby Hall to Greenford. In 1994 Allied-Lyons decided to dispose of its food manufacturing operations and to change its name to Allied Domecq. The individual companies were sold off and Lyons head office closed in 1995.

Repository

The London Archives

Archival history

GB 0074 ACC/3527 1891-1995 Collection 30.35 linear metres J Lyons and Company Limited , food manufacturers and caterers

Lyons was founded in 1886 as a catering business, earning a reputation as caterers for exhibitions at Newcastle, Glasgow, Paris and London's Olympia. In 1894 it was incorporated as a public company and established its head office and food factories at Cadby Hall in Hammersmith. The company rapidly established a chain of Teashops, Cornerhouses and Restaurants with the opening of the first Lyons Teashop in 1894 in Piccadilly, the Trocadero Restaurant in 1896 and the First Lyons Corner House in 1909 in Coventry Street. To keep pace with this expansion, the factories were moved to Greenford in Middlesex in 1920 and the largest tea packing plant in the world opened. Further progress was made during the Second World War with the development of the FROOD a revolutionary frozen cooked food process. The company is also famous for its work in less obvious fields - from 1941 to 1945 it operated a munitions factory at Elstow near Bedford on the reputed site of the slough of despond. In 1954 it developed LEO (Lyons Electronic Office), the first computer in the world capable of use for commercial work.

Further growth came in the 1970s with the acquisition of a number of businesses both in the UK and overseas. In 1978, Lyons became the food division of Allied Breweries which was renamed Allied-Lyons in 1981. In 1990 the head office was moved from Cadby Hall to Greenford. In 1994 Allied-Lyons decided to dispose of its food manufacturing operations and to change its name to Allied Domecq. The individual companies were sold off and Lyons head office closed in 1995.

Donated to the Archive in 1995, with an addition in 2007.

Records of J Lyons and Company Limited, food manufacturers and caterers, 1891-1995. The archives reflect all aspects of the company's history. There are some of the usual company records relating to management, shareholding and administration, but the collection is particularly strong in what may be termed ephemera. There are hundreds of photographs, from 1887 up to the present day, a few films and videos, and large collections of press cuttings, advertisements, menus and even a set of lithographs which were commissioned by the company after the Second World War as a way of brightening up Lyons Corner Houses.

The archive is arranged into the following series:
ACC/3527/001-006: Management;
ACC/3527/007-009: Shares;
ACC/3527/010-050: Internal administration;
ACC/3527/051-059: Finance;
ACC/3527/060-072: Operation;
ACC/3527/073-169: Marketing;
ACC/2527/170-178: Conferences and presentations;
ACC/3527/179-208: Staff;
ACC/3527/209-226: Property;
ACC/3527/227-263: Subject files;
ACC/3527/264: Symington and Company Limited;
ACC/3527/265-266: Craiglands Hydro Limited;
ACC/3527/267: H. Cohen and Company Limited;
ACC/3527/268-365: Printed material;
ACC/3527/366-400: Menus;
ACC/3527/401-421A: Advertisements;
ACC/3527/422-455: Press cuttings;
ACC/3527/456-462: Scrapbooks;
ACC/3527/463-726: Photographs;
ACC/3527/727: Negatives;
ACC/3527/728-746: Films and videos;
ACC/3527/747-757: Cartoons;
ACC/3527/758-857: Pictures;
ACC/3527/858: Computer disk;
ACC/3527/859-869: Artefacts.

Available for general access.

Copyright rests with the City of London.
English

Fit

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

For related records, see ACC/3811, LMA/4306, LMA/4004, LMA/4018, LMA/4183, LMA/4258, LMA/4271
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. July to October 2009 Financial records Industry Manufacturing industry Food industry Management operations Business acquisitions Cafes Service industries Caterers Commercial premises Tea rooms Press Newspaper press Press cuttings Information sources Documents Menus Trade Markets Marketing Management Business management Business records Catering Occupations Restaurants Catering personnel Food industry personnel Personnel People by occupation People Advertising Communication process Business administration Company archives J Lyons and Company Limited , food manufacturers and caterers Business

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Donated to the Archive in 1995, with an addition in 2007.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of J Lyons and Company Limited, food manufacturers and caterers, 1891-1995. The archives reflect all aspects of the company's history. There are some of the usual company records relating to management, shareholding and administration, but the collection is particularly strong in what may be termed ephemera. There are hundreds of photographs, from 1887 up to the present day, a few films and videos, and large collections of press cuttings, advertisements, menus and even a set of lithographs which were commissioned by the company after the Second World War as a way of brightening up Lyons Corner Houses.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

The archive is arranged into the following series:
ACC/3527/001-006: Management;
ACC/3527/007-009: Shares;
ACC/3527/010-050: Internal administration;
ACC/3527/051-059: Finance;
ACC/3527/060-072: Operation;
ACC/3527/073-169: Marketing;
ACC/2527/170-178: Conferences and presentations;
ACC/3527/179-208: Staff;
ACC/3527/209-226: Property;
ACC/3527/227-263: Subject files;
ACC/3527/264: Symington and Company Limited;
ACC/3527/265-266: Craiglands Hydro Limited;
ACC/3527/267: H. Cohen and Company Limited;
ACC/3527/268-365: Printed material;
ACC/3527/366-400: Menus;
ACC/3527/401-421A: Advertisements;
ACC/3527/422-455: Press cuttings;
ACC/3527/456-462: Scrapbooks;
ACC/3527/463-726: Photographs;
ACC/3527/727: Negatives;
ACC/3527/728-746: Films and videos;
ACC/3527/747-757: Cartoons;
ACC/3527/758-857: Pictures;
ACC/3527/858: Computer disk;
ACC/3527/859-869: Artefacts.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright rests with the City of London.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

For related records, see ACC/3811, LMA/4306, LMA/4004, LMA/4018, LMA/4183, LMA/4258, LMA/4271

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area