Records of J Lyons and Company Limited and Lyons Tetley Limited, food manufacturers and caterers, W H and F J Horniman and Company Limited and Joseph Tetley and Company, tea merchants, 1849-1978.

This collection contains records relating to all three companies (Horniman, Lyons and Tetley) when they were trading as separate businesses and when they were united under various incarnations of the one "Lyons" name. (They include references to other companies such as Symbol biscuits which Lyons took over in 1944)

However, despite the fact that some corporate records such as minutes have been retained by the Tetley Group Limited the majority of this collection is in fact composed of records relating to the Lyons company (which is necessarily linked with the former due to the fact it was a major competitor for years before taking it over in 1973).

Marketing and publicity aspects are the most heavily represented. As such this is a visually appealing collection and of particular note are the photograph albums and volumes of artwork, product labels and advertisments which are a testiment to the impact tea drinking has had on British society and its way of life.

Records of the Society for Checking the Abuses of Public Advertising (SCAPA), including Executive Committee minute books; financial accounts; lists of members; correspondence, including letters relating to subscriptions, byelaws, cases and litter; petitions; annual reports; publications by SCAPA and others; newspaper cuttings and posters.

Records of Smith Kendon Limited, 1826-1987. The collection mainly comprises the papers of Donald Smith and his capacity as Managing Director and Chairman of Smith Kendon Limited, including papers relating to the formation of the business such as articles of partnership and certificates of registration; deeds and other legal documents relating to property owned by the company; insurance policies; inventories; correspondence; minutes of meetings; Donald Smith's business diaries; sales figures; financial accounts; papers relating to stock and stock control; papers relating to sales; papers relating to products including recipe books; advertising; reports; staff records and papers relating to the Second World War.

Records of Pembroke and Pembroke, financial recruitment consultants, 1969-2002. Records include candidates' application forms; correspondence with clients and candidates; advertising material; administrative and financial records.

Records of Stephen Green Limited, patent medicine manufacturer, 1780-1930. The records relate to proprietorship of the recipe for "Doctor Johnson's Golden Ointment" including legal documents and legal case papers; and records relating to the manufacture and sale of the ointment including financial accounts, order books, correspondence, sales summaries, testimonials, advertising, legislation involving patent medicines and history of the ointment. Also various family and estate records.

Records of Crosse and Blackwell Limited, food manufacturers, 1830-2003. The records include business agreements; correspondence; published histories; financial records; papers relating to shareholders; papers relating to production including agreements, ledgers, notebooks, reports, and labels; price lists; papers relating to staff organisations and staff photographs; property records including inventories, leases and photographs; papers relating to advertising including newscuttings, publications, adverts, correspondence and photographs.

Also papers of subsidiary companies including British Vinegars Ltd, Elizabeth Lazenby Ltd, James Kellier and Sons and Allards Wharf Ltd.