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Cave Austin and Company

January 01, 1970

Cave Austin and Co., Ltd was a chain of grocery stores and cafés in the southeast of England.[1] During its seventy-year history it grew to some fifty branches in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, and much of South East London. Cafés were in several seaside towns such as Deal in Kent and Hastings in Sussex.

High Street, Sidcup (c.1900)
Head Office and Central Warehouse, 34/40 Eastdown Park, Lewisham (c.1955)

History edit

Cave Austin and Co., Ltd was officially incorporated as a public company in 1896, when several separate concerns (including tea importers, wine and spirit merchants, and grocery shops) agreed to unite for mutual benefit under combined management. The inaugural board of directors were C.H. Cave, A.J. Cave, Alfred Austin, Charles Stamp[2] (who had his own provision business), E Underwood, James McCabe, and E.J. Mansfield. There were two sides to the business: Grocery Stores and Cafés.[3] The wholesale tea business (represented by the former Lindoo Valley Tea Company[4]) was abandoned in 1903 and an intensive campaign was started to popularize roasted coffee with all coffee roasted, blended, and ground in the company premises by their own staff. By the 1930s the focus was on developing the company as a 'high-class' grocery chain[5]

Cave's Cafés edit

Early in its history the company established a chain of cafés known as Cave's Oriental Cafés with a distinctive oriental decor. They had premises in Brighton (1896) Eastbourne (1899), Folkestone (1900), Dover (1903), Ramsgate (1904), Hastings (1905),[6] Canterbury (1905), Cliftonville (1907), Hythe (1909), Broadstairs (1911), and Deal (1912). The chain was controlled and developed by Mr C.H. Cave. After World War I Cave's Cafés were further developed and modernised by his nephew, Frank Cave.

Grocery stores and war damage edit

 
23 Station Approach, Hayes, Kent (c.1955)
 
The first warehouse in Clarendon Yard, Lewisham

From 1932, after Mr C. H. Cave's retirement, the Grocery branches were developed in London, Kent, and Surrey under the Chairmanship of Charles Stamp (founder Secretary and Director). Soon after the death of Charles Stamp in 1935, Frank Cave was elected chairman.

During World War II the company suffered greatly with bomb damage: the warehouse in Lewisham, South London was bombed twice, and in 1943 the Eastbourne café was destroyed. The following year Hastings and St.Leonards [7] branches were totally destroyed, and the Blackheath Grocery Store was badly damaged in 1945 [8] by a V2 rocket.

Despite the damage expansion continued, with new premises in Dorking, Beckenham, Mottingham, Worcester Park, Shirley, Rotherfield, Petts Wood and Crofton.

In 1950 Frank Cave died and was replaced as chairman by Charles Alfred Stamp (son of Charles Stamp). Expansion continued including premises at St John's Wood, Downham, and Hayes, Bromley in 1952 - the company's first self-service store . In 1956 a Mobile Grocery Shop equipped with cold cabinet was put on the road. In 1954 a new Warehouse was built in Lewisham which included offices, coffee roasting department, cold store, ham cooking department, wine and spirit stores and sale room. At the same time the company was developing its own label lines.

"Sixty years of trading" edit

 
Interior of self-service store, Hayes, Kent (c.1955)

In 1956 the company published a booklet, 'Sixty Years of Trading. A History of Cave Austin and Co., Ltd, Cave's Cafés. 1896-1956”.[9] In it was recorded the following statistics: over 400 staff, 24 vans (travelling over 190,000 miles a year), over 30 tons of coffee roasted per annum, 5000 gammons cooked per annum, 92 tons of butter, 100 tons of margarine, 54 tons of tea sold and 2,600 tons of food delivered from warehouse to branches. There were 19 licensed branches with a large range of French wines, and a range of "fancy" groceries such as "okra, puppodums, lychees, Bombay duck, bamboo shoots" (food Rationing in the United Kingdom had only just ended in 1954). At this time the Board of Directors were Charles Stamp, Dudley Stamp, Barry Hartnell Stamp, Stanley Rogers and Leonard Elwood. The booklet ends: "The directors are confident that sixty years of progress will be followed by yet another period of similar development."

Competition and takeover edit

Charles Alfred Stamp [10] was subsequently succeeded as chairman in 1963 by his son, Barry Stamp. By this time, it was clear that the unmatched range, value, and buying power of the big Supermarkets, notably Tesco and Sainsbury's, was squeezing the smaller operators. Even though Cave Austin by this time had 40 Grocery stores, they were unable to effectively compete in an aggressively competitive and expanding market. Barry Stamp was the company's last chairman and negotiated its takeover in 1963 by Burton, Son and Sanders of Ipswich.[11] In 1966 the company was sold once more to merge with Moores Stores[12][13] and the name 'Cave Austin' disappeared.

In the 21st century a wine bar called 'Cave Austin' opened in Blackheath, taking its name from a floor mosaic still at the entrance to the premises. Both the wine bar and mosaic have now gone.

References edit

(Most Cave Austin and Co., Ltd. records are held in the London Metropolitan Archives [10] Use reference codes in their SEARCH engine)

  1. ^ "AIM25 text-only browsing: London Metropolitan Archives: CAVE AUSTIN AND COMPANY LIMITED". aim25.com. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  2. ^ [1] LMA/4758/C/02/002: Charles Stamp (Director & Secretary since 1896) outside Cave Austin branch, 114 South Street, Eastbourne, Sussex (Photographer: R J McKenzie c.1920).
  3. ^ [2] LMA/4758/B/01/001: 'A HAPPY COMBINATION: HIGH-CLASS GROCERS. THE CAVE'S CAFES' (article from 'Town and Country Life', London by Harry Barnett c.1925).
  4. ^ "File:Im18920827St-Lindoo.jpg - Graces Guide". www.gracesguide.co.uk.
  5. ^ [3] LMA/4758/B/02: 1957 printed history 'SIXTY YEARS OF TRADING: A HISTORY OF CAVE AUSTIN AND CO., LTD. [&] CAVE'S CAFÉS 1896-1956'
  6. ^ "Castle Street - Hastings UK Photo Archive". www.1066online.co.uk.
  7. ^ [4] LMA/4758/C/02/001: First Cave Austin shop in St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex (Photographer: David J Eddy c.1909).'
  8. ^ "00043. Montpelier Vale - Nos 1 - 23 | 008784 Montpelier Vale, northwards, WarDamage-1". The Blackheath Society Archive.
  9. ^ [5] LMA/4758/B/02: 1957 printed history 'SIXTY YEARS OF TRADING: A HISTORY OF CAVE AUSTIN AND CO., LTD. [&] CAVE'S CAFÉS 1896-1956'
  10. ^ [6] LMA/4758/B/01/006: 'Chairman of Cave Austin Honoured' Cutting from 'The Grocer' (March 1963) includes statistics taken from the company's annual returns.
  11. ^ [7] LMA/4758/B/01/007: '50-SHOP MULTIPLE TAKEN OVER BY SPAR WHOLESALER' (article from 'The Grocer' trade magazine, April 1963)
  12. ^ [8] LMA/4758/B/01/009: 'Moores buys Cave, Austin' Cutting from 'The Grocer' (January 1966).
  13. ^ [9] LMA/4758/B/01/010: 'Cave Austin sold to Moores Stores' Cutting from 'The Grocers Gazette' (January 1966).
  • London Metropolitan Archives Collection Catalogue LMA/4758/A/01/001: 'REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS, STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS AND BALANCE SHEET FOR 52 WEEKS ENDED 30TH SEPTEMBER, 1962'
  • London Metropolitan Archives Collection Catalogue LMA/4758/B/01: Eleven trade magazine articles on Cave Austin, up to 1966
  • London Metropolitan Archives Collection Catalogue LMA/4758/C/01/001: Cave Austin Social and Dinner events.
  • London Metropolitan Archives Collection Catalogue LMA/4758/C/01/002: Christmas booklets 1925 - 1937. Sent to staff with printed letter by Charles A. Stamp (later Chairman and managing director). Each with a card cover with a woodcut by his sister Bertha C. Stamp. They contain: a letter by Charles H Stamp wishing his employees a 'the Happiest of Xmases and a spirit of Cheerful Optimism of the New Year'; a round up of events; an overview of future events; a photographed portrait (including C.H. Stamp, A.J. Cave and competition winners); a poem.
  • London Metropolitan Archives Collection Catalogue LMA/4758/C/01/001/002: 'Dinner in honour of Mr. Charles A. Stamp, F.C.S. on his retirement as Chairman of Cave Austin & Company Ltd. On Tuesday, 5 February 1963' Dinner menu.

External links edit

  • AIM25 text-only browsing: London Metropolitan Archives: CAVE AUSTIN AND COMPANY LIMITED London Metropolitan Archives
  • Sixty years of trading: a history of Cave Austin and Co., Ltd. Cave's Cafes. 1896-1956 Sixty Years of Trading
  • DEW167 Shop Front Cave, Austin & Co, Ltd, Grocers, Sidcup 1900 Photo from the London Borough of Bexley website of Cave Austin Sidcup shopfront.
  • Shops in Eltham High Street Photo from London Picture Archive of Cave Austin Eltham.
  • f6658 - Old photo of Fire - Photo of fire at Cave Austin Bexhill, 1909, from 'Gravelroots' Fire Service archive.
  • Castle Street - Hastings UK Photo Archive Photo of Hastings shop, 1966.

January 01, 1970
cave, austin, company, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, unclear, citation, style, references, used, made, clearer, with, different, consis. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article has an unclear citation style The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation and footnoting July 2021 Learn how and when to remove this message This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations July 2021 Learn how and when to remove this message Learn how and when to remove this message Cave Austin and Co Ltd was a chain of grocery stores and cafes in the southeast of England 1 During its seventy year history it grew to some fifty branches in Kent Surrey Sussex and much of South East London Cafes were in several seaside towns such as Deal in Kent and Hastings in Sussex High Street Sidcup c 1900 Head Office and Central Warehouse 34 40 Eastdown Park Lewisham c 1955 Contents 1 History 1 1 Cave s Cafes 1 2 Grocery stores and war damage 1 3 Sixty years of trading 1 4 Competition and takeover 2 References 3 External linksHistory editCave Austin and Co Ltd was officially incorporated as a public company in 1896 when several separate concerns including tea importers wine and spirit merchants and grocery shops agreed to unite for mutual benefit under combined management The inaugural board of directors were C H Cave A J Cave Alfred Austin Charles Stamp 2 who had his own provision business E Underwood James McCabe and E J Mansfield There were two sides to the business Grocery Stores and Cafes 3 The wholesale tea business represented by the former Lindoo Valley Tea Company 4 was abandoned in 1903 and an intensive campaign was started to popularize roasted coffee with all coffee roasted blended and ground in the company premises by their own staff By the 1930s the focus was on developing the company as a high class grocery chain 5 Cave s Cafes edit Early in its history the company established a chain of cafes known as Cave s Oriental Cafes with a distinctive oriental decor They had premises in Brighton 1896 Eastbourne 1899 Folkestone 1900 Dover 1903 Ramsgate 1904 Hastings 1905 6 Canterbury 1905 Cliftonville 1907 Hythe 1909 Broadstairs 1911 and Deal 1912 The chain was controlled and developed by Mr C H Cave After World War I Cave s Cafes were further developed and modernised by his nephew Frank Cave Grocery stores and war damage edit nbsp 23 Station Approach Hayes Kent c 1955 nbsp The first warehouse in Clarendon Yard Lewisham From 1932 after Mr C H Cave s retirement the Grocery branches were developed in London Kent and Surrey under the Chairmanship of Charles Stamp founder Secretary and Director Soon after the death of Charles Stamp in 1935 Frank Cave was elected chairman During World War II the company suffered greatly with bomb damage the warehouse in Lewisham South London was bombed twice and in 1943 the Eastbourne cafe was destroyed The following year Hastings and St Leonards 7 branches were totally destroyed and the Blackheath Grocery Store was badly damaged in 1945 8 by a V2 rocket Despite the damage expansion continued with new premises in Dorking Beckenham Mottingham Worcester Park Shirley Rotherfield Petts Wood and Crofton In 1950 Frank Cave died and was replaced as chairman by Charles Alfred Stamp son of Charles Stamp Expansion continued including premises at St John s Wood Downham and Hayes Bromley in 1952 the company s first self service store In 1956 a Mobile Grocery Shop equipped with cold cabinet was put on the road In 1954 a new Warehouse was built in Lewisham which included offices coffee roasting department cold store ham cooking department wine and spirit stores and sale room At the same time the company was developing its own label lines Sixty years of trading edit nbsp Interior of self service store Hayes Kent c 1955 In 1956 the company published a booklet Sixty Years of Trading A History of Cave Austin and Co Ltd Cave s Cafes 1896 1956 9 In it was recorded the following statistics over 400 staff 24 vans travelling over 190 000 miles a year over 30 tons of coffee roasted per annum 5000 gammons cooked per annum 92 tons of butter 100 tons of margarine 54 tons of tea sold and 2 600 tons of food delivered from warehouse to branches There were 19 licensed branches with a large range of French wines and a range of fancy groceries such as okra puppodums lychees Bombay duck bamboo shoots food Rationing in the United Kingdom had only just ended in 1954 At this time the Board of Directors were Charles Stamp Dudley Stamp Barry Hartnell Stamp Stanley Rogers and Leonard Elwood The booklet ends The directors are confident that sixty years of progress will be followed by yet another period of similar development Competition and takeover edit Charles Alfred Stamp 10 was subsequently succeeded as chairman in 1963 by his son Barry Stamp By this time it was clear that the unmatched range value and buying power of the big Supermarkets notably Tesco and Sainsbury s was squeezing the smaller operators Even though Cave Austin by this time had 40 Grocery stores they were unable to effectively compete in an aggressively competitive and expanding market Barry Stamp was the company s last chairman and negotiated its takeover in 1963 by Burton Son and Sanders of Ipswich 11 In 1966 the company was sold once more to merge with Moores Stores 12 13 and the name Cave Austin disappeared In the 21st century a wine bar called Cave Austin opened in Blackheath taking its name from a floor mosaic still at the entrance to the premises Both the wine bar and mosaic have now gone References edit Most Cave Austin and Co Ltd records are held in the London Metropolitan Archives 10 Use reference codes in their SEARCH engine AIM25 text only browsing London Metropolitan Archives CAVE AUSTIN AND COMPANY LIMITED aim25 com Retrieved 23 May 2021 1 LMA 4758 C 02 002 Charles Stamp Director amp Secretary since 1896 outside Cave Austin branch 114 South Street Eastbourne Sussex Photographer R J McKenzie c 1920 2 LMA 4758 B 01 001 A HAPPY COMBINATION HIGH CLASS GROCERS THE CAVE S CAFES article from Town and Country Life London by Harry Barnett c 1925 File Im18920827St Lindoo jpg Graces Guide www gracesguide co uk 3 LMA 4758 B 02 1957 printed history SIXTY YEARS OF TRADING A HISTORY OF CAVE AUSTIN AND CO LTD amp CAVE S CAFES 1896 1956 Castle Street Hastings UK Photo Archive www 1066online co uk 4 LMA 4758 C 02 001 First Cave Austin shop in St Leonards on Sea Sussex Photographer David J Eddy c 1909 00043 Montpelier Vale Nos 1 23 008784 Montpelier Vale northwards WarDamage 1 The Blackheath Society Archive 5 LMA 4758 B 02 1957 printed history SIXTY YEARS OF TRADING A HISTORY OF CAVE AUSTIN AND CO LTD amp CAVE S CAFES 1896 1956 6 LMA 4758 B 01 006 Chairman of Cave Austin Honoured Cutting from The Grocer March 1963 includes statistics taken from the company s annual returns 7 LMA 4758 B 01 007 50 SHOP MULTIPLE TAKEN OVER BY SPAR WHOLESALER article from The Grocer trade magazine April 1963 8 LMA 4758 B 01 009 Moores buys Cave Austin Cutting from The Grocer January 1966 9 LMA 4758 B 01 010 Cave Austin sold to Moores Stores Cutting from The Grocers Gazette January 1966 London Metropolitan Archives Collection Catalogue LMA 4758 A 01 001 REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS AND BALANCE SHEET FOR 52 WEEKS ENDED 30TH SEPTEMBER 1962 London Metropolitan Archives Collection Catalogue LMA 4758 B 01 Eleven trade magazine articles on Cave Austin up to 1966 London Metropolitan Archives Collection Catalogue LMA 4758 C 01 001 Cave Austin Social and Dinner events London Metropolitan Archives Collection Catalogue LMA 4758 C 01 002 Christmas booklets 1925 1937 Sent to staff with printed letter by Charles A Stamp later Chairman and managing director Each with a card cover with a woodcut by his sister Bertha C Stamp They contain a letter by Charles H Stamp wishing his employees a the Happiest of Xmases and a spirit of Cheerful Optimism of the New Year a round up of events an overview of future events a photographed portrait including C H Stamp A J Cave and competition winners a poem London Metropolitan Archives Collection Catalogue LMA 4758 C 01 001 002 Dinner in honour of Mr Charles A Stamp F C S on his retirement as Chairman of Cave Austin amp Company Ltd On Tuesday 5 February 1963 Dinner menu External links editAIM25 text only browsing London Metropolitan Archives CAVE AUSTIN AND COMPANY LIMITED London Metropolitan Archives Sixty years of trading a history of Cave Austin and Co Ltd Cave s Cafes 1896 1956 Sixty Years of Trading DEW167 Shop Front Cave Austin amp Co Ltd Grocers Sidcup 1900 Photo from the London Borough of Bexley website of Cave Austin Sidcup shopfront Shops in Eltham High Street Photo from London Picture Archive of Cave Austin Eltham f6658 Old photo of Fire Photo of fire at Cave Austin Bexhill 1909 from Gravelroots Fire Service archive Castle Street Hastings UK Photo Archive Photo of Hastings shop 1966 This article needs additional or more specific categories Please help out by adding categories to it so that it can be listed with similar articles July 2021 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cave Austin and Company amp oldid 1184645116, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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