Vestey Group
Other Business Names:
- Vestey, Samuel
- Vestey, William
- Vestey, Edmund
- Union Cold Storage Co Ltd
- Blue Star Line
- Dewhurst
- Western United Investment Co Ltd
- Liebig Extract of Meat Co Ltd
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Chicago IL, United States
- Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, North West, England
- London, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England
Sectors:
-
Agriculture & fishing
Animal inc poultry farming
-
Distribution - retailing
Food retailing
-
Distribution - wholesaling, broking, market trading, etc
Meat distribution
-
Food & tobacco processing
Meat processing
-
Transport services
Shipping services - long distance, inc ship ownership & management
-
Transport services
Warehousing & storage services
Notes:
The Vestey family's origins in the food business are traced to the imported provisions business at Liverpool of Samuel Vestey, 1832-1902. From 1880s, increasing led by his sons, William, later Lord Vestey, 1859-1940, and (Sir) Edmund, 1866-1953, who developed meat processing interests in North and South America, especially Argentina, and later Australia and New Zealand. Canned meat was sent to UK from Chicago while, later, Argentine meat was sent to UK using refrigerated storage. Soon developed a vertically integrated business including ranching and meat packing in Argentina, coal storage (Union Cold Storage Co Ltd) in UK and elsewhere, refrigerated shipping (Blue Star Line) and a retail butcher's chain (Dewhurst) in UK. Union Cold Storage became a very large and key part of their operations and the Blue Star Line developed as a world leader. 1924 acquired Liebig Extract of Meat Co Ltd. Developed business to include other foods from other parts of world, including China. By interwar years a world leading business and Vestey family reckoned the wealthiest in Britain. Developed complex ownership structure to reduce tax liabilities, key businesses in this being Western United Investment Co Ltd and Cold Storage. From 1980s business substantially realigned and restructured with, for example, meat retailing and shipping being given up. Continues as a privately owned, internationally spread food business with interests in ranching, importing, storage and distribution [2023]
Publications:
- Food Combines. A study of the methods employed by the food monopolies in maintaining high prices, the development towards trustification, and the large profits made by such enterprises by Fox, W
- How the Vesteys Do It by Unknown
- Liverpool's Shipping Groups by Collard, Ian
- Rise and Fall of the House of Vestey. The true story of how Britain's richest family beat the taxman and came to grief by Knightley, Phillip
- Vestey Group. History of a global family business by Perry, Simon
Groups:
Other Business Names:
- Vestey, Samuel
- Vestey, William
- Vestey, Edmund
- Union Cold Storage Co Ltd
- Blue Star Line
- Dewhurst
- Western United Investment Co Ltd
- Liebig Extract of Meat Co Ltd
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Chicago IL, United States
- Liverpool, Liverpool, Merseyside, North West, England
- London, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England
Sectors:
- Agriculture & fishing Animal inc poultry farming
- Distribution - retailing Food retailing
- Distribution - wholesaling, broking, market trading, etc Meat distribution
- Food & tobacco processing Meat processing
- Transport services Shipping services - long distance, inc ship ownership & management
- Transport services Warehousing & storage services
Notes:
The Vestey family's origins in the food business are traced to the imported provisions business at Liverpool of Samuel Vestey, 1832-1902. From 1880s, increasing led by his sons, William, later Lord Vestey, 1859-1940, and (Sir) Edmund, 1866-1953, who developed meat processing interests in North and South America, especially Argentina, and later Australia and New Zealand. Canned meat was sent to UK from Chicago while, later, Argentine meat was sent to UK using refrigerated storage. Soon developed a vertically integrated business including ranching and meat packing in Argentina, coal storage (Union Cold Storage Co Ltd) in UK and elsewhere, refrigerated shipping (Blue Star Line) and a retail butcher's chain (Dewhurst) in UK. Union Cold Storage became a very large and key part of their operations and the Blue Star Line developed as a world leader. 1924 acquired Liebig Extract of Meat Co Ltd. Developed business to include other foods from other parts of world, including China. By interwar years a world leading business and Vestey family reckoned the wealthiest in Britain. Developed complex ownership structure to reduce tax liabilities, key businesses in this being Western United Investment Co Ltd and Cold Storage. From 1980s business substantially realigned and restructured with, for example, meat retailing and shipping being given up. Continues as a privately owned, internationally spread food business with interests in ranching, importing, storage and distribution [2023]Publications:
- Food Combines. A study of the methods employed by the food monopolies in maintaining high prices, the development towards trustification, and the large profits made by such enterprises by Fox, W
- How the Vesteys Do It by Unknown
- Liverpool's Shipping Groups by Collard, Ian
- Rise and Fall of the House of Vestey. The true story of how Britain's richest family beat the taxman and came to grief by Knightley, Phillip
- Vestey Group. History of a global family business by Perry, Simon