Vestey Group

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]

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