Cater Brothers: Difference between revisions

Cater Brothers
Industrie	Grocers
Gründer	Henry John Cater
Defunct	1979
Fate	Purchased by Allied Suppliers and converted to Presto
Successor	Presto
Area served	Vereinigtes Königreich
Key people	Leslie Erastus Cater
Revenue	£54 million (1978)

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 14:44, 9 April 2024

Cater Brothers was a supermarket chain based in the South East of England. The business started out in the 19th century as a butchers, before progressing into the grocery business. The company opened their first self-service supermarket in 1958. Ownership changed hands twice during the 1970s, firstly being purchased by Debenhams, before they sold the business in 1979 to Allied Suppliers, the grocery store concern of Cavenham Foods. The business was quickly integrated into Allied's chain of supermarkets, Presto.

History

Cater Brothers Supermarkets was a natural progression for a family of butchers and greengrocers. Henry Charles Cater (1818-1868) was a pork merchant and latterly a pork butcher in the East End of London. Three of his four sons went on to become a cheesemonger, a grocer and a provisions merchant.^[2]

Henry John Cater, one of Henry Charles's sons, is shown in the 1881 census as being a grocer in Bridge Street, Mile End. It was his five sons who took the business over after his death in 1919, with his son Erastus being appointed chairman of the board. By the start of the Second World War the business had around 30 stores.^[2]

In 1956, Leslie Erastus, son of Erastus, had taken over the running of the business and was keen to move the company into the new self-service supermarket business.^[2] The first supermarket was opened in Bromley in 1958, with branches being added across the South East at a rate of around one a year. The new chain had stores as far away as Reading and Colchester, all supplied by a depot in Dagenham.^[3]

In April 1972, Leslie Erastus was killed when a plane, piloted by rival supermarket owner Francis John Wallis of Wallis Supermarkets, crashed in the French Alps.^[2] Cater's estate was valued at £91,747. After his death, the Cater family decided to accept an offer of £7 million for the business from Debenhams, in 1973.

Debenhams integrated the business with their 40 food halls, which were modernised and branded as Cater Food Halls and opened a further two new Cater supermarkets. However the business struggled in the competitive 1970s market, and was sold of in 1979, and had lost £975,000 in 1977 and £383,000 in 1978 on a turnover of £54 million.^[4]^[5] Debenhams sold the business and its 24 stores to Cavenham Foods subsidiary Allied Suppliers for £9.5 million.^[2]^[1] Allied Suppliers integrated the new stores into their Presto chain and the Cater Brothers brand was no more. The Cater name, however, lived on longer in Chelmsford, with an office block that was built above the store carrying the Cater House name until it was converted into residential flats and renamed Canside in 2014.^[6]

Branches

Altrincham
Basildon^[7]
Bath^[8]
Bedford^[9]^[10]
Bow^[11]
Bromley^[12]
Canning Town^[13]^[14]
Catford
Croydon^[15]
Chelmsford^[16]
Colchester^[17]^[18]
Edmonton^[19]
Eltham^[20]

Greenwich^[18]
Hitchin
Holloway
Kingston
Morden^[21]
Putney^[18]
Reading^[18]
St Albans
Southend^[22]
Watford^[23]
Wood Green

References

^ ^a ^b "Debenhams sells Caters supermarkets for £9.5 million". Financial Times. 4 December 1979. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Waters, David. "Cater Brothers - A Story of a Supermarket". Retrieved 22 April 2015.
^ Food Processing Industry. Vol. 40. 1971. p. 9.
^ "Debenhams sell off losing food firm". The Scotsman. 4 December 1979.
^ "Debenhams sells Caters supermarkets for £9.5m". Financial Times. 4 December 1979.
^ "Offices in central Chelmsford set for flats". Chelmsford and Mid-Essex Times. 28 December 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
^ "Basildon Town Centre Town Square - Basildon.com". Retrieved 21 April 2015.
^ "Lost pubs of Bath". Pinterest.
^ "Final patrol for Harpur Centre's Bill as he retires after four decades of service". Bedford Independent. 30 May 2021.
^ "Bedford Borough Libraries". Facebook. 7 October 2020.
^ "Plans; Two copies of plan of proposed alterations at no.290 Roman Road, Bow, for Messrs.Cater Brothers. Architect: J. Reeve Young, ARIBA, 3 Bedford Square, W.C.1". National Archives.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
^ "Bromley timeline 1860-2000". Retrieved 21 April 2015.
^ "The Newham Story". Archived from the original on 21 March 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
^ "Canning Town, Rathbone Street Market. July 1975". Pinterest. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
^ "Stories that gripped Croydon - Croydon Advertiser p. 27 Aug 2010". Archived from the original on 22 April 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
^ "Cater House Central, Chelmsford - Taylor & Company". Retrieved 21 April 2015.
^ "The Cross Keys stood on the south east corner of Culver Street East and Long Wyre Street and was closed and demolished in 1970, to make way for the building of Caters supermarket". Pinterest. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Cater Bothers". Ferniando.or.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
^ "Lower Edmonton - Edmonton Green Shopping Centre". Retrieved 21 April 2015.
^ Kray, Kate (14 February 2003). Killers - Britain's Deadliest Murderers Tell Their Stories by Kate Kray. ISBN 9781784185268. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
^ "The Crown House office block and Caters Supermarket - Merton Memories Photographic Archive". Retrieved 21 April 2015.
^ "Pictures from the past: 8 historic images of Southend High Street from the Echo archives - Evening Echo p.21 Jan 2015". Retrieved 21 April 2015.
^ "Muhammad Ali's visit to Hertfordshire - Herts Memories". Retrieved 21 April 2015.

[FT-1] "Debenhams sells Caters supermarkets for £9.5 million". Financial Times. 4 December 1979. Retrieved 30 April 2015.

[waters-2] Waters, David. "Cater Brothers - A Story of a Supermarket". Retrieved 22 April 2015.

[3] Food Processing Industry. Vol. 40. 1971. p. 9.

[4] "Debenhams sell off losing food firm". The Scotsman. 4 December 1979.

[5] "Debenhams sells Caters supermarkets for £9.5m". Financial Times. 4 December 1979.

[6] "Offices in central Chelmsford set for flats". Chelmsford and Mid-Essex Times. 28 December 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2015.

[7] "Basildon Town Centre Town Square - Basildon.com". Retrieved 21 April 2015.

[8] "Lost pubs of Bath". Pinterest.

[9] "Final patrol for Harpur Centre's Bill as he retires after four decades of service". Bedford Independent. 30 May 2021.

[10] "Bedford Borough Libraries". Facebook. 7 October 2020.

[11] "Plans; Two copies of plan of proposed alterations at no.290 Roman Road, Bow, for Messrs.Cater Brothers. Architect: J. Reeve Young, ARIBA, 3 Bedford Square, W.C.1". National Archives.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2023.

[12] "Bromley timeline 1860-2000". Retrieved 21 April 2015.

[13] "The Newham Story". Archived from the original on 21 March 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2015.

[14] "Canning Town, Rathbone Street Market. July 1975". Pinterest. Retrieved 1 February 2023.

[15] "Stories that gripped Croydon - Croydon Advertiser p. 27 Aug 2010". Archived from the original on 22 April 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2015.

[16] "Cater House Central, Chelmsford - Taylor & Company". Retrieved 21 April 2015.

[17] "The Cross Keys stood on the south east corner of Culver Street East and Long Wyre Street and was closed and demolished in 1970, to make way for the building of Caters supermarket". Pinterest. Retrieved 2 February 2023.

[fernando-18] "Cater Bothers". Ferniando.or.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2023.

[19] "Lower Edmonton - Edmonton Green Shopping Centre". Retrieved 21 April 2015.

[20] Kray, Kate (14 February 2003). Killers - Britain's Deadliest Murderers Tell Their Stories by Kate Kray. ISBN 9781784185268. Retrieved 21 April 2015.

[21] "The Crown House office block and Caters Supermarket - Merton Memories Photographic Archive". Retrieved 21 April 2015.

[22] "Pictures from the past: 8 historic images of Southend High Street from the Echo archives - Evening Echo p.21 Jan 2015". Retrieved 21 April 2015.

[23] "Muhammad Ali's visit to Hertfordshire - Herts Memories". Retrieved 21 April 2015.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Former British supermarket chain}}
-'''Cater Brothers''' was a supermarket chain based in the South East of [[England]], which was later taken over and integrated into [[Presto (UK supermarket)|Presto]] chain owned by [[Allied Suppliers]].
+{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
+{{Infobox company
+| name = Cater Brothers
+| logo =
+| caption =
+| type =
+| traded_as =
+| genre = <!-- Only used with media and publishing companies -->
+| fate = Purchased by [[Allied Suppliers]] and converted to [[Presto (UK supermarket)|Presto]]
+| predecessor =
+| successor = [[Presto (UK supermarket)|Presto]]
+| foundation =
+| founder = Henry John Cater
+| defunct = 1979
+| location_city =
+| location_country =
+| location =
+| locations =
+| area_served = United Kingdom
+| key_people = Leslie Erastus Cater
+| industry = Grocers
+| products =
+| services =
+| revenue = £54 million (1978)<ref name=FT/>
+| operating_income =
+| net_income =
+| assets =
+| equity =
+| owner =
+| num_employees =
+| parent =
+| divisions =
+| subsid =
+| footnotes =
+| intl =
+}}
+'''Cater Brothers''' was a supermarket chain based in the South East of [[England]]. The business started out in the 19th century as a butchers, before progressing into the grocery business. The company opened their first self-service supermarket in 1958. Ownership changed hands twice during the 1970s, firstly being purchased by [[Debenhams]], before they sold the business in 1979 to [[Allied Suppliers]], the grocery store concern of [[Cavenham Foods]]. The business was quickly integrated into Allied's chain of supermarkets, [[Presto (UK supermarket)|Presto]].
 ==History==
@@ Line 6: / Line 43: @@
 Henry John Cater, one of Henry Charles's sons, is shown in the 1881 census as being a grocer in Bridge Street, Mile End. It was his five sons who took the business over after his death in 1919, with his son Erastus being appointed chairman of the board. By the start of the [[Second World War]] the business had around 30 stores.<ref name="waters" />
-In 1956, Leslie Erastus, son of Erastus, had taken over the running of the business and was keen to move the company into the new self-service supermarket business.<ref name="waters" /> The first supermarket was opened in [[Bromley]] in 1958, with branches being added across the South East at a rate of around one a year. The new chain had stores as far away as Reading and Colchester, all supplied by a depot in Dagenham.
+In 1956, Leslie Erastus, son of Erastus, had taken over the running of the business and was keen to move the company into the new self-service supermarket business.<ref name="waters" /> The first supermarket was opened in [[Bromley]] in 1958, with branches being added across the South East at a rate of around one a year. The new chain had stores as far away as Reading and Colchester, all supplied by a depot in Dagenham.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R0ZWAAAAMAAJ&q=%22cater+brothers%22|title=Food Processing Industry|volume=40|date=1971|page=9}}</ref>
-In 1972, Leslie Erastus was killed when a plane, piloted by rival supermarket owner F. J. Wallis of [[Wallis Supermarkets]], crashed in the French Alps.<ref name="waters" />  After his death, the Cater family decided to accept an offer of £7&nbsp;million for the business from [[Debenhams]], in 1973.
+In April 1972, Leslie Erastus was killed when a plane, piloted by rival supermarket owner Francis John Wallis of [[Wallis Supermarkets]], crashed in the French Alps.<ref name="waters" /> Cater's estate was valued at £91,747.  After his death, the Cater family decided to accept an offer of £7&nbsp;million for the business from [[Debenhams]], in 1973.
-Debenhams integrated the business with their 40 food halls, which were modernised and branded as Cater Food Halls and opened a further two new Cater supermarkets. However the business struggled in the competitive 1970s market, and in 1979, Debenhams sold the business to [[Allied Suppliers]] for £9.5 million.<ref name="waters" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sirjamesgoldsmith.com/debenhams-sells-caters-supermarkets-for-9-5m/|title=Debenhams sells Caters supermarkets for £9.5 million |work=Financial Times |date=4 December 1979|accessdate=30 April 2015}}</ref> Allied Suppliers integrated the new stores into their [[Presto (UK supermarket)|Presto]] chain and the Cater Brothers brand was no more. The Cater name, however, lived on longer in Chelmsford, with an office block that was built above the store carrying the Cater House name until it was converted into reidential flats and renamed Canside in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/news/10901127.Offices_in_central_Chelmsford_set_for_flats_conversion/ |title=Offices in central Chelmsford set for flats |work=Chelmsford and Mid-Essex Times |date=28 December 2013|accessdate=24 September 2015}}</ref>
+Debenhams integrated the business with their 40 food halls, which were modernised and branded as Cater Food Halls and opened a further two new Cater supermarkets. However the business struggled in the competitive 1970s market, and was sold of in 1979, and had lost £975,000 in 1977 and £383,000 in 1978 on a turnover of £54 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=Debenhams sell off losing food firm|newspaper=The Scotsman|date=4 December 1979}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Debenhams sells Caters supermarkets for £9.5m|newspaper=Financial Times|date=4 December 1979}}</ref> Debenhams sold the business and its 24 stores to [[Cavenham Foods]] subsidiary [[Allied Suppliers]] for £9.5 million.<ref name="waters" /><ref name=FT>{{cite web|url=http://www.sirjamesgoldsmith.com/debenhams-sells-caters-supermarkets-for-9-5m/|title=Debenhams sells Caters supermarkets for £9.5 million |work=Financial Times |date=4 December 1979|accessdate=30 April 2015}}</ref> Allied Suppliers integrated the new stores into their [[Presto (UK supermarket)|Presto]] chain and the Cater Brothers brand was no more. The Cater name, however, lived on longer in Chelmsford, with an office block that was built above the store carrying the Cater House name until it was converted into residential flats and renamed Canside in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chelmsfordweeklynews.co.uk/news/10901127.Offices_in_central_Chelmsford_set_for_flats_conversion/ |title=Offices in central Chelmsford set for flats |work=Chelmsford and Mid-Essex Times |date=28 December 2013|accessdate=24 September 2015}}</ref>
 ==Branches==
@@ Line 17: / Line 54: @@
 * Altrincham
 * Basildon<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.basildon.com/history/basildon/btcscac1.html|title=Basildon Town Centre Town Square - Basildon.com|accessdate=21 April 2015}}</ref>
+*Bath<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/302304193758180752/|title=Lost pubs of Bath|website=Pinterest}}</ref>
-*Bedford
+*Bedford<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/final-patrol-for-harpur-centres-bill-as-he-retires-after-four-decades-of-service/|title=Final patrol for Harpur Centre's Bill as he retires after four decades of service|newspaper=Bedford Independent|date=30 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.facebook.com/BedfordBoroughLibraries/photos/a.381238478742/10158091790533743/?_se_imp=2BfG8JR7DO7XEJZVP|title=Bedford Borough Libraries|website=Facebook|date=7 October 2020}}</ref>
-* Bow<ref name="Caters Supermarkets, Advt - Flickr">{{cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/32200120@N08/9418039136/|title=Caters Supermarkets, Advt - Flickr|accessdate=21 April 2015}}</ref>
+* Bow<ref>{{cite web|url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/1f0a7b5a-536e-4377-b4fe-cb485f515f87|title=Plans; Two copies of plan of proposed alterations at no.290 Roman Road, Bow, for Messrs.Cater Brothers. Architect: J. Reeve Young, ARIBA, 3 Bedford Square, W.C.1.|website=National Archives.gov.uk|access-date=1 February 2023}}</ref>
 * Bromley<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bromley.gov.uk/info/200064/local_history_and_heritage/379/history_of_the_bromley_area/4|title=Bromley timeline 1860-2000|accessdate=21 April 2015}}</ref>
-* Canning Town<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newhamstory.com/node/2649|title=The Newham Story|accessdate=21 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110321091153/http://www.newhamstory.com/node/2649|archive-date=2011-03-21|url-status=dead}}</ref>
+* Canning Town<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newhamstory.com/node/2649|title=The Newham Story|accessdate=21 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110321091153/http://www.newhamstory.com/node/2649|archive-date=2011-03-21|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/109845678393160994/|title=Canning Town, Rathbone Street Market. July 1975|website=Pinterest|access-date=1 February 2023}}</ref>
+* Catford
-* Catford<ref name="Caters Supermarkets, Advt - Flickr"/>
 * Croydon<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Market-blaze-chaos/story-11372005-detail/story.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150422003826/http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Market-blaze-chaos/story-11372005-detail/story.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 April 2015|title=Stories that gripped Croydon - Croydon Advertiser p. 27 Aug 2010|accessdate=21 April 2015}}</ref>
 * Chelmsford<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taylorandcompany.co.uk/portfolio/cater-house-central-chelmsford/|title=Cater House Central, Chelmsford - Taylor & Company|accessdate=21 April 2015}}</ref>
+* Colchester<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/376332112584960091/|title=The Cross Keys stood on the south east corner of Culver Street East and Long Wyre Street and was closed and demolished in 1970, to make way for the building of Caters supermarket|website=Pinterest|access-date=2 February 2023}}</ref><ref name=fernando>{{cite web|url=http://www.ferdinando.org.uk/cater_brothers.htm|title=Cater Bothers|website=Ferniando.or.uk|access-date=2 February 2023}}</ref>
-* Colchester<ref name="Caters Supermarkets, Advt - Flickr"/>
 * Edmonton<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lower-edmonton.co.uk/local/thegreen/edgreen.html|title=Lower Edmonton - Edmonton Green Shopping Centre|accessdate=21 April 2015}}</ref>
 * Eltham<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BrsRBwAAQBAJ&q=caters+supermarket+eltham&pg=PT95|title=Killers - Britain's Deadliest Murderers Tell Their Stories by Kate Kray|isbn=9781784185268|accessdate=21 April 2015|last1=Kray|first1=Kate|date=14 February 2003}}</ref>
 {{col-break}}
-* Greenwich<ref name="Caters Supermarkets, Advt - Flickr"/>
+* Greenwich<ref name=fernando/>
 *Hitchin
 *Holloway
 *Kingston
 * Morden<ref>{{cite web|url=http://photoarchive.merton.gov.uk/collections/transport/30084|title= The Crown House office block and Caters Supermarket - Merton Memories Photographic Archive|accessdate=21 April 2015}}</ref>
-* Putney
+* Putney<ref name=fernando/>
-* Reading
+* Reading<ref name=fernando/>
+* St Albans
-* St Albans<ref name="Caters Supermarkets, Advt - Flickr"/>
 * Southend<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/11739152.Pictures_from_the_past__8_historic_images_of_Southend_High_Street_from_the_Echo_archives/|title=Pictures from the past: 8 historic images of Southend High Street from the Echo archives - Evening Echo p.21 Jan 2015|accessdate=21 April 2015}}</ref>
 * Watford<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hertsmemories.org.uk/page_id__6837.aspx?path=0p3p213p|title=Muhammad Ali's visit to Hertfordshire - Herts Memories|accessdate=21 April 2015}}</ref>
@@ Line 48: / Line 86: @@
 [[Category:Defunct supermarkets of the United Kingdom]]
 [[Category:Debenhams]]
+[[Category:Retail companies disestablished in 1979]]

v t e Former supermarkets of the United Kingdom
Investor-owned chains	Axe Bejam Botterills Burton Supermarkets Carrefour Cartier's Superfoods Cater Brothers Crazy Prices David Greig Downsway Supermarkets Elmo Fine Fare FJ Wallis FreshXpress Gateway GT Smith Haldanes Hillards Hintons International Stores Key Markets Lipton's Local Plus Mac Fisheries Mainstop Netto Premier Supermarkets Presto Safeway Sainsbury's Freezer Centres Sainsbury's SavaCentre Somerfield Stewarts UGO Victor Value William Low
Co-operative societies	CRS Croydon Anglia Regional Highburton Ilkeston Leeds London Lothian, Borders & Angus Midlands Moulton Norco Raunds Penrith Rochdale Pioneers Royal Arsenal Sheffield South Suburban St. Cuthbert's United
Kategorie Supermarkets