Cave Austin and Co., Ltd was a chain of grocery stores and cafés in the southeast of England. 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 cryptography, DEAL (Data Encryption Algorithm with Larger blocks) is a symmetric block cipher derived from the Data Encryption Standard (DES). Its design was presented by Lars Knudsen at the SAC conference in 1997, and submitted as a proposa ...

in Kent and

Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...

in Sussex.

History

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 (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. The wholesale tea business (represented by the former Lindoo Valley Tea Company) was abandoned in 1903, and an intensive campaign was started to popularize roasted coffee with all coffee roasted, blended, and ground on the company premises by their own staff. By the 1930s, the focus was on developing the company as a 'high-class' grocery chain

Cave's Cafés

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 Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

(1896)

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. It is also a non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, bor ...

(1899),

Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour, shipping port, and fashionable coastal res ...

(1900),

Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...

(1903),

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town and civil parish in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in eastern Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2021 it had a population of 42,027. Ramsgate' ...

(1904),

(1905),

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

(1905),

Cliftonville Cliftonville is a coastal area of Margate in the Thanet District, Thanet district of Kent, England. It includes the Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay estate, built in the 1930s with wide avenues and detached and semi-detached houses with driveways, gar ...

(1907),

Hythe Hythe, from Anglo-Saxon ''hȳð'', may refer to a landing-place, port or haven, either as an element in a toponym, such as Rotherhithe in London, or to: Places Australia * Hythe, Tasmania Canada *Hythe, Alberta, a hamlet in Canada England *The ...

(1909),

Broadstairs Broadstairs () is a coastal town on the Isle of Thanet in the Thanet district of east Kent, England, about east of London. It is part of the civil parish of Broadstairs and St Peter's, which includes St Peter's, and had a population in 2011 ...

(1911), and

(1912). The chain was controlled and developed by Mr C.H. Cave. After

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Cave's Cafés were further developed and modernised by his nephew, Frank Cave.

Grocery stores and war damage

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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the company suffered greatly with bomb damage: the warehouse in

Lewisham Lewisham ( ) is an area of southeast London, England, south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and was within the Historic counties of England, historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified in ...

, South London was bombed twice, and in 1943 the

café was destroyed. The following year

and St.Leonards branches were totally destroyed, and the Blackheath Grocery Store was badly damaged in 1945 by a

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. Despite the damage expansion continued, with new premises in

Dorking Dorking () is a market town in Surrey in South East England about south-west of London. It is in Mole Valley, Mole Valley District and the non-metropolitan district, council headquarters are to the east of the centre. The High Street runs ro ...

Beckenham Beckenham () is a town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. Prior to 1965, it was part of Kent. It is situated north of Elmers End and Eden Park, east of Penge, south of Lower Sydenham and Bellingham, and west ...

Mottingham Mottingham is a district of south-east London, England, which straddles the border of the London Borough of Bromley, the London Borough of Lewisham and the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is located southwest of Eltham, . It was historically wi ...

Worcester Park Worcester Park is a suburban town in South London, England. It lies in the London boroughs of Sutton and Kingston, and partly in the Surrey borough of Epsom and Ewell. The area is southwest of Charing Cross. The suburb's population was 16,031 ...

Shirley Shirley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë * ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film * ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American biographical film about Shirley Jackson * ''Shirley'' ( ...

Rotherfield Rotherfield is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Wealden District, Wealden District of East Sussex, England. It is one of the largest parishes in East Sussex. There are three villages in the parish: Rotherfield, Mark ...

Petts Wood Petts Wood is a town in south-east London, England, previously located in the historic county of Kent. It lies south of Chislehurst, west of St Paul's Cray and Poverest, north of Orpington and Crofton, and east of Southborough and Bromley ...

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 St John's Wood is a district in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden and the City of Westminster, London, England, about 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Historically the northern part of the Civil Parish#An ...

Downham Downham may refer to: Places ;in England * Downham, Cambridgeshire, a civil parish **Little Downham *Downham, Essex *Downham, Lancashire *Downham, London, a district of south east London **Downham Estate, housing estate in Downham, London *Downham, ...

, and

Hayes, Bromley Hayes is a suburban area of southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Bromley. It is located south-east of Charing Cross, to the north of Keston and Coney Hall, west of Bromley Common, south of Bromley town centre, and east ...

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

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"

In 1956 the company published a booklet, 'Sixty Years of Trading. A History of Cave Austin and Co., Ltd, Cave's Cafés. 1896-1956". 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 Rationing was introduced temporarily by the British government several times during the 20th century, during and immediately after a war. At the start of the Second World War in 1939, the United Kingdom was importing 20 million long tons ...

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

Charles Alfred Stamp 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 Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...

and

Sainsbury's J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is a British supermarket and the second-largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company was the largest UK r ...

, 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. In 1966 the company was sold once more to merge with Moores Stores
''LMA/4758/B/01/010'': 'Cave Austin sold to Moores Stores' Cutting from 'The Grocers Gazette' (January 1966). 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

(Most Cave Austin and Co., Ltd. records are held in the London Metropolitan Archives''

Use reference codes in their SEARCH engine) *
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
L''MA/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

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.

Photo of fire at Cave Austin Bexhill, 1909, from 'Gravelroots' Fire Service archive.
Castle Street - Hastings UK Photo Archive
Photo of Hastings shop, 1966. {{Improve categories, date=July 2021 1896 establishments in the United Kingdom Food retailers of the United Kingdom Shops in London Coffeehouses and cafés in the United Kingdom