In early 1900s London's first and largest food factory was located in Brook Green

This month we sat down with local resident and eminent author and historian, Brian Masters, to hear some fascinating stories on the history of our cherished patch of West London. During our chat Brian revealed that one of the first and largest food factories in the country was located in Brook Green.

In July 1894 Joseph Lyons bought two acres of land on Blythe Road - some of which was occupied by a piano showroom known as Cadby Hall. The site was used by a variety of different business until J. Lyons took over the premises. Founded in 1887 Joseph Lyons and Co. (also known as J. Lyons) was a well established British restaurant chain, food manufacturer, and hotel business was heralded as the largest food empire by the 1930s!

The firm developed and extended the site until it occupied the whole block between Hammersmith Road and Blythe Road, making it one of the largest food factories in the country and became known as Lyons Corner Houses. The factory continued to expand when J. Lyons purchased the St. Mary’s campus that adjoined the Hall in 1922 and began using the campus land when the college moved in 1925. Eventually occupying over 13 acres!

Within the Cadby Hall building there were a selection of shops including cafes, a bakery, offices, stores and a collection facility that was used and enjoyed by the local community.

J. Lyons were notable for their interior design, with a 1920s style created by Oliver P. Bernard, who was the consultant artistic director. Until the 1940s they had a certain working-class chic, but by the 1950s and 60s they were quick stops for busy shoppers where one could get a cup of tea and a snack or a cheap and filling meal. 

Within its network J. Lyons had around 250 tea shops, the first of which opened in 1894 and the last of which closed in 1976. It was said that there was a Lyons teashop every 100 yards in the centre of London, with the Brook Green facility its flagship headquarters and a powerhouse within the food industry across the UK.

The J. Lyons site was redeveloped in the 1980s into offices and a mixture of period conversion houses and apartments. As a further nod to the legacy of J. Lyons there is an English Heritage blue plaque commemorating Lyons’ work on Hammersmith Road.