Historic London family businesses play host to FBUK Community

March 8, 2024

Lock & Co Hatters

The FBUK Non-Family Executive Community were delighted and grateful to be hosted by community members Emma Fox, CEO of Berry Bros. & Rudd and Ben Dalrymple, MD at Lock & Co Hatters this past week.

The evening started with a tour of the two iconic family businesses, neighbours on London’s historic St James’s Street.

At Berry Bros. & Rudd, the group heard the businesses story and history, across multiple generation, sine foundation in 1698 by the Widow Bourne. The building at No3 still houses the weighing apparatus and ledgers of famous figures throughout history upstairs.

Whilst the cavernous cellars downstairs house the family’s private store of wines, old photographs through the generations, historic drinking vessels and a beautiful new entertaining and events space to-boot.

The group then toured Lock & Co Hatters, the oldest hat shop in the world! Founded in 1676, with its stunning, original window-front and beautiful collections of men’s and women’s hats.

As the old London adage would have it  – “a gentleman buys his hats at Lock’s, his shoes at Lobbs, his shirts at Harvie and Hudson, and his cheese at Paxton”.

The ‘Tardis-like’ shop houses all stock for the business, 2 floors of displays with spaces for hat-fittings and the workshop upstairs in which every hat is created by hand.
A business of just 31 people, each individual feels part of the family and brings unique skills to the company to continue the legacy of craftsmanship and care.

The Community then continued the evening with a wonderful drinks reception and dinner; with discussions on key challenges and opportunities facing those in the role of “non-family” executive, in a family business.

This discussion, under Chatham House Rule, epitomised the nature of the Community, and indeed all our family business communities, allowing everyone to share knowledge, experiences, and gain advice and support from their peers.

Find out more about  FBUK ‘s Member Communities at:  www.familybusinessuk.org

“The tour of both businesses was excellent. Dinner was great and Emma facilitated an interesting discussion where everybody was encouraged to share their views on a variety of topics.” – Ryan McKnight, Collinson Grant