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The history of
Tudor Dairies dates back to the early 1930's
when two brothers Harry & Arthur Fathers, purchased the
Henley milk round and small grocers shop from Mrs Hewins,
who had been trading under the Tudor Dairies name since
1893.
They
continued to deliver milk in Henley using left over milk
to make cream, which was sold in the shop, with butter
being sold in the market behind the Nags Head.
In
1934 the brothers began experimenting with ice cream with
the “know how” given
to them by their mother who used to make ice cream for her
shop in Rubery. Originally made by hand the ice cream was
sold under the Henley Ice Cream brand.
Word
soon spread of this delicious ice cream made only with the
very best ingredients, culminating in 1937 when Henley Ice
Cream won the premier award, being voted the best ice
cream in the U.K.
The
shop became ever more popular as the reputation of the ice
cream grew and the shop was transformed into a Ice Cream
Parlour. By 1938, the number of customers visiting the
parlour brought the traffic in Henley to a standstill,
requiring the introduction of a uniformed employee to
direct traffic in the High Street.
Ice
Cream production ceased during the war years due to lack
of ingredients, and the parlour was used as an Air Raid
Post.
After
the war ice cream production continued on Wednesday’s and
Saturday’s only, due to the shortage of Cornish cream, so
goats milk was used.
When
Arthur & Harry Fathers retired in 1959, the business was
sold to Ross Foods, who changed the emphasis of the
Company from a small family run business producing a high
quality ice cream, to one of a large concern manufacturing
bulk products for the Supermarket chains.
In
February 1991 the Company changed hands when Ross Foods
sold Tudor Dairies to a group of businessmen, but was
placed into receivership in March 1997.
It was
at this time that it was taken back into private ownership
by Cindy and Steve Brittan,
who have the ice cream made on midlands farms to
traditional recipes using only quality ingredients.
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