Star Supply Stores was a leading chain of British

grocers The Worshipful Company of Grocers is one of the 110 Livery Companies of the City of London and ranks second in order of precedence. The Grocers' Company was established in 1345 for merchants occupied in the trade of grocer and is one of the Gr ...

History

The business was founded in Manchester in 1873 by Joseph Cadman and James Fish as the ''Star Tea Company''. Soon, many towns in England had their own Star Supply Store, as immortalised in a verse from John Betjeman's poem ''Myfanwy'':

''Smooth down the Avenue glitters the bicycle,''
''Black-stockinged legs under navy blue serge,''
''
Home and Colonial Home and Colonial Stores was once one of the United Kingdom's largest retail chains. Its formation of a vast chain of retail stores in the late 1920s is seen as the first step in the development of a UK food retail market dominated by a small num ...
, Star,
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'',
''Balancing bicycle leant on the verge.''

In 1922 the company, which by then had built up a chain of over 300 shops, bought Ridgways, a leading blender. In 1929 Star Supply Stores was acquired by

International Tea Co. Stores International Tea Co. Stores was a leading chain of grocers based in London. It was an original constituent of the FT 30 index of leading companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. History The business was founded in 1878 by Hudson Kearley ...

References

{{reflist Retail companies established in 1873 Companies based in Manchester Retail companies disestablished in 1929 Defunct retail companies of the United Kingdom 1873 establishments in England 1929 disestablishments in England British companies disestablished in 1929 British companies established in 1873