Elkington & Co., Mappin & Webb - Goblet (6) - Silverplated - J. Lyons & Co. LTD

A set of 6 cups produced in Sheffield by various British manufacturers for J. Lyons & Co. LTD is offered at auction.

The cups are produced by some of the leading manufacturers in Sheffield: Elkington & Co, Mappin & Webb, S. Gladwin Sheffield.

The cups are all similar, with minimal differences. They are produced for J. Lyons & Co. LTD.

Founded in the last quarter of the 19th century by four entrepreneurs (Isidore and Montague Gluckstein, Barnett Salmon, and Joseph Lyons), J. Lyons & Co. became one of the largest catering and food manufacturing companies in the world. Starting modestly as a catering provider for the Newcastle Exhibition (United Kingdom) in 1887, the new company quickly expanded to become the first food empire, which at its peak was the largest in Europe. Meanwhile, Lyons became a household name, and the Corner House and 'Joe Lyons' tea rooms, with their waitresses called 'Nippy,' captured the public imagination and passed into history.
Always innovative and with a keen sensitivity to the tastes of the audience, Lyons has uniquely combined the art of entertainment, style, and spectacle, aiming to blend high quality with good value for money. This goal was achieved by maintaining control over all production and support departments. Its food laboratory was world-class and attracted many graduates from Oxford and Cambridge. Margaret Thatcher (born Roberts) worked as a scientist in the laboratory before becoming a Member of Parliament and later the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
The first Lyons tea room opened in 1894 at 213 Piccadilly, London. It was the precursor to about 250 tea rooms with white and gold facades that occupied prominent positions on many of London's main streets and in suburban towns; corner locations with two entrances were preferred. Once, only on Oxford Street in London, seven tea rooms were operational. Food and drink prices were the same in every tea room, regardless of location, and management demanded the highest hygiene standards. A complaint from a customer was a serious matter, subject to investigations at the highest levels. This attention to detail was one of the secrets of their success, as the Lyons name had become synonymous with quality at a reasonable price. Their tea was also considered the best available, and the blend used was never sold or made available to the public.
In addition to catering, other activities developed. Lyons handled the Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace, catering events at Windsor Castle, the Guildhall in London, where the Lord Mayor's banquets were held, the floral exhibitions at Chelsea, the Wimbledon tennis championships, and much more. Lyons built the famous Trocadero restaurant near Piccadilly Circus and later the Corner Houses, large restaurants on four or five floors where orchestras played continuously. Once, in the 1930s, Lyons employed so many musicians that it became necessary to establish an Orchestral Department to manage them.
Soon, the company managed hotels (built by themselves), laundries, tea plantations in Nyasaland (now Malawi), meat pie companies, ice cream companies, tea and coffee companies, mechanical workshops, marmalade and soft drink factories, confectionery production, and was the first to introduce frozen food to the British public. During World War II, they operated one of the largest bomb manufacturing plants in the United Kingdom, and their mechanical workshops produced a wide range of military equipment. They packaged millions of rations for troops fighting in Asia and other parts of the world and left behind one of their tea rooms for American personnel stationed at Grosvenor Square. Another was part of the famous Rainbow Corner in Shaftesbury Avenue, near Piccadilly Circus, London.
After the war, the company embarked on a reconstruction program, expanding its activities in Europe and America, as well as undertaking major projects at home. They acquired the Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop and the Dunkin Donuts chain. They developed the Wimpy hamburger chain, an essentially American idea. They also built and operated the world's first corporate computer, called LEO (Lyons Electronic Office). With the help of regional grants, new large bakeries and meat pie factories were constructed. Several small ice cream companies were acquired to increase market share against fierce competition from Walls. After the war, many city centers were redeveloped, and Lyons took the opportunity to build new hotels, culminating in the magnificent Tower Hotel on St. Katherine's Dock in London, next to the Tower of London.
The company's decline came as quickly as its growth. It had overextended itself with loans when the United Kingdom was hit by recession and the oil crisis. The high level of debt, mainly from American investors, to finance the aggressive expansion program, had a strong impact on the financial statements due to the punitive levels of global interest rates that prevailed throughout 1974. In 1978, Allied Breweries Ltd made an offer for the company, which was accepted, and Lyons lost its independence. It survived for a few years under new management, but eventually its components were gradually sold off to finance acquisitions related to the beverage trade, particularly those of the Canadian Hiram Walker and the Spanish Pedro Domecq. Lyons survived for over 100 years. Throughout this period, it did not feel the need to change its name and from 1887 to 1998, it proudly operated as J. Lyons & Company.