| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Defunct | 1986 |
| Fate | Liquidated |
| Headquarters | London, UK |
Key people | James Goldsmith, (founder and chairman) |
Cavenham Foods (also known as Cavenham) was a retail and food processing conglomerate started by Sir James Goldsmith in 1964. The company started out as a group of struggling UK food brands, including Carr's and Hollands Toffee purchased and brought together by Goldsmith. By 1973, the company had grown extensively with a series of take overs, and operated grocery stores under the Home and Colonial Stores, Lipton and Maypole brands in the UK, Grand Union in the US, UK brands Bovril and Ambrosia and continental brands Melchers, Amora, Synthol and Unimel amongst others. The company would become Europe's third largest food processor after Unilever and Nestlé.[1] From 1978 onwards, Goldsmith started to break up Cavenham and by 1986 the company was put into voluntary liquidation.