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Hudson Brothers

High Class Grocery established c1870s

By John Leach

Photo:Some of the Staff of Hudson Brothers

Photo:Staff Tea Room Mrs Hackett & Alice

Photo:67 East Street as it looks in 2009

The already established firm of Hudson Brothers of Osborne House, Ludgate Hill, London, set up their first store at 67, East Street in Brighton during the early 1870's. A live-in manager originally ran the store, in 1875 being Edward Platt and in 1881 Francis Clements. Although the firm billed itself as a Cheese Warehouse, it also sold meats and other deli foodstuffs. By the 1920s their Head Office was in Bond Street, London and their East Street store now was equipped with a telephone. Its adverts proclaimed 'High Class Groceries and Provisions at Store Prices'.

Advent of the supermarket
Directories up to 1974 continued to list the firm as a provisions merchant. I regret I know nothing of when the firm closed its doors, but presumably, it fell victim to the advent of the supermarket. The shop closed some time in the late 1970's. The owner, a Canadian business man named Garfield Weston owned many other businesses, including a chain of supermarkets named Fine Fare. When he closed Hudson Brothers, the staff moved to the branch of Fine Fare in London Road. The supermarket still exists but it is now called Somerfield's.

My second job
Hudson Brothers was my second job after I left school.I worked there for about four years, the wages where when I first started was £6 12s 00. I started there in August 1961 as a sales trainee. I first started on the grocery counter where I did shelve stacking as well as serving the customers. On the grocery they had a fresh coffee counter where they sold coffee beans. They had a coffee grinder so that you could have your coffee beans freshly ground for you.

High class grocery
The shop was called a high-class grocery and provision shop; there was a grocery counter, a cooked chicken, cheese, and frozen food counter that were in the centre of the shop. It had a provision and fresh meat counter; it also sold a range of meat pies that it cooked on the premises. There was an off licence section at the back of the shop.

This page was added on 28/03/2009.

Comments about this page

Hudson's, East St was an absolute delight. I well remember going shopping with my mum and we would go along East St just to look around the store. What I always recall is the smell of all that food! Big red bacon slicers, coffee roasters and (to us) very exotic looking foods. It was the Fortnum and Mason of Brighton. What a shock for the staff to go to Fine Fare, which at that time many would remember as Bellman's, very down market after Hudson's!

By Geoffrey Mead (30/03/2009)

Their homemade apple pies were truly delicious. I would stroll down from Gilletts on a Friday to get one for my lunch.

By Terry A (31/03/2009)

I loved looking in this shop, loved the smells. The assistants all looked so clean and smart. I recall three such wonderful shops in Brighton. One was in Bartholomews, just up from Hudsons. The other was in St James Street, Meads? Anyway, it was where Boots is now. Oh how I wish those shops were with us now.

By Jennifer Tonks nee Smith (31/03/2009)

The East Street Hudson's used to sell whole roasted chickens from the spit and the smell was absolutely delicious. I remember going to buy one once - we must have been flush as it was considered a fairly pricey place.

By Adrian Baron (06/08/2009)

I would visit this shop with my mother, I recall the aroma of its delights and Christmas was wonderful.Shame that shops like that closed to awful supermarkets.

By Gillian Drake (04/01/2012)

My great grandfather, James Hudson, on my grandmothers side of the family, had 11 children and together with one of his sons was instrumental in creating Hudson Bros a chain of high class provision merchants. They had about 30 shops mainly in London and Home Counties James Hudson built and lived at Capenor Nutfield Surrey. Direct descendants are welcome to contact me.

By Charles Lown (01/03/2012)

I worked opposite at Hanningtons from 1966. I loved the smells of the cooking of their fabulous pies and would buy a pie for my lunch - sometimes savoury, sometimes sweet - they were lovely. Really missed that shop.

By Jenny Caig (12/01/2013)

Fabulous shop, much missed. From 1961-69 I worked for The Automobile Association in Marine Parade and would often walk down in my lunch hour with 'orders' from other colleagues for a variety of their mouthwatering pies! East Street had some fine shops such as Cresta and Jaeger which were rather out of my price range as a teenager - but I could dream!

By Elaine Chamberlain (25/03/2013)