THE BRITISH HERITAGE ARCHIVEBritish English All entries

BRITISH LEGACY / THE COLLECTION

Notable British Brands

Iconic brands like Rolls-Royce, Burberry, and Twinings tea represent British excellence in craftsmanship, innovation, and global market presence. These brands are ambassadors of British quality and style, influencing industries and consumers worldwide. They epitomize the UK's ability to set global trends and maintain a prestigious reputation.

80 entries

Rolls-Royce: the cars, the craft and the name

From the Silver Ghost to today’s car business, the Rolls-Royce story joins British motoring identity to a changing corporate history.

Burberry: from Basingstoke outerwear to a global fashion identity

Founded by Thomas Burberry in 1856, the British company became known for gabardine, the trench coat and its distinctive check.

Twinings: a London tea room with a global reach

Founded on the Strand in 1706, Twinings grew from a London tea business into an internationally marketed drinks brand, while retaining its historic premises.

Jaguar: sidecars, racing and the electric turn

Founded as a sidecar maker, Jaguar built a name through distinctive cars, Le Mans victories and a continuing interest in performance.

Land Rover: the British story behind a global marque

From a Rover utility vehicle designed in post-war Britain, Land Rover grew into a range spanning the Series models, Range Rover, Discovery and Defender.

Barbour: From South Shields oilcloth to British countrywear

Founded in 1894 to serve a maritime community, the family-led South Shields company built its reputation on practical weatherproof clothing and a jacket that crossed from country life into fashion.

Dyson: the British beginnings of a global engineering company

Founded in Wiltshire in 1991, Dyson grew from James Dyson’s cyclone vacuum into an international appliance business, while retaining engineering and education links with the UK.

Aston Martin: British engineering, racing and reinvention

Founded in London in 1913, Aston Martin built a global reputation through sports cars, competition and a series of financial rescues.

Harrods

The Knightsbridge department store whose history and identity are bound up with London retail.

Marks & Spencer: from Leeds market stall to British retailer

Founded in 1884, M&S built its reputation through its own-label goods, food retailing and a changing high-street presence.

Bentley: racing origins, British manufacture and a changing marque

Founded in London in 1919, Bentley became known for endurance racing and luxury cars. Its history runs from Cricklewood to a continuing manufacturing presence in Crewe.

Boots: the Nottingham pharmacy that became a high-street fixture

Founded in 1849, Boots grew from a family herbal-medicine shop into a major British pharmacy and health-and-beauty retailer.

Wedgwood

Famous for high-quality ceramics and bone china.

Lush: the British cosmetics retailer built around fresh products and campaigning

Founded in Poole, Lush grew from a cosmetics shop into an international retailer whose product choices and public campaigns made its ethics part of its identity.

Mini

How a compact British car combined ingenious packaging, rally success and a lasting place in popular culture.

Virgin Atlantic

How a British airline built its identity around service, cabin design and long-haul travel.

The Body Shop

Founded in Brighton by Anita Roddick, the cosmetics company made ethical sourcing and opposition to animal testing part of its public identity.

Clarks: how a Somerset shoemaker built a global brand

From sheepskin rugs and the Brown Petersburg slipper to the Desert Boot and Wallabee, Clarks grew from a family business in Street into an international footwear name.

Ted Baker: the rise, reach and reset of a British fashion brand

Founded in Glasgow in 1988, Ted Baker grew from a specialist shirt shop into an international label before financial distress closed its UK and Irish shops.

Baxi: from Preston ironworks to European heating group

Founded in Lancashire in 1866, Baxi grew through domestic boilers, international expansion and a merger that made it part of BDR Thermea.

PG Tips: the story of a familiar British tea brand

From its 1930 launch as Pre-Gest-Tea to pyramid-shaped bags and the “Monkey” adverts, PG Tips built a recognisable identity around everyday black tea.

Mulberry

Luxury fashion brand known for leather goods, especially handbags.

Fortnum & Mason: from Piccadilly grocer to London institution

Founded in 1707, the retailer built its name on provisions and specialist foods; its hampers and tea remain part of a much wider story.

John Lewis & Partners: a department store and its partnership

From an Oxford Street drapery shop to a national retailer, John Lewis’s history is closely tied to the employee-owned John Lewis Partnership.

Rimmel: a London cosmetics name with a long history

Founded in London in 1834, Rimmel grew from a perfumery into an internationally marketed make-up brand, with affordability and its London identity at the centre of its appeal.

GlaxoSmithKline: a British pharmaceutical lineage

The company formed in 2000 from businesses with roots in London and New Zealand, bringing a long industrial history into a global pharmaceutical group.

P&O Cruises: a British passenger-shipping tradition

Founded as a cruise line in 1977, P&O Cruises carries forward a passenger-travel history that reaches back to 1837.

Savile Row: the craft of bespoke tailoring

How a Mayfair street became associated with individual commissions, established tailoring houses and changing styles.

Dr. Martens: the boot that travelled from workwear to subculture

A post-war German design, developed for the British market, became a familiar feature of music, fashion and youth subcultures.

Beefeater Gin

A London dry gin shaped by a Victorian distillery, a distinctive botanical recipe and a name associated with the Tower of London.

Cadbury: Birmingham roots and a changing British institution

Founded by John Cadbury in 1824, the confectionery business grew from a Birmingham shop into a global brand, shaped by family innovation, Bournville and a complex corporate history.

JCB: Staffordshire roots and a global machinery business

Founded in 1945, the family-linked manufacturer grew from a Uttoxeter garage into a major maker of construction and agricultural equipment.

New Look

Founded in Taunton in 1969, New Look built a British retail identity around fashion at accessible prices.

Vodafone: from Racal radio project to global network

Founded in the British mobile-radio industry, Vodafone grew from a Newbury-based venture into a multinational telecommunications group.

Thomas Cook: the preacher who organised travel for ordinary people

From a 1841 railway excursion for temperance campaigners to tours across continents, Thomas Cook helped make organised travel accessible to a wider public.

Foster’s Group: an Australian brewer in the British beer market

Founded in Melbourne, the company became known in Britain through Foster’s lager, advertising and a long-running commercial presence.

Waitrose & Partners: a British grocery business

From a West London shop to a national supermarket brand, Waitrose has built its identity around food retail, the John Lewis Partnership and community initiatives.

Gieves & Hawkes: the tailoring house at No. 1 Savile Row

Formed from two older houses, Gieves & Hawkes brings military and bespoke tailoring traditions together at a celebrated London address.

Jo Malone London

A London-founded fragrance brand whose range spans colognes, candles and bath products.

Brompton Bicycle: the folding design made in London

Andrew Ritchie’s compact bicycle grew from prototypes in a London flat into a major British manufacturer, with a design refined over decades.