Surprisingly, britain's oldest spirit and wine merchant Berry Brothers and Rudd began life in 1698 as a grocer shop. Widow Bourne (only her last name is known) and her two daughters set up shop at 3 St. James Street London. Through the 18th Century, the shop was run by the Widow's daughter, Elizabeth - alongside her husband William Pickering - and later her sons, William Jr and John Pickering. When John died, a relation by the name of John Clarke joined William Jr. It was during their time together that they began supplying wine and spirits to the royal family, and also began the tradition of weighing some of their notable customers (including royalty, Lord Byron, and William Pitt the Younger) on the large grocer's weighing scales. The scales, the weighing, and the 'Sign of the Coffee Mill' that hangs over the shop, are all still present today.
Clarke's Grandson, George Berry, began working in the shop in 1803, and by 1810 the Berry name first found itself over the shop. George pushed the shop toward wine and spirit sales, following his family background. Two of his sons, George Jr. and Henry took over the company in 1845, becoming the original "Berry Brothers", and passing the company down through their families.
Hugh Rudd joined the company in 1920, from a family of Norwich wine merchants, with a comprehensive knowledge of German wines and a passion for Bordeaux. With his input, Berry Bros had unrivalled expertise, and used it to great effect. In 1940, they became a limited company, and Hugh's 20 years of partnership granted his name a place on the shopfront, creating the name that exists now; Berry Bros & Rudd.
Despite family losses and significant damage to the shop during World War II, the latter half of the 20th Century saw BBR develop well, gain their second royal warrant, and the ongoing success of the Cutty Sark brand - created and popularised during the American Prohibition - paved the way forward for the company's spirits arm to create some fantastic independently bottled whiskies. Crossing into the 21st Century, Berry Bros & Rudd has expanded internationally into Dublin, Japan and Hong Kong, and continue to hold a huge reputation for amazing selection of excellent spirits and wine.