Lightyears Collection
Bush Boake Allen

W.J. Bush & Co.

Click to enlarge Bint El Sudan, perfume by W.J. Bush & Co.

"W.J. Bush & Co. was founded by William John Bush in 1850 or 1851. Bush acquired a small factory in London and undertook the steam distillation of herbs, spices, and woods and the preparation of tinctures and essences. W.J. Bush & Co. is credited with being England's first maker of flavorings and essences."

W.J. Bush

"By 1880 the business had moved to Ash Grove where W.J. Bush's Grove chemical works were located."

Over the years, W.J. Bush produced flavorings for foods, essential oils and perfume. Thanks to their worldwide presence, largely in countries that were once part of the British Empire, W.J. Bush & Co. also acted as distributor or agent for other manufacturers in various countries.

Stafford Allen & Sons

Click on image to enlarge Stafford Allen's original staff, 1833 (From IFF archives)

Stafford Allen & Sons, founded in 1833, evolved into a producer of pure drugs and essential oils. They were known for their sandalwood and clove oil.

A. Boake, Roberts & Co.

Arthur Boake, an Irishman, founded his company in 1869 for the production of brewing chemicals. Boake ran it, as sole owner, until 1888 when a partner was taken into the business. In time the company began to manufacture flavoring essences and to distill essential oils. This evolved into the manufacturing of perfume and flavor chemicals. In 1935, for example, the company published the second edition of "A Handbook for Ice Cream Makers."

Through various business arrangements, A. Boake, Roberts & Co achieved a global reach.

Bush Boake Allen

Click on image to enlarge Bush Boake Allen plant at Liston, Englnd, in 1996.

In 1966, Stafford Allen & Sons, W.J. Bush & Co., and A. Boake, Roberts & Co. combined their businesses to form Bush Boake Allen. By the year 2000, sales for the new company had reached the $470 million mark.

Click on image to view (large file)

Bush Boake Allen Essential Oils publication that was published in 1968.

My colleague John McNamara and I were present when the photographs on page 27 were shot in the confectionery laboratory.

The picture on the left of P27 show from left to right John Clent, of the flavour development lab and Victor Edward Stock (preferred name John) assessing orange and lemon Agar jellies. John Stock was the manager of the confectionery lab staffed by John McNamara Maud Cully and myself. He was a confectioner and taught practical confectionery at the South East London Technical college. I was lucky in that I gained my qualification in confectionery from that college and I had the benefit of working for him throughout my time as a student of confectionery.

The picture on the right P27 show left to right John Barnes the manager of the Bakery lab and his assistant Dorothy Harrison and some delicious looking bakery samples.

Neil Dunbar

BBA lecture notes written by Henry B Heath who was the Technical Services Manager for BBA Ash Grove at the time. I along with other personnel from the flavour development laboratory attended his 2-hour lectures weekly for a period of about 2 months. He provided samples of flavours and sniff strips to help us assess the aromas of the different flavours. Henry had a monotone voice and I recall some of my colleagues occasionally fell asleep during his lecture. His correct title as at 6th July 1971 was Henry Heath,. MBE., B.Pharm., F.P.S., F.I.F.S.T.

IFF (International Flavors & Fragrance, Inc.)

In 2000, IFF purchased Bush Boake Allen for $970 million.

If you have any information on W.J. Bush & Co., A. Boake, Roberts & Co., Stafford Allen & Sons, Bush Boake Allen or IFF, please share it with us using the message sender below.

• Lindsay Cunningham, 08/10/2024. Hi I spent 2 years at Ashgrove Hackney as the new young colonial mate on secondment from BBA Australia in the late 60's for management training ,spending time in the applications labs, visiting the galenical site at Long Melford and actually invited to lunch with Tony Allen. Over lunch he asked me to recommend some Australian Reds in his private Cellar at The Bull Hotel Long Melford for a visiting international meet. Being given a bottle as a thank you I had the challenge of advising his secretary the next day that one of my selections was off. Great memories with so many talented people
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• Paul Addison, 08/10/2024. Are you any conection to W J Bush & Company Inc.? I have share certificates from them. 11th October 1954.Incorporated under the laws of New York.
  
  

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• Margaret Wilkes formely Parsons, 06/11/2024. My Grandfather Frederick Merton Parsons originally worked with Mr. Boak in a building in the grounds of Mr. Boak's home in Loughton, Essex. Before WW2 my Grandfather moved to the site on Carpenters Road, Stratford, living in one of the two houses on the site belonging to Boak Roberts. Granddad had direct access to the factory through a gate in the wall. He retired in 1955 and moved to Canvey Island.
  

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• con grundy, 02/26/2024. my dad is in the photo taken in ash grove in front of the bus.He is second from the left in the front row, the guys crouched down.His name was Fred Grundy, sometimes called Pat. He was an engineer and used to mend the machines.
  
  

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• Jason Cleary, 12/23/2023. Hi
  Does anyone have any way of contacting someone with historical knowledge of WJ Bush & Co
  
  

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• Linda Sturgeon, 09/15/2023. Interesting to learn about the large jar that sits at our front door in New Zealand.👍
  
  

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• Neil Dunbar, 09/02/2023. Yvonne Bowers. I worked daily with your Nan, Maud Culley in the sugar confectionery laboratory at BBA for 3 years. She lived at 49 Beck road near the Ash Grove works and I had the pleasure of her company in her home on a few occasions for tea. Maud helped wrap the boiled sweets we made and made morning tea for us and for the soft drinks laboratory staff. Maud was a dear, she looked after us really well. She was a real cockney character and I can still recall her laughter. I last saw her in June 1971 when she was about 79. Happy days.
  
  

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• David Cook, 08/17/2023. My grandfather is in both of the photos showing staff outings. Just going through old family photos and I’ve found some of the visit of Gracie Fields to Potter & Moore.
  
  

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• Karen Matheson, 08/17/2023. I am a descendant of W.J. Bush. My mother was one of his great grand daughters and my grandmother his grand daughter. I wonder which of the W.J. Bush relatives would have received money from the sale of the company to IFF in 2000. The reason I’m asking is I know most of my Bush relatives that are still alive and have never heard about the sale of the company in 2000? How can this be?
  
  

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• Yvonne Bowers, 08/17/2023. My nan, Maud Culley lived in Beck road and worked at BBA in the essences lab for many years. If I remember correctly she worked there till she was near on 80 and loved her job
  
  

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• Andrew Baillie, 06/16/2023. My father John Kenneth Baillie (Ken) worked as a Representative for Stafford Allen/ Bush Boake Allen in the 1950s and 60s. He retired in 1967. I have memories of sampling some of the flavourings!
  

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• Robert Adie, 06/08/2022. I have recently come across a very smart red box marked Bush Boake Allen , I have no link to the company so don’t know any of its back history . Inside are 14 plastic topped aluminium drums holding spices which appear all full! . The lid to the box contains the history and use of the spice and I suspect it was a promotional gift to clients of the company and from the graphics dates to the late 60s early 70s . Alas cannot find anything like it on google . As I cannot put a photograph up on this format if you email me back can send images .
  I would want to find it a new home and to find someone who has a link with the company . I would be willing to part with it for a donation to DEC the charity working with displaced Ukrainians and I would cover the postage .
  So over to you any ideas ?
  Regards Robert Adie
  

  

  

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• Anne Marie, 02/23/2022. I have an empty brown, W.J.Bush & Co, Ltd. Ashgrove, Hackney, London, N.E., 160 fl oz. bottle marked Pineapple Flavor c3397. I was wondering if there's any way to date it?
  
  Thank you
  
  

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• Julia Stafford Allen, 02/18/2022. I am researching the history of Stafford Allen & Sons, Ltd., and would be grateful for any info, recollections or snippets. Does anyone what is behind the logo of a camel riding a tortoise.
  
  
  

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• susan marchant, 09/15/2021. Thank you for your response. My grandfather's name was Charles Marchant. Any information about the Russian connection would be very helpful.
  thanks
  

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• John Beaumont, 08/24/2021. Susan Marchant re your post of 05/06/21 was your grandfathers name Eric Bolton. I know that he was the company representative for Russia just before the 1st World War. I knew him when I started at
  W J Bush in 1958. By then he was General Manager. If this is the gentleman you are interested in then I do have further information.
  
  

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• susan marchant, 05/06/2021. My grandfather worked for the Bush company in the early 1900s and was sent by the company to work in St Petersburg, Russia in 1910. I have no idea why, or whether any other company personnel also went there. He was brought back just before the start of WW1. Any information on this would be most welcome as I am trying to update family records.
  thanks
  

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• Neville Correy, 04/05/2021. 26 March 2021
  Memories come flooding back! I joined BBA at what was previously Stafford Allen at Wharf Road. I joined the FDL-Food Development Lab with Henry Heath as Manager in the mid-60s. Later we moved to Ash Grove. Henry moved to America to set up the operation there and the FDL was then managed by Brian Jackson.We finally moved to Walthamstow. I left BBA in '78 and moved to work for Overseal Foods near Burton-on-Trent. Later in '87 left England for Australia. I met two Australians in Perth, WA many years ago - Ross Smith and Bruce Shenn, both of whom worked at Blackhorse Lane. I still keep in touch with a couple of fellow FDL colleagues by Email.
  Small world!
  

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• Neil Dunbar, 02/16/2021. Wonderful to read John McNamara's post. Pat Coleman & John Barnes moved to Walthamstow where I met them along with John Stock in 1980. I was unable to locate John McNamara then. BBA made great contributions to the food industry and it's employees. John Stock taught sugar confectionery at SE London Tech. I was allowed day release to study confectionery at the college & both my wages and John Stock's were covered by BBA.
  A sound investment, as I later purchased many flavours from BBA in my tenure as QA manager for a confectionery manufacturer in Australia. I also studied flavours and essential oils with the Technical services manager Henry Heath at Ash Grove Hackney and last corresponded with Herny in 2016. I hope to hear from John McNamara. My email is n.dunbar@outlook.com.au Perhaps more information about BBA may come from a catch up.
  
  

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• john mcnamara, 01/28/2021. I worked for BBA as an applications assistant with Victor (john) Stock and when he left took over running the confectionery lab. Neil Dunbar worked with me during that time. Dr Cowely was the head of the labs and John Barnes ran the bakery lab and Pat ran the mineral water lab. I left to join Stevenson & Howell and later BBA moved to Blackhorse Lane in Walthamstow. John Stock rejoined the company and ran the confectionery lab until I think IFF took them over in 2000.
  

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• john mcnamara, 01/28/2021. I worked for BBA as an applications assistant with Victor (john) Stock and when he left took over running the confectionery lab. Neil Dunbar worked with me during that time. Dr Cowely was the head of the labs and John Barnes ran the bakery lab and Pat ran the mineral water lab. I left to join Stevenson & Howell and later BBA moved to Blackhorse Lane in Walthamstow. John Stock rejoined the company and ran the confectionery lab until I think IFF took them over in 2000.
  

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• Sonia York-Pryce, 04/21/2020. William John Bush was my Great Great Grandfather and William Earnest, Baron de Bush my Great Grandfather. He led the company to further greatness before his untimely death in an accident falling from a train in 1903. He was survived by his wife soprano Pauline Joran and his daughter Paulise Marie Louise de Bush. The company had offices all the world at this time, Europe, Australia, USA and Canada. There are some wonderful examples of the company's logos and artifacts in the Hackney Archives, well worth a visit.
  

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• Wendy, 06/18/2019. Thanks for getting in touch.
  Not sure of the make of the car. My great grandfather is the chauffeur, Alfred Lake. Boake Roberts is in the background. I think it was taken down Carpenter’s Lane in Stratford.
  Cheers,
  

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• Wendy Hammond, 06/18/2019. My grandfather was a chauffeur for Boake Roberts in Stratford East London. I have a great pic of him outside the company with the company car circa 1930s.
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• Fiona Bower, 03/18/2019. My Great Grandfather and Great Great Grandfather were the Boake's in Boake Roberts.

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• Fiona Bower, 03/18/2019. My mother had a selection of her Grandfather's flavourings that we used at home in the 1970's. Nothing modern has matched the wonderful flavours he created.
  
  I do hope the original formulas and preparation notes have been saved.
  

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• Neil Dunbar, 03/15/2019. Hello, I write to express my gratitude and thanks for publishing the two photographs of the W J Bush employees titled company outing.
  I worked at the Ash Grove works in my apprentice years from 67 to 71. I learned much of flavours in my time there. I have for many years sought to find a photograph of the Ash Grove works and I was over joyed to find your photographs.
  I don't recognise any of the people but I knew people from Wj Bush, Boake Roberts & Stafford Allen and I have such wonderful memories of them.
  Thank you so very much for sharing these pictures.
  

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• Geoff Richards, 03/15/2019. My father George Edward Richards worked for WJ Bush & Co in the 50's and 60's. He managed a new factory in Nellicuppam (South India)where our family lived from 1956-1962.

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• Ronnie Ross, 03/15/2019. Hi, just aquired a boxed set of six bottles of essences labelled with Bush & co, ltd, ash grove, hackney, London. Any idea of age please. Thanks
  
  

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• Stephen Smith, 03/16/2018. My Father David E. Smith had the Western Canadian sales agency from 1949-1989. Since passed in 2015.
  
  

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• John Rogers, 03/16/2018. My farther inlaw worked at the Letchworth plant in the war years. He was not conscripted 39/45. Why? What did the plant make?
  
  -- Good question. Beer? Or likely some war time essential. Thanks for the input. -- Phil
  

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• Joy, 01/06/2014.
  My grandfather Montgomery st. Alphonse was the president of wj bush & sons factory in Montreal Canada