Our History
1933
Aubrey Allen a penniless orphan, opens his first shop in Hillfields, Coventry despite the backdrop of The Great Depression.
1939 -1945
6 years in, business is booming but with the outbreak of World War Two, Aubrey closes the shop and goes to war.
1945
Post war rationing hits its peak and Aubrey pivots the business to a taxi service in the evening. Aubrey and his wife Gladys, grow the business to the largest fleet of Hackney carriages outside of London.
1945- 1951
Aubrey and his wife Gladys have three children during these years, one of whom, Peter is still chairman today.
1970s
The Allen’s navigate the strikes and hyperinflation of the 1970’s while successfully running seven retail shops across Coventry.
1980
Peter Allen, the founders son, opens the butchers shop in Warwick Street, Leamington Spa as we know it today.
1980s
Aubrey Allen’s grandchildren Russell, Lucianne and Debbie Allen, all have part time roles in the butchers shop learning the family trade.
1989
Peter has the vision to go into the food service market. With guidance from Raymond Blanc, Peter trains in European butchery techniques and learns about the benefits of dry ageing beef, bringing his knowledge back to the UK.
1999
Russell Allen, Peter’s son and a trained chef, joins the family business full-time and elevates the Leamington Spa shop into a French style delicatessen with chef prepared ready-meals complimenting the butchery side. The shop subsequently wins Butchers Shop of the Year and Britain’s Best Delicatessen
2008
Lucianne Allen, Peter’s daughter, joins Aubrey Allen following a successful career as a criminal defence barrister for 10 years. Lucianne focuses on education and apprenticeships as well as business improvement.
2012
Aubrey Allen, receives the Royal Warrant and Russell Allen becomes Managing Director of Aubrey Allen
2020
Whilst the country goes in to national lockdown amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Aubrey Allen Leamington keeps its doors open. Russell builds a team of local chefs and suppliers to provide over 16,000 meals to locals in need and the wholesale team launch a mail order branch to deliver meat around the country.
2021
Aubrey Allen becomes ‘Planet Mark’ Certified by reducing Carbon Footprint
2022
Platinum Jubilee Award Winners. The shop team receive the top award from the Q Guild of Butchers’ Smithfield Star Awards for its homemade Shepherd’s Pie after it was picked as the winner by Michelin star chef and restaurateur Angela Hartnett OBE.
2023
Aubrey Allen celebrates its 90th Anniversary with events including the Festival of Food with special guest speaker Raymond Blanc and chefs from all over the country in attendance.
