Barrows (department store)

Barrow Stores was originally started by Richard Cadbury, of the Cadbury chocolate family. Richard opened a small drapery store in 1794 in Bull Street.[1] By 1824 the Cadbury family opened a new shop next door selling tea, coffee and cocoa.

However, in 1849 John Cadbury transferred the business to his cousin Richard Cadbury Barrow so they could concentrate on the manufacture of chocolate.[2] The business was renamed Barrow Stores.

By 1905 the store had been rebuilt with a new cafe on the first floor for the customers to try the companies products, and had numerous departments from glass & china to food. The business use to provide Christmas lists with lists of good available for customers to purchase,[3][4] while their fleet of vehicles use to deliver goods across Birmingham and to areas such as Wolverhampton & Lichfield.

In the 1960s Barrow Stores moved from their location on the corner of Bull Street and Corporation Street to a smaller store on Corporation Street opposite Lewis', where the new store concentrated on food. The business was purchased by Fitch Lovell in 1964, and in December 1973 merged Barrow Stores into its supermarket chain Key Markets.

His fascination for Barrow Stores led J.R.R. Tolkien to name his legendary student club T.C.B.S. (acronym for: Tea Club Barrovian Society) in a latinised version [5]after the store.