Booths, the Preston family grocer that began with a Blackpool tea shop in 1847

Few Lancashire businesses can match the story of Booths. The grocer, often called the Waitrose of the North, has grown from a single shop into a much-loved regional chain, while staying in the hands of the family that founded it.

It all began in 1847 in Blackpool. That year, a 19-year-old tea dealer named Edwin Henry Booth opened a shop called The China House, laying the foundations of a business that would go on to serve shoppers across the North for more than 175 years.

Today the company is headquartered in Preston, and its stores reach across Lancashire and into neighbouring counties. The business has also looked to expand into Yorkshire, taking its distinctive northern approach to food shopping to new communities.

Family ownership remains central to the Booths identity. Edwin Booth, the fifth generation of the family to lead the company, has described it as a classic family business, with around 95 per cent of shares held by the family and the remainder by employees.

That staff shareholding is part of what makes the business feel different. Many colleagues have a stake in the company they work for, and that sense of shared ownership is often noted by loyal customers who value the personal service in its stores.

Booths has weathered the challenges facing the whole grocery sector. Its most recent reported results showed turnover of £318.6m for the year to 30 March 2024, with record sales helping to cut its pre-tax loss from £4m to £1.5m.

Through more than a century and a half, the business has held on to its roots. Few retailers anywhere in Britain can trace an unbroken family line back to the 1840s, and Booths remains a source of real pride for the county that gave it its start.

Booths shops can be found across Lancashire and the wider North, from market towns to city edges. Store locations and information are available on the Booths website, so it is easy to find your nearest branch.