Five men and an idea - 100 years in chocolate!
While Russell & Atwell have just turned 4 (1st October 2024), October also marks 103 years for Giles (Atwell's) family working in Chocolate.
Back on 20th October 1921 with the very first order of a 7lb chocolate block, 'Lesme Ltd' was Founded by my grandfather (Leslie Atwell, later OBE) with '5 men and an idea' on Scrubbs Lane in London. The business and the factory remained and thrived there until the early 1980s when my Dad (David) ran it, moved it to Banbury and led it to become the single largest UK manufacturer of couverture chocolate. Eventually the company became part of the Barry Callebaut global chocolate business in 1990.
While you are unlikely to have heard of the brand, you probably ate their chocolate. That's because Lesme made 'couverture' chocolate that went into and onto foods like the first Walls Choc Ice in 1927, Maryland Cookies in the 1950s and lots and lots of other products sold in bakeries, chocolate shops, restaurants, cafes and many major supermarkets in the UK and across the world.
The chocolate was supplied in blocks initially, then in chips in the 1950s and latterly in liquid form in chocolate tankers from 1958 for larger customers - imagine a tanker with 15 tons of liquid chocolate!
I have vivid childhood memories of charging down the corridor to barge into my Dad's office on a Friday evening at Scrubbs Lane and sample the latest flavours, despite being instructed to wait outside; of the beautiful hand-made eggs we would receive at Easter and, above all, of often discussing and never running out of chocolate at home!
It's kind of wonderful to be writing this all these years later, sitting at my Grandfather's slightly battered desk and with the little Lesme toy tanker I played with as a child keeping me company as Steve and I build our new business.
It was also very special to be joined on our stand when we exhibited at the Fine Food Show a couple of weeks ago by my Dad, who had both parental and professional curiosity as to what we were up to!
Having by chance ended up working in Cadbury, where I stayed for 14 years, and then Godiva, I had long had a dream to start my own business in chocolate. So, it was with 'Two men and a fresh Idea', that Steve and I hatched Russell & Atwell almost 100 years after Lesme began.
If you've read this far, on what is a somewhat self-indulgent and certainly nostalgic blog - thank you!
Here's to the next 100 years in Chocolate...
If you'd like to read our 1st birthday blog - click here:
And for our second birthday blog - click here
15 comments
My dad Jim Humphrey was at Lesme and moved to Banbury until his retirement. I remember as a child going to Scrubs Lane with him and watching the production. He lost a finger in a machine early 70s and I still cannot eat chocolate fingers! We always had chocolate in our fridge and my brothers and I were the most popular kids in school. Mr David was kind enough to attend my dad’s funeral and was very kind to my mum. I now buy Russell & Atwell as it reminds me of my dad as well as tasting delicious.
I worked at Lesme in 1958 as a laboratory assistant. We tested the large bars for fat content, sugar and various other things. I only needed a small amount for testing and we were allowed to take the rest home.! My family loved the chocolate, I remember going into the factory to see the “choffies) chocolate chips) coming out of a huge machine, very impressive. When I joined Lesme I was 18 years old and newly married. Today I’m 87 years old and on Easter Sunday I am going to my daughter s Easter Egg Hunt. She is a skilled chocolatier and runs a Chocolate school in Surrey. She uses organic chocolate, no Palm oil and coco butter for her chocolate making. She runs classes for schools, family groups and children’s parties. I’m very proud of her, like me we have had different careers, me as a Head Teacher and my daughter a medical career specialising in Women’s Health. It’s full circle now in 2026 for me after 60+ years.
Sincerely
Elizabeth Harri
Backin1973 liquid choc was. Supplying JACOBS CLUB CHOC OP /Burtonsup to 230 tons alone also making Bootdiabetic choc MS walnut whips and Chunky bars NestlesSmith Kendon it go’s on and on
I know coz i delivered lots of it on journey work in Caxtons Artic + collecring cocoa beans from Avonmouth and other docks on return journeys
Thank. I got redudancy as moving to Banbury I was there 15 yrs
I never worked out of scrubs lane but started in Banbury in February 1988 as a lorry driver, they had just bought
steward and Arnold at high Wycombe ,hence the new name S&A LESME ,they also acquired PETRO FOODS ,I driven from 1988 to 2025 ,35 years,I think I am the longest serving driver to deliver chocolate out of the Banbury depot
I work in Cumberland House, which I believe stands on the site of the old Lesme factory on Scrubs Lane. I’d love to see some photos of the factory, site and environs before it was demolished. Can anyone help?