As your probaby already aware lots of our iconic cars are now made and owned by foreign companies.
* Rolls Royce. (Now BMW)
* Bentley. (Now VW)
* Jaguar.(Now India's Tata Motors)
* Mini. (Now BMW)
Did you know that Gatwick Airport was bought out by an American private equity firm this year? I didn't!
But what about our very British cup of tea?
Tetley Tea - yes Tetley tea of the wee men in white coats and flat caps fame
are now owned by India's Tata Group.
And your sugar lumps? Apparently Tate & Lyle were bought out by American Sugar Refining this year too.
And the very cup you're drinking from? Wedgwood was sold to an American private equity firm last year.
Now our food.
Our beloved Cadbury's established in Birmingham in 1824 was we know bought by the America firm Kraft this year. Pray that they don't make our chocolate taste like theirs!! Seriously American chocolate is not so nice!
Walkers crisps of Mr Lineker fame, first made by a pork butcher in Leicester who due to the World War Two rationing of meat had to find another way to earn money looked to the un-rationed potato. Well Walkers was bought by Fortune 500 American firm PepsiCo in 1989.
Most of our (favourite sweets) such as Kitkats, Smarities, Aero, Fruit Pastilles and Yorkie bars are now made by Nestle - a Swiss Company. Don't even start me on the whole Nestle boycott debate!
Fish and Chips anyone?
Harry Ramsden's was sold in 1999 to a Swedish firm.
HP Sauce - well you can't have chips without sauce can you? Bought out by Heinz in 2005.
And if all that food gives you a bit of indigestion and you need the chemist? Boots which was established in Nottingham in 1849 by John Boot was first sold to a foreign company in 1920 to the American United Drug Company. Part of Alliance Boots since 2006, it is now owned by the Italian tycoon Stefano Pessina and the American private equity firm KKR.
So if you're wanting to support Britain during your afternoon tea break?
Well you can still enjoy a nice cuppa
and a slice of toast spread with some lovely British butter. ;)
I hope you had one (cuppa) while reading all that. :)
6 comments:
Tis amazing innit?
Twiggy x
Blimey do we have anything left?
Even Miss Kidston herself sold out to the Americans earlier this year.
Have a great weekend hun
B xxx
Oh no, not Cath as well!!!! blimey, there's nothing left
Horrendous isn't it.... even BP is not British.... I think it needs a name change! Landrover has been sold to BMW who pilfered the good bits and sold the rest to Tata.... there are a couple British car companies still around but you need a lot of money and they are not the type of car you can get a family of 4 into...more like hand built kit cars!
I buy as much as I can thats local... but to be honest just because it has a British address does not automatically mean its owned by British people... the hunt is now on with Mr P and myself to find a company on foreign soil owned by an British company... I think we'll be struggling! ;D
We were just having a giggle as eBay has flagged an Eglu cube in the highlands, collection only.... if I had the cash I'd drop the kids off at mums and embark on a road trip! lol
x
Well - I will always be british!
but seriously - I am stunned and shocked!
what about Vimto? PLEASE TELL ME VIMTO IS STILL BRITISH!!!!
Kath
x
Phew!!!! Thank god for that - I will end the embargo and go pour another glass - cheers!
Kath
x
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