From the wedding of a princess to a Platinum Jubilee, how did The Grocer follow along the life of our longest-serving monarch?
Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten
20 November 1947
The Grocer overlooks the occasion, concerning itself instead with chancellor Hugh Dalton’s autumn Budget (which will lead to his resignation) and “the remarkable behaviour of bees”.
Coronation of Elizabeth II
2 June 1953
A message on p19 of The Grocer reads, “On behalf of all sections of the Grocery Trade we tender Loyal Greetings to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II upon the occasion of her Coronation on 2 June, 1953, and express the hope that she may have a long, peaceful and prosperous reign. God Save The Queen.”
Silver Jubilee
2 June 1977
Again, The Grocer has concerns other than royal events. However, pages 26 and 27 feature an ad for Kearley & Tonge Cash & Carry, ‘the Jubilee top-traders’. Later in the mag, a report headed ‘Supermarkets are a good outlet for Royals’ is, in fact, about Jersey royal potatoes.
In the following issue, as the UK prepares for the Jubilee bank holiday weekend, The Grocer anticipates a “Jubilee nightmare”, warning that the euphoria of the month’s festivities will soon be overshadowed by “the realities of a depressing food scene”.
Golden Jubilee
2 June 2002
The previous week’s issue boasted a feature that read ‘Britain’s biggest grocery brands are largely ignoring next week’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. Is this irreverence well-founded or is it a great marketing blunder?’
A letter seven days later from royalist reader Anthony Smith claims he is “really rather sad that three of 10 fmcg brands have planned marketing activity around the Queen’s Golden Jubilee”.
Diamond Jubilee
2 June 2012
In the weeks leading up to the event, The Grocer covers numerous patriotic product launches. They include the Princes British Classics range of sandwich paste; a temporary name-change for Kingsmill to Queensmill; red, white and blue crisps from Tyrrells; and BerryWorld’s Diamond Jubilee raspberry that’s “firm” and “light in colour”.
Platinum Jubilee
2 June 2022
Again, celebratory NPD dominates The Grocer’s pages, from Ma’amite spread to Lamqueenie perry. In the run-up to the bank holiday weekend – which will give retail a month-on-month boost in footfall of 6.9% – PM Boris Johnson proposes a return to imperial measurements. His plan sparks warnings of needless disruption and expense for supermarkets, The Grocer reports.
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