Luton family business thanks loyal customers for support during pandemic

The family business uses rare traditional techniques to hand-cure and smoke organic bacon, ham and gammon. But despite losing all catering trade during the pandemic, the owners are forever grateful to their customers for making overall sales this quarter around 10 per cent higher than in the company’s history.

Jonathan Oakley, 59, said: “We’re really lucky to have kept so many supportive, regular customers over the years. Because we have maintained an old-fashioned outlook to borrow very little and avoiding temptation to expand, we have personal relationships with every single customer.

“It’s always worked well as a family business, I think because we share similar attitudes and work ethic. Our team is like a family, too.”

Jonathan runs the business with his daughter, Hattie Oakley-King, 33, and his father, Peter Oakley, 88.

Founded by Tottenham-born brothers Albert and Edwin Oakley, the business began selling fresh produce from a handcart in Luton, before growing to become a delicatessen and wholesale smokehouse.

Both brothers became mayors of Luton and were considered ‘politically radical’. For example, they privately purchased Wardown Park, Luton’s most loved green space, for public use. Once the council could afford it, they sold it to them at purchase price, turning down huge potential profit from developers.

However, Albert Oakley tragically died when thrown from a pony and trap in 1917.

Oakley Brothers survived the war in Edwin’s son William’s hands (Peter’s father), but the growth of supermarkets eventually saw the shop close this century for the family to focus on wholesale.

The smokehouse is based in Flitton and the owners wish to thank Robert Campbell, their master smoker, who retired this year after 55 years at Oakley Brothers.