Messrs. Spencer, Fooks and Brotherton founded a cereals trading company shortly after the end of the First World War in 1919. With many commodities in short supply, their aim was to counter the significant shortages in many basic foods.
The founders were soon joined by Richard A Stevens, and in 1938, the company’s name changed to Stevens & Brotherton Limited, with the business solidly built on trading rice.
Rationing during the Second World War further helped the company to develop close relationships with its customer base and to expand into the supply of canned goods.
Stevens & Brotherton developed what was to become an important relationship with Riviana Foods Inc, Houston, Texas- a major force in the rice market. This relationship prospered and in 1975, the company was acquired by Riviana Foods and entered a period of rapid growth. In 1976, Colgate Palmolive acquired Riviana Foods Inc.
In 1986, the Godchaux family purchased Riviana Foods from Colgate.
Further expansion occurred in 1992 when S&B acquired Peabody Fine Foods, another major food importer and distributor, that significantly widened the product base of the company.
In 2004, Stevens & Brotherton merged with Joseph Heap in Liverpool, to form S&B Herba Foods Limited. Shortly after, S&B Herba Foods acquired Vogan & Co in Cambridgeshire. This enabled us to combine the rice milling and processing expertise of the two mills with our sales, marketing and administration. Later that same year, Ebro Foods purchased Riviana Foods, which meant S&B Herba Foods became part of the Ebro Foods group.
In 2009, S&B Herba Foods purchased the White Tower Tomato Pasta brand, which means we have our own tomatoes contract grown in Greece and packed from fresh!
In 2019, we celebrated our 100th anniversary.
