A truly family business begins to emerge as another of Lionel’s children join Lionel, Alastair and Peter in their endeavours. Alison Barnes, née Hitchen, a chartered Accountant, takes up a role in Finance on 1st October.
Peter Hitchen joins on 1st July, having graduated in Business Studies and learning much about the industry during his industrial placement year in the USA. Peter was now set on the path to become known as “Mr Citrus.”
A site was acquired at Barton Stacey in Hampshire. Existing production lines and installation of new equipment to the site would be gradual in order to maintain continuity of supply to our customers.
After spending time in the USA and India to gain knowledge of the flavour ingredient business, Alastair was the first of Lionel’s children to join the business, starting on the 1st September.
Having established a reputation as a supplier of high quality citrus specialities, the business went on to expand the range of products manufactured and supplied.
In 1968, already needing more space to accommodate a growing business, the firm opened a new site in Mitcham.
Business quickly expanded overseas and led to the appointment of our first Distributor – Tanemura & Co Ltd, a food ingredients family owned business founded in 1921 and based in Tokyo. Mr Tanemura and Lionel Hitchen had previously conducted business when Lionel worked for Stafford Allen.
Lionel Hitchen established the business on the 19th February 1965 in Reigate, Surrey. Sicilian orange, mandarin and bergamot oil speciality products were the first to be manufactured. From the outset Lionel’s ambition was to produce high quality products, sourced and supplied with integrity.
As a result of these friendships, in 1949 Lionel went to work for Stafford Allen & Sons, Ltd. Lionel also became a director of the San Lorenzo citrus fruit processing company in Sicily. After the merger of the Bush, Boake and Allen businesses in 1964, Lionel would go on to found Lionel Hitchen (Essential Oils) Limited.
Born in 1914, Lionel Hitchen was the eldest of four boys growing up in Sutton in South London. Whilst in Sicily during WW2, Lionel made great friends with Roger Allen whose family owned Stafford & Allen, and Dr Pietro Polara, who would later establish the San Lorenzo company.