Our History

1921

Humble Origins in Covent Garden

Underwood & Barker Ltd is founded at Monmouth Street in Covent Garden as a manufacturing chemist. The company creates essences, flavourings and perfumery for London hotels—scenting air systems long before air conditioning existed.

1946

A New Steward, A New Start

After the war, Felix Rothon worked for a company called Drake-Law Laboratories. Tough times followed in the Post-war years, he then bought Underwood & Barker with nothing but a car and determination to succeed. He sets about building a strong business.

1947

The ‘Custard King’ Commuter

Felix’s daily train commute between Billericay and London led to Felix carrying the distinctive vanilla scent of Birds Custard on the way home.

This earnt him a nickname fondly used by station staff of “the custard king”.

1948

From Covent Garden to Billericay

Felix moves production to a small modular factory in Billericay — the first of its kind built from interlocking brick panels. Chemist Bill McGee relocates and begins developing the core flavour range.

The company continues to grow as members of Felix's family come along to join the emerging business. He is joined by his sister Dulcie (accounts) and brother Roy (deliveries) along with his wife Joan (office).

13th February 1952

Letter from UK Customs & Excise

This 1952 correspondence from Underwood & Barker offers a fascinating glimpse into the company’s early operations and its role within the regulated supply of alcohol for flavour production. It highlights the longstanding heritage of expertise in essence distillation and the close relationship with authorities that underpinned industry standards at the time.

Late 1950's

Putting Customers First

Deliveries were carried out by our eye-catching vehicles; an Austin Somerset and a striking Red Commer van. Our goal was bringing flavours to customers across the South East of England.

1959

Collaboration with Our Pioneer Customers 

Arthur Lock and Felix were onsite with Phillip Lockwood at the new Lockwood Foods Ltd factory when the first boiler was delivered for manufacturing canned vegetables and fruits. 

Unbar went on to develop the instantly recognisable flavours behind the nation's private label and own label baked beans for Lockwoods as well as other canners in the UK and around the world.

Arthur Lock's seminal works included authoring "Practical Canning" in 1949, the content of which was the basis for the many canning factories. Arthur Lock specifically recognised the 'Unbar' brand ingredients for canning technology excellence.

1960's

From Perfumery to Pantry

Demand for food flavourings begins to outpace perfumery products. Unbar Rothon supplied mint essence for Britain’s canned peas and potatoes.  Creating and further developing the signature flavour profiles behind the nation’s baked beans and table sauces.

Late 1960s into the Early 1970s

The next generation join the fold

Bill Rothon (left) joins the business in 1966 after completing his Food Science degree at Weybridge and completed a notable placement with Goldhanger Fruit Farms, a preserved food processor owned by Sir Jack Cohen.   Cohen's vertical intergration of food manufacture to create own label products for his grocery stores grew into the retail giant Tesco supermarket. 

Bill's brother Patrick (right) arrives in 1971 having been employed by Marconi as an instrument maker, and honed his engineering skills in Food Technology.

Together with their father Felix (centre) their hands-on technical support for canneries and food processors becomes a defining strength in growing the business and its relationships.

Mid 1970s

Be part of the solution

The company continue to expand, seeking new markets and the family business gain a well established reputation within the industry for quality.

6 October 1978

Becoming Unbar Rothon

Following 30 years of Rothon ownership, Felix Rothon decided the time was right to change from Underwood & Barker to Unbar Rothon.

The “Unbar” prefix commonly used as an abbreviation of Underwood & Barker is retained, while combining with the distinctive family name cements a new identity.

1980

Expansion at Radford Crescent

The company purchases 15 Radford Crescent from General Electric Company (GEC) Estates, a building used as manufacturing site by Marconi.  The extra space solves warehousing bottlenecks, marking another major growth phase. Seasoning and packing services also move into the new facility at 7 Radford Crescent.

13th Nov 1985

Colin Mossman, joins the Unbar Rothon team

Colin was an existing Unbar Rothon customer, successfully running a manufacturing site in Chelmsford, when Felix Rothon invited him to join the business. Following his appointment, our sausage seasoning range expanded rapidly, driven by his specialist manufacturing expertise.

During this time, our service became renowned for its responsiveness and reduced lead times, with Colin often working directly with customers to overcome challenges and provide hands-on support.

1986

Digital Transformation

From the introduction of Apricot Xi computers to networked systems, the business modernises its back office without losing its personal touch, as the world moves into the Digital era.

1988

Unbar Rothon receives a Rebranding

Designer Wayne Boughen and his wife Pi who personally designed the laurel leaves seen in the new design of the company logo. This introduces campaigns such as “Best of British” and “Success on Your Plate.”

1990s

When going 'Above and Beyond' means everything for loyalty

When a key customer needed product urgently and the newly established customer needed the goods urgently Colin didn’t delay ; He improvised.

The solution involved personal transport, careful handling, and a very late finish that evening— but the customer never missed production. He went out of his way to ensure the goods were made and importantly delivered.

What made the moment memorable wasn’t the effort itself, but the reaction afterwards: “Nobody’s ever done that for us before.”

That single delivery has led to decades of trust and expanded work. Sometimes, service speaks louder than any sales pitch.

21st October 1991

Unbar Rothon being presented with certification of their 5750 standard under BSI. Pictured (L-R) are Patrick Rothon, Patricia Rawlings MEP, Bill Rothon, Felix Rothon.

June 1992

Dawn Hardy joins the team

Unbar Rothon's team are further booster by the introduction of Dawn Hardy BSc(Hons) MIFST to the business.

A former Tate & Lyle employee her skills are soon put to good use, applying her experience to ensuring compliance and the highest levels of technical accreditation which are demanded by ever-growing needs of the customers.

Late 1990's

The Red Jacket Anecdote

Colin maintained that this story deserved a place in the company’s history, we were happy to oblige. He never set out to create a trademark, but as Mr Rothon often remarked, everyone needs a gimmick to set them apart.

In Colin’s case, it was his bright chilli red jacket—occasionally replaced with an equally distinctive herb green one.

Over the years, it led to a few mistaken identities. Café staff had asked how many passengers he had brought in, assuming he was a coach driver. At a motorway service station, he was even asked to produce a ticket, on the basis that anyone dressed so visibly must be behind the wheel of a bus.

It was never intentional, but the jacket became a small, memorable part of the company’s story that Colin's customers fondly remembered.

1996

A New Home at 2–4 Radford Crescent

Unbar Rothon acquires the former Littlejohn’s (Hunter Penrose) engineering site.

Felix lives to see the move across to the modern factory. The team still operate from this site today.

Feb 1997

Passing of H S A 'Felix' Rothon MBE J.P.

Sadly, one of the most respected figures in the industry, Mr H S A 'Felix' Rothon MBE JP mIoD passes away on 12th of February 1997 after more than 50 years involved with the business.

Bill Rothon BSc(Hons) FIFST MIoD and Patrick MIoD J.P. continue to grow the business.

1999

Our first BRC Certification

The recently introduced BRC Food Technical Standard and Protocol for Food Suppliers is introduced in 1998.

Unbar Rothon quickly attain their certification under the new standard.

Always keen to ensure that it maintains the highest possible standards, Unbar Rothon is now proud to boast its AA Grade status.

2006

Next Generation of the Rothon family

Richard Rothon BSc(Hons) MIFST MIoD, grandson of Felix, joins the business with work experience from Marks & Spencer, Checkmate International (CMi) ASDA and the Territorial Army.  Richard now serves the company in the role of Managing Director nurturing core business value through his leadership.

Other grandchildren of Felix, Mark and Matthew, also serve the company in over time period. 

2008

Proud to be represented on Campden BRI MIG group. 

Dawn Hardy is selected to act as Vice Chair and then Chair of the MIG (Members Interest Group) for Campden BRI in the Meat & Poultry category.

Campden have had a long established relationship with Unbar Rothon stretching back to 1946, and are founder members of Campden BRI. The company's expertise connect the latest research to practical applications that drive growth for our customers within the food industry.

May 2012

Strengthening our relationships across the Globe

In May 2012, we were delighted to be invited to meet with some of our existing partners across Europe on a mission to bring us closer together. Visits to our partners in places such as Italy, Malta and Jordan have provided us with some fantastic meetings offering us more ways to provide solutions which we have continued to build upon to this day.

November 2024

Recognition for a career in Food Manufacturing

Dawn was nominated as a finalist in the prestigious Women in Meat Industry Awards, recognised in the highly competitive Meat Businesswoman of the Year category for her outstanding contribution to the industry.

With a career spanning several decades up until her retirement in 2025, her dedication, expertise, and leadership made a lasting impact, earning her recognition among the most influential and respected professionals in the sector.

Today

Today, Unbar Rothon is proudly run by the third generation of the family, supported by a committed team spanning sales, manufacturing, quality assurance, and product development.

The business continues to thrive as it embraces modern day business practices alongside its reputation as one of the countries leading seasoning houses.

Changes in technology and technical requirements mean that Unbar Rothon fulfils the role as a partner for its long-standing customers in a challenging marketplace.

The legacy lives on in a shared commitment to Quality and Economy — principles that have shaped enduring relationships with clients across the industry.