COMPANY
The Kirby & West Story
It was James Kirby who in 1861 opened the first chapter in our history when from Chatham Street he began trading as a cow keeper. By 1868 he had become established as Highfields Dairy with premises in the newly built Andover Street, in partnership with Mr West.
Mr Frank Smith bought the company from Mr West, Mr Kirby having retired earlier. Frank Smith, now helped by his two sons Harold and Leonard, developed the business from 260 gallons daily in 1916 to 2500 in 1933. The Western Boulevard premises were acquired in 1934 and by 1960, after the death of Frank Smith in 1956, 17,000 gallons of milk were being processed and bottled daily.
Mr Leonard Smith retired, leaving Mr Harold Smith, his daughter, Mrs Suzanne Watson, and his sons Mr Brian and Mr John Smith to run the business. The fourth generation, Mr Graham Smith now runs the business day to day.
Mayflower Dairies and Moore Brothers together with subsequent acquisitions contributed towards the premises at Western Boulevard becoming outgrown.
In 1980 the new Dairy was purpose built in Richard III Road, and equipped with the most modern machinery, which could wash and fill 24,000 milk bottles per hour. Continual updating, and new machinery for cartons and poly-bottles kept the dairy at the forefront of dairying.
However commercial pressures have caught up with the business and regretfully the decision to stop processing our own milk was taken and production ended at the end of March 2007. The decision on who would supply the ongoing business was not easy, as we strived to find a dairy that shared our ethics and principles. However, we are pleased to say that Cotteswold Dairy of Tewkesbury is such a dairy, and have been chosen to supply our milk and cream. The doorstep delivery business continues to deliver fresh milk, cream and goods to over 35,000 households in Leicester and Leicestershire.
