100 Years In The Making

Our story began with three brothers and a suitcase

The three Adlestone brothers (Isaac, Harry and Maurice) moved to Belfast to pursue their dream of selling fine jewellery & gifts.

We swapped a suitcase for a store

Despite the hardship following the Great War, the brothers opened their first store in Belfast, followed by a string of stores in the North of England. The stores were all called Adlestones.

Beaverbrooks became a high street name

Named after Lord Beaverbrook (a well-known public figure synonymous with honesty and integrity), the name Beaverbrooks was first given to our Oxford Street store in Manchester.

Sun, sand and St. Annes-on-Sea

As Isaac had passed away and both Harry and Maurice were in poor health, our Head Office was relocated to St. Annes-on-Sea to take advantage of the benefits of the sea air.

Family is at the heart of what we do

In 1948 Harry and Maurice’s nephews Percy and Sydney Brown joined them in St. Annes, and Isaac’s son, Gerald joined in 1950.

Our family continues to grow

Sydney Brown’s son, Michael Brown, and Percy Brown’s son, Andrew Brown, joined us in 1961 and 1962.

Charity is in our DNA

Although we have always been committed to both charity and our communities, an impassioned plea from a particular charity in 1967 compelled us to make a large donation and our involvement with charities has evolved ever since.

Beaverbrooks spans 3 generations

Gerald Adlestone’s son, Mark, joined the company and discovered his natural flair for leadership and passion for working with people.

We fell in love with loose diamonds

Becoming the first multiple high street jeweller to buy loose diamonds meant that we could hand-select the very best diamonds to offer our customers.

Blackpool went on the run

Initially thought of as a crazy idea, we founded the Blackpool 10K Fun Run; an annual event which is attended by thousands and has raised millions of pounds for charity.

We partnered with TAG Heuer

We started selling TAG Heuer watches, marking the beginning of our longstanding relationship with the Swiss brand. Omega soon followed in 1993, plus Breitling in 1997.

North meets South

For the first time in our 75 year history, we expanded outside our Northern heartland and opened our first Southern store in Croydon.

More than just jewellery

We decided to donate 20% of our retained profits each year. Since then, we’ve donated over £12 million to over 700 different charities. You can read more about our charity work here...

Welcome to the digital age

We opened our 50th store and our first transactional website was launched.

Andrew Brown MBE

Still actively involved in the organisation of the Beaverbrooks Blackpool 10k, then in its 26th year, Andrew Brown was awarded an MBE for his services to charity and community. Prince Charles commented that he ‘must be tired after all those fun runs’.

The first lady

Marking a significant change in the history of our company, Anna Blackburn was named CEO following a 15 year career with Beaverbrooks. Not only was she the first lady, but also the first non-family member to hold that title.

Mark Adlestone OBE

Our Chairman Mark Adlestone was awarded with an OBE in honour of his business and charity.

Outstanding contribution to the jewellery industry

Mark was named the winner of Outstanding Contribution to the Jewellery Industry Award at the UK Jewellery Awards. Mark also became Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester.

The first non-family MD in 3 generations of Beaverbrooks

Anna joined the board of directors and became the Managing Director of Beaverbrooks.

100 years of Beaverbrooks

This year at Beaverbrooks, we’re celebrating 100 years, 3 generations and a lifelong passion for diamonds, watches and fine jewellery.