The sun sets on an historic symbol

By David Owain Young

There was a period in history where the sun never set on the British Empire, with its dominions, colonies and protectorates gobbling up a quarter of the world and proudly displayed in red on maps that hung in classrooms throughout the mother country.

But the sun did set, soon after the Second World War with India, the crown jewel, leading the mass exodus to independence, and only those of fairly advanced age can remember the maps and the flags with a union jack in one corner, that accompanied them. 

But expats of all ages can recall other symbols of the British Raj that accompanied colonial administrators to the far corners of the world.
At a lunch in Panama recently there was  a discussion  among some expats, about items that popped on and off the shelves of Riba Smith that were as British as the Union Jack, God Save the Queen, Rule Britannia, and baked beans on toast.
Up for discussion came Bovril (served to British troops in WW II before the crossing of the Rhine into Germany), Marmite which some addicts slather on their morning toast (ugh) HP (Houses of Parliament) sauce, and Lyle’s Golden Syrup, dumped on the morning porridge or spread on bread as a supper snack.
All were able to remember the image of a lion lying on it’s side with the mysterious copy line: “out of the strong came forth sweetness.” Was it implying that the sticky treacle came out the intestines of a lion? No one seemed to care … until now.
Like the Empire that symbol of British life no longer flies under the Union Jack.
The world’s oldest brand is changing hands, The Guardian reports Tate & Lyle has agreed the sale of its historic sugar business to American Sugar Refining (ASR) for £211m.
For some with a historical bent nothing quite like it has happened since Napoleon sold Louisiana to the US, or the Russiand did a similar deal with Alask.
The Tate & Lyle refineries in  in the East End of London, which have been operating for more than 130 years.
Valued at more than $3 billion on the stock exchange, Tate & Lyle is Europe’s leading cane sugar producer, but now makes two-thirds of its profits from sweeteners, starches and ethanol production
Tate & Lyle traces its roots back to 1859, when Lancashire-born grocer Henry Tate, the son of a Unitarian minister, went into partnership with John Wright, a sugar refiner in Liverpool. When the partnership came to an end, Tate was joined in business by his two sons to create Henry Tate & Sons. The company went on to introduce the sugar cube to the UK in 1875.
At around the same time Henry Tate also funded the building of the Tate Gallery in London and donated his own art collection.
Abram Lyle, a Scottish shipowner, was also a Victorian entrepreneur. Having transported sugar for years, he expanded into sugar refining in 1875 and by 1885 was turning out Lyle’s Golden Syrup – a waste product from sugar refining.
Now it’s crossed the Atlantic. Some financial observers question the deal claiming: “What a waste." {jathumbnail off}