Keevil and Keevil

Keevil and Keevil are British butchers, and are the oldest company still operating from London's Smithfield Market. As they had trouble finding work for the whole family in their local area, he left Somerset to come to London, and founded the wholesale provision firm Keevil & Best, in Cowcross Street, near Smithfield Market. Clement was one of the founders of the Van Horse Parade in Regent's Park, which begun in 1904 and still takes place every Easter Sunday, although now known as The London Harness Horse Parade.

Frederick Dean left the Smithfield business after only a few months and Tom Weston came over from Brixton to run it as a partnership. The name was changed to Keevil & Weston, and they traded as such for 25 years.

Keevils were trailblazers in their time – Miss Masters, the first woman to work full-time at Smithfield Market, was a Keevils employee from 1917. She later left to marry and eventually became the Mayoress of Ilford. "

The President of the Board of Trade, the Right Honourable Oliver Stanley, also wrote to Ambrose:"I am writing to express my sincere thanks for your work during the recent crisis in connection with the organisation of the distribution of provisions throughout the United Kingdom. I feel very much indebted to you not only for your personal efforts.. but also for the way in which you obtained the co-operation of provisions importers throughout the country. Percy still ran Keevils from the ruined Market, and refused to move even when served with papers instructing him to do so by the Ministry of Food – and signed by his brother Ambrose!

Ambrose was subsequently called up for a military Command position in 1942. This was only 2 weeks before the end of the V-2 strikes.

After the War the two brothers decided the time had come to move on, and sold a majority interest to Fitch Lovell,

Although they sold their majority share, the brothers still kept a close eye on the company – with Percy visiting the Smithfield offices regularly until he was 89 years old. ) in 1998, forcing the closure of the Liverpool factory and the loss of 140 jobs.

In 1991 Keevils was sold by Fitch Lovell and bought by George Abrahams, who was already a successful Smithfield trader in his own right.

As part of the George Abrahams Group, Keevils became part of one of the largest supply groups on Smithfield, and the launch of their website in 2009 saw them also launch into the online meat trade.

Ambrose Keevil

Perhaps the most widely successful and highly regarded member of the Keevil family was Sir Ambrose Keevil.

Ambrose achieved the grade of Colonel during his service in World War II, and bar (1918), CBE (1944), and Knighthood(1952) and(1961) for "Political and Public services in the Home Counties(52) / South East of England(62)”. Colonel Keevil was also the President of the East Surrey Conservative Association and The High Sheriff of Surrey for 1956

Ambrose became the Chairman and Managing Director of Fitch Lovell from 1959–1963, and was the President of the company from 1963–1969, until his retirement in the same year at the age of 70.