Be-Ro is a food manufacturing business, formerly based in Newcastle upon Tyne.
History
The company was founded by Thomas Bell as a grocery and tea company in Longhorsley north of Newcastle in 1875.[1] Bell had experimented with rising agents on flour in baking and, from that, produced the world's first self-raising flour.[1] He founded the Bells Royal works which sold the Bell's Royal Flour.[1] In 1907, Bell renamed his product "Be-Ro", a portmanteau of "Bell" and "Royal", and registered the new name under the Trade Marks Act 1905. He started in his own right in small premises in the yard of the Black Boy Hotel adjoining the Groat Market in the centre of Newcastle. As well as manufacturing baking powder and self-raising flour, he produced a health salt which he later discontinued. He also packed and marketed dried fruit, cereals, tea and coffee using such names as T.B. Royalty, Black Diamond, and Belsun.
The company then moved into larger premises in Low Friar street and, after that, to Bath Lane. Thomas Bell died in 1925 and his descendants continued to expand the area covered by the company to include