The Story of the Jewish Family who founded J Lyons and fed Britain

A free exhibition at JW3 exploring the German-Jewish family behind J Lyons, from tea shops and ice cream to the LEO computer.

The exhibition traces the J. Lyons empire from its founders, German-Jewish immigrants who arrived in nineteenth-century Britain, through Lyons Tea Houses, Corner Shops, ice cream and baked goods to the Wimpy hamburger chain, the Trocadero and the Strand Palace Hotel. It also covers the firm's pioneering LEO computer and themes of immigration, entrepreneurship and the Jewish contribution to British life. Historical challenges are addressed too, including antisemitism, accusations of being 'enemy aliens' in the First World War and the fight against Mosley's Black Shirts in the 1930s.