Grinding Through The Generations: The Story Of Massey Bros.

Nestled in the heart of Cheshire, a family legacy has been quietly turning over for nearly a century and a half. This is the story of Massey Bros. — a company that began with millstones and horsepower and has grown into a modern agricultural enterprise serving customers from Devon to the Scottish Borders. Through world wars, industrial revolutions, and digital transformations, Massey Bros. has remained steadfast: a family-run business built on grit, grain, and generations of innovation.

From Millstones to Milestones

The earliest trace of Massey Bros.’ operations in Holmes Chapel can be found in a letter dated 1878. Edward Massey Jr. had agreed to buy wheat at 7 shillings and 3 pence per hundredweight — a modest but meaningful transaction that marked the beginning of something much bigger. At that time, the business went by the name Edward Massey & Sons, with Edward Sr. and his four sons — Harry, Edward, Tom, and John — at the helm.

Following Edward Sr.'s death in 1883, the company rebranded as Massey Bros. and the family baton passed to Tom Massey, who took over the mill, then rented from the Cranage Hall Estate. In 1919, Tom purchased the site outright, ushering in an era where local grain was milled on traditional stones and returned to farms as animal feed.

A Vision for the Future

It was Tom’s son, Thomas — affectionately known as Mr Dick — who saw the winds of change. With an eye on progress, he introduced the mill’s first disintegrator in 1933, a precursor to the grinders still used today. His brother John, or Mr Jack, joined him in 1936, reinforcing the Massey tradition of brothers working side-by-side.

Throughout the mid-20th century, the company expanded steadily. In 1944, Massey Bros. acquired Wm Loose & Co. of Stockport, followed by the Derbyshire-based Thomas Belfield in 1946. The Belfield operation, centred in Longnor, came with a quirky perk: a license to sell beer by the case — a feature that remains part of the store’s charm today.

Growth Through Innovation

In 1966, the next generation stepped in. Richard Massey — son of Mr Dick — joined the business at a time when the company was selling 8,000 tonnes of feed annually. Recognising the potential of automation, Richard oversaw significant upgrades to the mill in 1971. Under his leadership, Massey Bros. expanded both technologically and geographically, acquiring like-minded businesses that shared the company’s values of service and quality.

Among them were H.W. Hunt in 1982, P & G Keeper Supplies in 1989, and W & A Bailey in 1990 — each extending Massey Bros.' reach and broadening their customer base from North Cheshire to Staffordshire and beyond.

In 1992, Richard celebrated a major milestone: the sale of the millionth tonne of feed since he had joined. The two-millionth soon followed — and currently the company manufactures about million tonnes every two years.

The Family Legacy Lives On

That same year, the fifth generation of Massey family entered the business. Richard’s sons, Kynan and Auldan, joined in 1992 and 1994 respectively, bringing fresh energy and continuing the tradition of family leadership.

Further expansion followed with the acquisition of the Walton-le-Dale mill from Dalgety in 1999, giving Massey Bros. a strategic foothold in Preston — now home to one of only two remaining mills in the city and the only family-owned one.

As the millennium dawned, the company welcomed Jos W Long in West Cheshire and North Wales. By 2002, James Burnhill & Sons Ltd had joined the group, expanding the company's footprint into Yorkshire and strengthening its reputation in the game feed sector.

In 2012, the company grew again through a merger with Harpers Home Mix of Devon. That same year, Tamaran Massey-Ford — another member of the family — became office manager, ensuring the family ethos continued to pulse through every part of the business.

This is a family business with its heart in Cheshire. As Kynan explains, “the family have always been closely connected to the site which is our head office. My father still comes into the mill most days and the business, was, and still is, very much a part of his life. We get on really well."

"From the day I became involved we had clearly defined roles and responsibilities which has helped us work together for so long.”

Every next generation in a family business has a different journey and for Kynan it was straight from university following the completion of an Engineering, Economics and Marketing degree, after a secondary education away at boarding school. “It is slightly ironic to me,” adds Kynan, “that the more we were pushed away from home the greater the tendency to come back and get involved which is exactly what I did.”

For Tamaran the journey was different. As she explains, “I was always around and helping in the office growing up and went to university, went on to become a midwife and then in 2012 got involved with an acquisition which resulted in a general management role and I am still here today, helping out in strategic areas where needed such as HR, IT and credit control.”

Family and the values associated with a family are often key differentiators for a family business but Kynan is honest about their adoption into the business. “Originally we were not sure of their importance or the difference they make but soon realised that they help to define who we are, the nature of how we do what we do and our underlying culture,” he continues.

“Our core values today are Family, Trust ,Care, Passion and Progression and everything we do is ‘manufactured with care’ and ‘focused on nutrition’."

"We are proud to ‘feed the animals that feed the nation’ and I am incredibly proud of what we have done for generations and continue to do today.”

“ I am fortunate to be able to shape the direction of our family business” he continues.

“Growing up we had no idea of the subtle way that we were being taught about the business and life in a family business. Coming down to work on a Saturday morning and climbing over the feed bags, then later sweating while digging out bins in the mill and unknowingly being taught the family work ethic.”

“We encouraged the next generation to go off and pursue their own agenda, my son joined straight from university and is now three years in to his career with us after completing a sports management and psychology degree."

"My daughter developed a career in fashion PR in London with a global slant and she now does the PR for the business and the clothes brand that we have developed in Devon,” he continues.

Family businesses evolve over time, as they often have to in order to survive. As Kynan adds, “The business today is very different to the one I joined as we have more sites and more people. But the journey has been an exciting one and there is plenty of future opportunities so we will see what happens as the next generation become involved.”

“For me, it is important to leave the business in a better position than the one I took on and we have continued to invest in order to make that happen – new processes, new machinery, new sites and all that entails to ensure the consistency of the brand, products and the way we do what we do.”

“We continue to invest in our people , recruiting the right people with the right skills and culture to help us move forward and work hard to ensure that our values are embedded throughout the business,” he concludes.

A Tradition of Trust and Technology

Today, Massey Bros. stands as a rare gem — a thriving, independent feed manufacturer rooted in history but focused on the future.

A founding member of the Feed Into Milk project, the company remains committed to innovation, customer service, and agricultural excellence.

What began with a letter and a handshake in 1878 has become a story of five generations, dozens of trusted partnerships, and millions of tonnes of feed — all ground, blended, manufactured and delivered with care.

At its heart, Massey Bros. is not just a business. It’s a legacy of family, farming, and forward-thinking. And it’s still grinding strong.