In 1852, young London merchant Henry Joseph Langdon set sail for the colony of Australia with his wife and infant son. Gold had been discovered near Melbourne the previous year and demand for wares of all sorts was high.
Henry Langdon arrived with household supplies to sell, including champagne, chocolate and brandy.
By the late 1800s, Henry Langdon's range of imported goods had expanded to include products as diverse as matches, honey soap, castor oil, cocoa, china and crystal.
In the 1900s, H J Langdon & Co began to specialise in tea, herbs, spices, pickles, olive oil, essences and preserved ginger.
The merchant tradition continues today with the launch of Henry Langdon as a specialist food brand, the fifth generation.