Apprenticeship

Joseph Rowntree joined his father’s grocery business as an apprentice in 1852 at the age of 15. The apprenticeship would last for six years and was underpinned by strong Quaker principles and practices. The work was demanding but Joseph Senior maintained a family atmosphere in the shop. For two years Joseph worked alongside George Cadbury, who was an apprentice and assistant before he later took control of the Cadbury cocoa factory in Birmingham. Joseph also worked at a large wholesale grocer’s in London to gain wider experience. His apprenticeship was a formative influence in Joseph’s life, particularly in his approach to business. He became a partner in the family grocery shop aged 21. Joseph is seated in the middle of the front row with George Cadbury at front left.