With Derek at the helm Melbourne Hart
developed the aluminium tube market
for cigars and created new and innovative
counter displays for retailers.
Derek Harris with a number of stars of the day
including Eric Morecombe, Dickie Davis, and
Frank Bough
Derek started working among the tobacco
leaves in 1952 having followed his father
Stanley, a well known Tobacco wholesaler,
into the trade. In fact he can claim to have
first appeared in the trade journal at the
tender age of four. He learned the trade
at Singleton Cole in Bromsgrove and
later, after National Service in the Royal
Artillery and a period in the Territorial
Army, he returned to the family firm.
Then in 1961, at the age of thirty, he was
approached to join Melbourne Hart as a
Director.
By 1979 Melbourne Hart was part of the
Phillip Morris group and Derek was given
the opportunity to make a management
buy out to run the company as an
independent cigar specialist. Despite the
financial strictures of the 1980’s his main
issue was always being able to buy enough
cigars rather than having issues with sales.
Derek was Master of The Worshipful
Company of Tobacco Pipe Makers &
Tobacco Blenders livery company in 1988
and in this video interview Derek tells
some fascinating stories from a time when
the cigar and tobacco world in London was
very different.
At that time Melbourne Hart was one of a
number of UK based cigar importers. Their
Cuban cigar brands included Punch and
Hoyo de Monterrey, brands that the UK
based company actually owned.
The company also owned the Macanudo
brand which at the time was made in
Jamaica, with a Cuban wrapper. Macanudo
was created at a time during the post war
period when there were severe restrictions
on the cigars which could be imported
into Britain from the ‘Dollar area’ for
example Cuba, due to a very strict currency
restrictions.
In his 30’s Derek was the Melbourne Hart’s
salesman looking after the St James’s and
Mayfair areas. He had many illustrious
customers and some rather surprising
stores which sold cigars as he reveals in
this interview.
Nicholas Freeman, Miss Cuba and Derek Harris
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