From Tiptree jam and Walker’s shortbread to Barbour clothing and the brewer Shepherd Neame, some of the UK’s most trusted brands are still owned by their founding families. How have they endured—thriving for two or three centuries—when so many others have disappeared? Could it be that family-owned firms, free from the relentless demand for short-term profits, are better equipped to plan for the future than publicly traded companies?

Family businesses are the backbone of the UK economy. There are more than five million of them, accounting for 90 percent of private-sector employment—yet their importance is often overlooked.

In Can Britain’s Oldest Family Businesses Show Us a New Way Forward?, Nigel Cope explores a dozen remarkable survivors, from household names to the lesser-known silk weaver that made the fabric for Princess Diana’s wedding dress. Drawing on decades of business insight, he distills their experience into timeless lessons on leadership, continuity, and resilience—lessons that could help shape a stronger economic future for us all.