The Reid family have been in the dry cleaning business since 1945 and Reids of Henley is now owned and run in its present form by the third generation of the family, Ian Reid and his partner Jenni. Since 1992 they have been trading from  their Reading Road site in the picturesque riverside town of Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire serving the well-heeled Henley community with their impeccable level of service and attention to detail.

Garment care and cleaning has been at the heart of the Reid family for years. Ian’s grandmother, Violet, worked in a military uniform factory as a garment finisher. His grandparents met when they worked in dry cleaning shops in outer London, and then ran Warwick Dry Cleaners in Henley during the 60s and 70s.

Ian’s father, Joe, followed in his father’s footsteps running dry cleaning units in Ruislip and Harrow. This is where he met Kay, Ian’s mother. Kay and Joe opened their first shop together, Quality Cleaners in Chinnor, Buckinghamshire in 1981, where they continued to look after Henley clients through a collection and delivery service. Both his sisters also run dry cleaning shops.

It’s pretty fair to say that the Reid family understand the dry cleaning business. Ian has worked in the family business for as long as he can remember – Saturday boy and school holidays. When he was 18 the opportunity came up for the new Reading Road premises in Henley. The family had serviced the area for years so knew that the potential of locating there was good. Ian had to make the decision to either pursue his ambitions for accountancy or choose to join the family business. He chose dry cleaning and has never looked back.