1855
James Hodgson Burnhill takes over a grocers shop in Northgate, Cleckheaton from his uncle, Mr Firth, where he worked as an assistant.

1860 - 1880
James starts to roll oats in the cellar of the shop to sell to local farmers and horse owners. He has four sons: Benjamin, Frederick, Clifford and Charles.

1890
Part of Northgate Mills (opposite the shop) is rented for the production of animal feeds. These are all mixed with shovels on the floor.

1895
More of Northgate Mills is rented as animal feed side of the business grows.

1919
All of Northgate Mills is purchased. Machinery is installed to grind and mix cereals.

1947
New silos and grinding plant installed.

1950
Lime spreading service started using ex army 4-wheel drive trucks.

1960
A period of great change. Charles Burnhill, who ran the grocers shop, retires. Benjamin, Frederick and Clifford all sadly die in the same year. Norman and John Burnhill along with Norman's two sons James and Roger now run the business and decide to close the grocers and invest heavily in updating and extending the mill.

At the same time adjacent premises on Serpentine Road come up for sale.
The buildings and land are purchased enabling a new warehouse  and loading bay to be built and the offices to be relocated.

1967
A huge fire burns out the mill and most of the surrounding building. With the help of several companies who manufactured feed into Burnhill bags, the customer base is held together.

1968
The new mill opens. A modern single span building replaces the old plant which was squeezed into several old buildings.

A pig scheme, Pork Productions, is started to enable a partnership with farmers to fatten pigs.

1970
The company install their first computer to run the sales accounts.

1973
Burnhills purchase the goodwill and assets of local corn merchant J Blackburn Ltd.

Andrew Burnhill, son of John Burnhill, joins the company.

1976
The company diversifies with the addition of a fresh and frozen meats store adjacent to Northgate Mills.

1978
Further computerisation of the company with Least Cost Feed Formulation and a fully integrated system to run sales, purchase and nominal ledgers.

1983
The mixing department in the mill is computerised. Extra raw material and finished product silos are installed. The bag packing line is automated.

1997
New bulk out bins are constructed. A new computer system is installed
in the mill which links all departments including office systems and feed formulation.

1999
Accredited with the Quality Assurance Scheme ISO9002 becoming one of the first feed mills in the country to be recognised under the UKASTA
Feed Assurance Scheme.

2002
A change in legislation makes it impossible to continue to manufacture the full range of feeds in the one plant. Sadly the mill is closed and the animal feed business is merged with Massey Bros.

2003
Ben and later Sam Burnhill, sons of Andrew Burnhill, take over the running of the business.

The mill shop is extended and more product lines are introduced.

2007
Move from Northgate Mills to Middleton Business Park.

2011
Sophie Burnhill, daughter of Andrew Burnhill, joins the team.

2012
The company launches its ecommerce website www.burnhills.com