You missed me by a few years , Mike Moseley was Backy boo when I worked there , Do you remember Arnold Bucher the baker , Brian Riley and Billy Hughes chemists , and of course Marie in the lab. Had contact from Christine in sample room recently , nice to communicate with her again after so many years . Unfortunately most people I worked with are now dead , but remain as happy memories in my mind. Went past the site last week , and makes me very sad.
You missed me by a few years , Mike Moseley was Backy boo when I worked there , Do you remember Arnold Bucher the baker , Brian Riley and Billy Hughes chemists , and of course Marie in the lab. Had contact from Christine in sample room recently , nice to communicate with her again after so many years . Unfortunately most people I worked with are now dead , but remain as happy memories in my mind. Went past the site last week , and makes me very sad.
You missed me by a few years , Mike Moseley was Backy boo when I worked there , Do you remember Arnold Bucher the baker , Brian Riley and Billy Hughes chemists , and of course Marie in the lab. Had contact from Christine in sample room recently , nice to communicate with her again after so many years . Unfortunately most people I worked with are now dead , but remain as happy memories in my mind. Went past the site last week , and makes me very sad.
MFP produced the finest margarines and shortenings including pastry fats , and supplied all the major food manufacturers in the UK. Margarine was originally packed in half and one pound blocks for Sainsbury , blue and red label , Tesco Waitrose Marks , Morrisons etc. It went over to half pound tubs with a smaller quantity still produced as packet marg. Pastry fat was produced in 7 pound blocks with 4 per case . Fairy cake mix was produced in 28 pound cartons with an inner blue plastic bag. Shortenings were similarly packed. Trade was for Freshbake pies , Manor bakeries and premier foods . The bulk packs were marketed through John Laytons of West Smithfield in London , part of the Vestey Group. As has already been quoted export marg and shortening along with tinned oils played an important role , with the main brand Donald Cooks , again a Vestey company. Was affectionately known as Donald Ducks brand to factory staff. Bulk oils went to crisp manufacturers with a Vestey factory in Glenrothes in Scotland taking a tanker load most weeks. Crude oils were brought in from ship by A S Jones in red tankers, they no longer exist. A by-product of oil refining was soap stock from caustic and phosphoric refining , and this was made into acid oil when boiled up with sulphuric acid. This went to soap manufacturers . Nowadays oil is physically refined and the soap stock is no longer made , hence soap is total crap these days. Looking at the building from dock road , on the right was the packaging stores, with labs above , inthe middle was the front of finished goods warehouse , with factory behind , and refinery and boilerhouse backing onto Dunnet Street , to the left was warehouse and dispatch. In the warehouse was a tempering room where cake marg had to be tempered for about 48 hours and shortenings and pastry fats for 72 hours this formed the crystals in the product. To the far left were the chillrooms for marg storage , as all goods had to be delivered chilled , or it would flow out of the back of the wagons. This happened once when a fridgebox wagon cooling unit broke down , and when it arrived at Sainsbury depot down south , when they opened to doors all the marg had melted , boxes collapsed , and the whole lot poured out!!
The building on the other corner was United Mersey Supplies , ship bunkerers . They procured and delivered all requirements for the ships when in dock , ready for next sailing. Everything from rope to meat and fresh fruit ,janitorial products right down to toilet paper and soap. At a later date Huttons of Hull on the corner of Derby Road came in to supply the lucrative trade along with them. Hull was then on the wrong side of the Country.
