Plymouth, Business Houses | Plymouth Mutual Co-operative and Industrial Society Ltd

PLYMOUTH
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The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History

PLYMOUTH MUTUAL CO-OPERATIVE AND INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY Ltd

BAKERY

From the humble beginnings of an agreement with a local baker to allow a commission on the sale of bread to members, the Plymouth Mutual Co-operative and Industrial Society Ltd eventually opened a bake house of its own at the rear of number 30 Newsick Street, Plymouth, in 1868. However, there were many complaints about the standard of the bread until a satisfactory baker could be found to take charge. [1]

Only two years later, 1870, the Society opened a better bake house in Vennel Street, at Bretonside, in premises next door to the King's Arms Hotel [1]. That one was destroyed in a fire on March 26th 1896 [2].

The Model Bakery belonging to the Plymouth Mutual Co-operative and Industrial Society

The bakery was rebuilt in 1897 with the most modern machinery [3]. In that bakery they had 15 ovens which turned over 38,000 sacks of flour into some 1,705,557 loaves every year. But the working space became very congested and it was decided to look for a more spacious site upon which to not only erect a new model bakery but also homes for the bakery workers. [4]

Thus, on Wednesday October 7th 1903, after laying the memorial stone of a grocery warehouse at North Quay, Sutton Harbour, a large party of around 100 members of the Society travelled by four-in-hand wagonettes to Beauchamp Road, at Peverell, where Mr W J Lapthorn laid the memorial stone of the new model bakery, pictured above. The site covered some 3½ acres and cost the Society £2,797. It was planned to equip the four storey building with fifty ovens and to provide for a separate confectionery branch. [4][5]

The new model bakery was officially opened by Mr C J Vaughan and Mr H G Wilkins* on Wednesday May 10th 1906. Once again a large collection of Co-op vehicles was paraded around the Town in celebration. The bakery was thrown open to public inspection after the ceremony and it is said that some 10,000 people availed themselves of the opportunity to see for themselves how Co-op bread was manufactured. [6]

There were twenty draw-plate ovens fired with producer gas made on the premises. Storage was provided for 10,000 sacks of flour and two moulding plants were capable of turning out 3,000 loaves of bread per hour. [6]

With the opening of the new bakery the old one in Vennel Street was closed down and the former bread room and flour lofts were immediately fitted up as a boot warehouse. [3]

The bakery was equipped with brand new machinery in 1929 and re-opened by Mr J Hayne Pillar on Wednesday June 19th 1929. [1]

As from March 4th 1962 the bakery was transferred to the control of the Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd. [7]

* The Co-op's own report [4] states it was opened only by Mr Vaughan using a silver key but the newspaper report [6] states that gold keys were presented to both Mr Vaughan and Mr Wilkins.

Sources:

[1] Briscoe, Robert, "Centenary History: A Hundred Years of Co-operation in Plymouth", Co-operative Press Ltd, Manchester, 1960.

[2] "Great Fire at Plymouth Co-operative Society's Stores: Destruction of the Bakery", Western Daily Mercury, Plymouth, March 27th 1896.

[3] "Plymouth: A Handbook of the Forty-Second Annual Co-operative Congress", Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd, Manchester, Whitsuntide 1910.

[4] "A Day of Celebration: Opening of Branch Stores: Laying of memorial Stones of New Bakery and Grocery Warehouse: Grand Parade of Horses and Vehicles", The Plymouth Co-operative Record, 1903.

[5] "Plymouth Co-operative Society: Memorial Celebrations and Opening of New Premises", Western Morning News, Plymouth, October 8th 1903.

[6] "Plymouth Co-operators: The New Model Bakery", Western Morning News, Plymouth, May 20th 1906.

[7] Barton, Victor Rowland, "Plymouth and South West Co-operative Society Ltd: History: 1960-1990: Regionalisation", held by the Plymouth & West Devon Record Office, Plymouth, accession number G223/3.