Ice-cream,
or more precisely a derivative of it, is
not a modern food but appears to have been
available in Europe since the sixteenth or
seventeenth centuries. It first appeared
in the United Kingdom in about 1686. What
is known is that Lyons started to make
ice-cream in 1894 using the turbine bowl
method. When refrigeration was further
developed after the First World War
production increased and automation helped
to bring the product to a wider market.
Unlike America, ice-cream in Britain was a
seasonal phenomena with fluctuating sales
depending on the weather pattern. With use
of frozen carbon dioxide Lyons were able
to ship their ice-cream from the Cadby
Hall factory, by train, to most parts of
the UK setting up cold stores at several
rail-heads. Ice-cream production was
banned during the Second World War but
when restrictions were lifted new methods
of production were introduced. Substitute
ingredients were introduced - there was
still an acute shortage of many
food-stuffs right up until 1954 - which
had a detrimental effect on the product,
particularly its taste. Nevertheless
ice-cream sales continued to grow and new
hand-held products were introduced such as
the frozen ice-lolly. As with the other
parts of the Lyons group expansion of
market share was all important and many
smaller, regional ice-cream businesses
were purchased which included, among
others, Eldorado, Neilson's, Midland
Counties, Walkers Dairies, Tonnibel and
Bertorelli.. This not only increased
Lyons' market share of ice-cream, but
brought into the group new, local
production facilities thus saving
expensive refrigerated transport costs.
The Baskin-Robbins ice-cream business in
the US was bought and remained one of the
most profitable parts of Lyons' ice-cream
business. A speciality ice-cream business
provided unusual portioned ice-cream for
the hotel and catering trades;. ice-cream
cakes were also made for special events
such as Christmas or parties
.©
Peter
Bird 2002
|