for Falkirk & District United Co-operative Society Ltd.,
Western Avenue.
.
A large new meat factory for Falkirk and District United Co-operative Society Ltd in Western Avenue was formally opened on 1 February 1930 by George M Kellie, the president of the Society. J G Callander presented Kellie with a silver key inscribed “Presented to George M Kellie on the occasion of the opening of the meat factory in Western Avenue, Falkirk, for Messrs Falkirk and District United Co-operative Society Ltd, 1st February, 1930.”
The factory was for the production of cooked and preserved meat. The site lay behind the Central Branch of the Society’s fleshing department and had been occupied by a stable. The Falkirk Herald gave a full account:
“On entering the new factory the first thing that is brought home to the visitor is that the two modern principles, hygiene and cleanliness, have formed the basic foundation in the construction of the premises. The large building, which is beautifully tiled, ventilated and lighted, presented a spic and span appearance. The boiler room is entirely separated from the factory, and to further ensure cleanliness and obviate any dust from coal-firing, an oil-burning plant has been fitted to the steam vertical boiler. In the equipment of the factory the most up-to-date ideas in cooked and preserved meat production have been introduced. The mincing and chopping machine is one of the newest models of its type on the market, and is capable of producing 700lbs of mince per hour. This figure is double the output of the former machine. One of the most interesting machines to the visitor is the new hydraulic sausage filling machine, which has a holding capacity of about 70 lbs, and is claimed by the makers to be the first of its kind to be used in Scotland. The oil tank, which supplies the vertical steam boiler with fuel, holds three tons of crude oil, and the boiler generates the steam for five large jacketed pans, and a mammoth steam oven. The cold storage room, to stand in which is to experience the atmosphere of an Arctic winter, has been installed by Kelvinator, Ltd, Glasgow. It is worked by a small electric engine, which is something of a “robot” in its qualities – starting and stopping itself, as occasion demands. Among the other departments are a pickling room, ham curing room, spice room, and a spacious store-room. A pleasing feature of the new building is the accommodation provided for the large staff, which will be employed, in the way of well-appointed rest rooms. The new building will centralise the production of preserved and cooked meats, which formerly were manufactured in the various butcher shops of the Society throughout the area.”
(Falkirk Herald 5 February 1930, 4).
Contractors – Brick work – John Gardner, Falkirk; Joiner work – Kellock & Kilgour, Falkirk; Slater work – Drummond & Crowe, Falkirk; Plumber work – George Summers & Sons, Falkirk; Plaster work – David McNair, Falkirk; Lath work – William Harley, Falkirk; Glazier work – Daniel O’May, Falkirk; Electrical work – Thomas J Irvine, Falkirk; Tile work – Craven, Dunnil & Co Ltd, Shropshire; Steel work – Redpath, Brown & Co Ltd, Glasgow; Collapsible Gates – Borthwick Gate & Shutter Co Ltd, Glasgow; Chill Room works – Electrical Refrigerators and Appliances Ltd, Glasgow; Cooking Plant, Ovens, etc – McDowall, Steven & Co Ltd, Laurieston; Machinery – Smith & Stevenson Ltd, Glasgow.
Falkirk Local History Society 