FEBRUARY 1964
House Magazine of J. Sainsbury Ltd QV3"S3-/|£/ |
contents c.o, Basingstoke 2 Basingstoke Launched On Monday, 20th January the first dispatch of goods to the south 4 Streatham New Offices west began with an optimistic and sociable send-off. Waving out 8 Jubilees the first lorry (above) are Mr C. G. Wright the Manager, and 9 Work Study Mr N. C. Turner. Basingstoke is the first of the major depots that 13 Ice Cold in London have become necessary as a result of the growth of the firm. It will 18 Architectural Awards serve about a third of our branches which are in an area to the 19 Live Stock Awards south and west of London. It stands in Houndsmill Estate on a 20 Shopping Day twenty-five acre site of which eight acres are buildings, making a 22 Blackcurrant Drink floor space of 350,000 square feet. Six acres of our site are taken up 26 A Matter of Taste by roads and parking areas, the other eleven will be landscaped. Puzzle Picture 31 The main structure of the building is L-shaped and houses the 32 Griffin Report perishable and non-perishable warehouses, production areas, Congratulations 33 bacon kilns and cold stores. 34 Staff News
2 launched The main building incorporates an office block, a service station, cloakrooms, a boiler house, a weighbridge, a gatehouse and a reception area. The service station will do all spray painting of our lorries and includes accommodation for mechanical and electrical repairs. The staff res taurant will seat 300 people. By the end of the year when the depot is in full operation there will be two tennis courts, cricket pitches and indoor facilities for table tennis and badminton.
Cheerful send off from Mr jV. C. Turner to Driver F. Brown who took the first van out from Basingstoke at 8.22 am on 20th January. .
Streatham new offices for some departments
Our new offices at Norwich House in Streatham High Street have been in use for several months now. J.S. have four floors of the building and part of them can be seen in the picture at the top of the page. On the left Chief Accountant Mr A. Jones, on the main staircase. Pictures opposite show girls at work in the Mechanised Department tapping out cards at the automatic key punches. They will be fed into the tabulators on the right later. Below is the Staff Dining Room
4
Below left is a section of the Printing Room where many of the forms and stationery items used by the firm are produced. On the right a section of the pneumatic document conveyor which moves internal post around the offices. Documents are placed in a container, and by setting a disc at one end the sender ensures their arrival at the proper destination. At the foot of the page is the new S.S.A. Office. From I. to r. are Len Starling, Jean Richmond and Mr Alan Kettley the secretary At the top of the page on the left is the recording apparatus used in the typing pool for letters which are dictated by telephone. They are recorded on a plastic disc and identified by a paper slip. The typist {right) plays the recorded letter on her own desk apparatus, types the letter and it is then sent off to the office from which it originated. Centre picture is the Depot Stock Office on the fourth floor. Communications with Stamford House are by minivan at regular intervals through the day. Reproduced by permission of Punch
'How was I know it was Lord Sainsbury'
m '959 when the Swiss Cottage self-service Jubilees branch opened not far from that site. KJ04 1964 is not a year rich in jubilee dates. Going In this year our branch in Terminus Road, through the records we find only seven branches Eastbourne, opened. It was converted into a who celebrate birthdays. This is probably be self-service branch in 1952. Forest Hill at 6 and cause the golden and silver jubilees date from 8 London Road also opened in 1904, was exten years which saw the outbreak of two world wars ded in 1927 and will be replaced by a self- and the economic uncertainty of the times must service branch during this year. have made traders step with caution.
1894 '9'4 Our Blackfriars branch at 13-15 Stamford Street This was a lean year by J.S. standards. We was first opened in 1894. The shop was opened opened only one branch; the one at 10 Cornfield following the firm's move to Blackfriar's in 1891 Road, Eastbourne. when they bought Wakefield House. The head quarters of J.S. was before that at Queen's '93.9 Crescent in Kentish Town. 1894 was the year in Twenty-five years ago on the brink of another which we opened 51 Broadway, Ealing, and also war we opened only a single branch; the one at our branch at 140 Finchley Road which closed 15 Goring Road, West Worthing. •
Work Study is applied to the planning, manu facturing, distribution and retailing sides of the Courses in Work Study Appreciation for firm; on the retailing side it operates through the Branch Staff Planning Department, whose self-service managers have been held at manager is Mr J. G. Dearlove. Blackfriars during the past year. So far nearly all the work on the retailing side The purpose and scope of the has been connected with existing and future self-service branches. As the scope of this work courses is discussed in this article. has increased it has become desirable to give managers an appreciation of the aims and ob jects of Work Study. As a result a Work Study Appreciation Course for self-service managers was introduced at the beginning of last year. Since then, courses have been held at approximately two monthly inter vals and nearly 40 branch management person work study nel have so far attended. These have come from two main sources: firstly, managers moving from service into self-service and from one self- service branch to another; and secondly, newly
Continued on page 12 9 Opposite page: Mr D.A.J. Foster {leader of the Branch Staff Planning Work Study Team) explains how the staff allowance for individual branches is calculated. In the lower picture Mr J. G. Dearlove, Manager of the Branch Staff Planning Department, talking about 'Organising the Branch Staff'.
Above: Mr 0. Randell {Branch Staff Planning Department) explains the use of method study symbols. Mr J. R. Fraser of the same department looks on. Below: a short break between lectures - Messrs S. K. Saunders, A. Tamlyn, C. J. Smith, D. Billings, R. J. Richens, A. J. Mott, W. J. Butcher, A. Squires, F. W. Gillam. Mrs J. Johnston (right) is the only woman employed on work study in the firm. She spends much of her time on planning the preparation areas of new branches.
10 STAFF ALLOWANCE
MANAGERS i ft/M'S
0 ^HQDUCt 1 * 3 PRICING t BISCUITS i 4 10 FRESH MEAT - INC! N ?ABBITS J5 10 l CUT POULTRY 11 CHECKOUTS - 25 12 W/£ P/r FOR ClOUT RELIEF - 6 (3 DM, 13 C0N00 &S I ',«r;,r CABiNf r5 t 11 I* OFFICE - J l&BASKE! ISSUERS 2 _ 16 PORTERS 6 - :? VAN CHECKER S -
' mm- •H:flBK M Hll JM II] ft K HI Bl JIJHIH -• II appointed managers who are on the spare list. In addition, some Training Centre personnel and instructors have been on the course. Each course is of three days' duration, com prising two days' appreciation of the techniques of Work Study and one day at the Haverhill factory. Members of all the work study sections at Blackfriars give lectures and show films, and managers participate in practical demonstra tions and exercises. The object during the first two days is to give branch management an understanding of the purpose and aims of Work Study and of the effects that its applications have on branch methods, layouts, organization and staffing. Whilst the emphasis is mostly on the branch, and many of the examples given are taken from actual branch work, the overall application of Work Study in J.S. is stressed since the basic procedure is the same wherever Work Study is applied. During the course managers are encouraged to take an active part, both in the form of questions and discussion and during the several practical periods that are now included. In addition to covering Work Study techniques, attention is also paid to the associated subjects of staff allowances and staff organization which has resulted in much fruitful discussion. The visit to Haverhill is used as a practical example of the results which can be achieved when Work Study principles are applied to a department or process. The advantages of good layout, organized production, bulk material handling and other features are illustrated under actual working conditions. The visit provides an opportunity to see at first hand the preparation of Tendersweet bacon and J.S. cooked meats, and ends with discussion between the branch managers and the management at Haverhill. The aims of the course are firstly, to give an insight into the techniques used by the Work Study officer during his visits to branches; secondly, to show how the information that is obtained is used in evolving better, more econo mic methods, and accurate staff allowances; and thirdly, to give an overall picture of the appli cation of Work Study in J.S. The course provides an invaluable oppor tunity for the managers and the work study staff to discuss and comment on the implications of the use of Work Study, and the result, as the number and scope of these courses grow, is a better understanding and quicker solution of any problems which may arise. At the beginning of the last century a Swiss- Italian called Carlo Gatti arrived in London. The youngest of a family of 13, he had made his ICE way from the Italian part of Switzerland, the Ticino, to Paris following perhaps, in the foot steps of a relative who had owned a restaurant fashionable among aristocrats before the revo COLD in lution - an enterprise which cost him his head and earned him a plaque in the Tuileries. Possibly it was this that made our Gatti move on to London with a cousin whom he took into LONDON partnership. Together, they bought a site on what is now Charing Cross Station and opened a restaurant that proved a great success. With a The story of the Gatti family tradition of ice-cream making behind them, the two Gattis introduced what was then a novelty who came to London to sell for a small London cafe, home made ice-cream. Perhaps they brought the idea from Paris where ice-cream and stayed to build ice-cream had been made popular by an Italian cafe proprietor called Tortoni. up a cold-storage business The building of Charing Cross Station forced them to move and they dissolved the partner ship, after receiving, it is said, compensation of One of the famous Gatti ice-carts which became such a £54,000, from the South Eastern Railway Co. well-known feature of the London streets. Carlo Gatti used his portion to buy another property in Villiers Street off the Strand, a major part of the western sub-area of the London restaurant and two houses. His interests, like Electricity Board and there is still a member of those of his brothers Agostino and Giovanni, lay the Gatti family working with the Board. also in music-hall entertainment and the name Serving ice-cream in his cafe was not enough of the Gatti brothers is an important one in for Carlo - he put onto the London streets the the history of the music-hall. He opened a new ' Ice-Cream Jacks'. These were gaudily painted Music-Hall under Charing Cross Arches and barrows pushed by Italians who were unable to another one in Westminster Bridge Road, known speak anything but their native tongue. They as the Westminster Palace of Varieties. It was would call out 'Ecco un poco'- here is a little in one of these theatres that Marie Lloyd, Harry free - today our word hokey pokey. They became Lauder and Dan Leno made their first London a familiar and welcome feature in London. appearances. Most far-reaching, however, of all Gatti's Giovanni and Agostino, his two brothers, had activities was the sale of ice. He bought at in the meanwhile opened another Gatti restau Kings Cross deep ice-wells, which are still there, rant in Adelaide Street and had bought the made a catering contract with the L.C.C. for famous Adelphi theatre. In 1883 they installed several of their parks, and stored the winter ice in the basement of Adelaide Gallery a small from the ponds in his wells. As the demand both generating plant which brought electricity into for his own restaurants and the retail trade grew, the cafe. Two years later they took the novel he collected ice from sources on the London step of extending electric light to the Adelphi - perimeter. a task made difficult, indeed illegal, by a new regulation that had come into force forbidding the opening of streets. The Gatti Brothers Cutting ice on a Norwegian lake in the early 1 goo's. carried the work out without a hitch - at night. The ice was scarred on the surface by an ice-plough, This small venture grew to what is today the then sawn through by hand. Trade increased and it became impossible to was invented. The slope between lake and fjord keep up an all-the-year-round supply of solid was lined with wooden runners and down these ice, which was important both for making ice the blocks slid at high speed, helped by the steep cream and keeping fresh the food in the restau incline and their own weight. Sometimes as rants during the summer months. Typically many as twenty ships were waiting below and and decisively Gatti decided to import. The when these had been loaded and had set sail, best natural ice comes from Norway as the the remaining blocks were stored in 'ice waters of its lakes are clean and uncontaminated houses', constructions of pine poles and tree and from there Gatti brought his ice. The Nor branches sometimes packed with saw-dust. The wegian ice harvest began in late winter and biggest of these could hold as much as 30,000 was a highly organized operation. Skill and tons. speed were (and still are) essential with a com On arrival in London the ice was unloaded modity that literally runs away under anything either into river barges or horse-drawn vans. A but ideal conditions. The first step was for the journalist watching the unloading writes in 1897 virgin ice to be cut. Horses drew deeply-toothed in The Harmsworth Magazine - ' The novice who blades over the lake, rather like a plough in a attempts to scramble about in a hold full of ice field, marking out huge sixty-foot slabs. They will find the task more conducive to bruises and were followed by men with hand saws who cut profanity than aught else! We tried the effect of into the grooves until the lake was a mass of ice placing our foot boldly on one of the lumps of ice slabs. As the lakes lie above the fjords where the and sat down with startling suddenness'. Most ships were waiting a simple method of transport of the ice was loaded into barges and taken up stream, either to Battersea or Westminster where the firm's ice wells were. Men with 'ice-dogs' moved the blocks to the top The ice that was loaded into the vans was of a long wooden slide. weighed first, each block varying between one to MH 1 1 %f 1 > ' %/ four hundredweight each. The vans then went, One story tells that when Gatti's first started either direct to customers or to ice wells. A Carlo making lollies a customer telephoned for a sub Gatti van, trailing a thin line of water, was a very stantial delivery. Within a few hours he found familiar London sight. outside his door a van filled with 3cwt ice Carlo Gatti had no sons but his two daughters, blocks. 'I'll take them,' he said coldly, 'if you Rosa and Agostina, showed great aptitude for put them on sticks'. business. When the firm eventually came into Today the commercial ice industry has a their hands they ran it with verve and efficiency. competitor in the home refrigerator but the Rosa the eldest, married a Gatti cousin but he demand for loose ice is by no means exhausted. left her a childless widow. She re-married Simon It is used in great quantity by the Atomic Corazza and Agostina married his brother, Energy Authorities - for what purpose is not Luigi. Their son Carlo Corazza was for many known. Hotels such as the Savoy use up to four years a Director and the present Managing tons a day, much of it in cubes: hospitals need Director is a direct descendant of theirs. In their it for controlling oxygen tents and cooling body capable hands the firm prospered and when in temperature; our fishing ports would freeze up 1921 artificial refrigeration had become a com without it - Grimsby alone is estimated as using mercial proposition they gave up importing a total quantity of 1,000 tons a day. Two years natural ice, went into the artificial ice business ago Gatti's delivered 150 tons of ice for the Ski and into cold storage. Run at the International Ski Jumping Competi In 1950 United Carlo Gatti, Stevenson & tion at Wembley Stadium, where it was turned Slaters entered the ice-lollie trade with a trial to snow on the spot by an American ice crushing out-put of 500 gross per week. They did not slinger. advertise but the sale of 'Snow Boy' lollies rose to 1,000 gross per week in the London area and Down the mountainside went the ice blocks and straight the output of their factory is virtually unlimited. on to the quay. SKSbP. jf* % * *fe ?*'* As patterns of demand have changed, Gatti's have channelled their activities to modern needs. Besides their very large ice plant producing well over a hundred tons every day they have many large cold-storage chambers where frozen meat, fish, butter, poultry and vegetables are stored by Importers, Producers and Wholesalers. Some are still on the site that used to hold the imported ice from Norway. In 10,62 a second cold store was completed in Hackney. Its capacity is 250,000 cub. ft. and the firm is anticipating doubling this on a site next door. Carlo Gatti could have had little idea of the size his ice-venture would grow to. A celebrated comedy 'Our Boys' was being performed the evening of this programme. The Adelphi, owned by the two Gatti Brothers was the first London theatre to have electricity. Mander and Mitchenson Collection Picture 'AUSGMTI. The blocks are pulled along a gangplank into the ship's hold. - .—a1** - •fa* .*!. • . / / *--. Selected by the West Suffolk Assessor appointed by the Royal Institute of British Architects for work best Architectural deserving recognition in the period from ig$8 to ig6i were these two buildings. Above, the Meat Products Factory at Haverhill and below, the firm's Poultry Awards Processing Plant at Bury St Edmunds. ft 19 1 \ II y fMil, caagl^ *sfe". i-» -Sij^todilSl? ? * Our Herd Manager Mr Charles Edward and his son George, from Kinermony Farm preparing our pure bred Aberdeen-Angus steer for the judging ring. This animal subse quently won the Breed Championship at the Royal Smithfield Show. Live Stock Awards Cattle which are entered for shows fall broadly classes take account of age and sex and there is into two categories, firstly breeding stock, which an overall championship. A further 'combined' are exhibited at the open-air summer shows, or prize is awarded on a points score, the basis of in shows immediately prior to sales timed to fit which is the placings of both judges, average in with the breeding season, and secondly, so- daily weight gain and dressing-out percentage. called 'fatstock' i.e. fed for slaughter, which It is interesting to note that the Carcase usually appear in December. supreme championship is usually won by a Not so many years ago, in the case of cham pure-bred Aberdeen-Angus animal. At the 1962 pion cattle at the Royal Smithfield Show, for show our own such entry won the reserve cham example - and this is the premier event of its pionship, whilst in 1963, a pure Aberdeen-Angus kind in Britain - the emphasis was distinctly on heifer from Kinermony narrowly missed the jfestock and although the flesh of such animals combined prize. would in all probability be of exceptional eating In the live classes, a 22-months steer from qualities, the ratio of fat to lean bore little Kinermony was made champion of the Aber relation to the requirements of even the most deen-Angus breed. As the rules provided that affluent consumer. Today, the judging at such all champions must go through the sale ring, we shows is much more realistic and although had to purchase the animal from ourselves, so to quality requirements demand that the prize- speak, through the medium of the auctioneers. winning animals need to be well finished, much After slaughter the quarters of the carcase were of the excessively wasteful fat acquired at great displayed at branches with suitable facilities. cost in feeding, has been eliminated. It follows A three parts Aberdeen-Angus, one part that there is increasing interest in the Carcase Shorthorn, cross-bred steer from Kinermony Competition; this provides for the placing of also won the reserve championship for steers animals by a 'live'judge, the carcases being plac under fifteen months, all breeds. ed in order of merit after slaughter. These carcase F. W. SALISBURY 19 Shopping Day A Film about JS There is no commentary to this film, nor any actors, only our staff going about their normal duties on a normal Sainsbury day. It starts with Driver George Nunn taking his van out in the early hours and finishes at J pm when the night gang loads up for the morning's deliveries. In half an hour it has covered most aspects of the firm, at Blackfriars, at the docks, and at the branches. Watching it here are members of the British Legion at South Norwood. Mr J. L. Woods, our Advertising Manager came along to talk to them and answer questions. • 1/ J IHrl J| JH|||iik Hi : f 1* i, ^ c^™ / - Since the first showing of Shopping Day on January gth we have made three hundred bookings. If you belong to an organisation which is interested write to J. Sainsbury Ltd. Dept JL W, Stamford House, Stamford Street, London SE.i. Blackcurrant Drink The blackcurrants arrive in the factory from the farms in July and the picking and processing season normally lasts for three to four weeks. The fruit is examined and substandard fruit rejected, and it is then pulped. An enzyme is then mixed with the pulp which breaks down the pectin present in the fruit and enables the juice to be expressed. This is carried out by pressing the pulp in a large hydraulic press. By this means the raw juice is obtained, the solid part of the fruit, called the pomace, being rejected. The raw juice is then clarified, after which stage, the necessary sugar is added to produce the syrup. The sugar dissolves in the juice in enclosed stainless steel vessels. It is of the greatest importance that Blackcurrant Syrup should be manufactured entirely in stainless steel vessels, as contact with other metals results in the rapid loss of the Vitamin C content of the product. Exposure to air at all stages of the manufacture of the product is also kept to a minimum to retain the Vitamin C content. The fully sweetened product is filtered until it is brilliant and then bottled in a vacuum filler. After filling, the bottles are capped and trans ferred to a heating cabinet for pasteurisation. This part of the process is essential to ensure shelf life. After pasteurisation, the bottles are cooled, the labels applied and then transferred to the cartons ready for despatch. As the finished product has a guaranteed Vitamin C content, control by analysis is carried out at all stages of manufacture. Blackcurrants were first acknowledged as rich in Vitamin C back in 1936 and during the war years the Ministry of Food recognized Black currant Syrup as being of high nutritional value. It was therefore made available for sale for chil dren and others in need of extra Vitamin C. 1 The hydraulic press used to express the juice from the fruit pulp. 2 Sugar is being added to the juice which is held in this stainless steel vessel. 3 Before going up to the storage tanks the Blackcurrant Syrup is clarified bypassing it through this filter 4 The filling assembly line showing Vacuum Filling in process. 83 1 Blackcurrant Syrup being conveyed to the Pilferproof Sealing machine. 2 The filled bottles of Blackcurrant Syrup are seen "% "%», here being loaded into the heating cabinet for pasteurisation. 3 At all stages chemists carry out laboratory tests to maintain the high quality of the product. 4 The automatic labelling machine. The labelled bottles are being packed into cartons for despatch toJ.S. 25 A Matter of Taste Our habits, preferences and prejudices about diet are formed in early life and change with difficulty. Recently, changes have begun to speed up. This article surveys some trends and takes a quick look at some habits. Alas! What various tastes in food, much of South East Asia. The chief protein con Divide the human brotherhood! taining foods differ as much, beef in Britain, Birds in their little nests agree mutton in the Middle East, fish in Japan, spider With Chinamen, but not with me. and insects in Thailand, snake, lizard and frog Hilaire Belloc for the aborigines in Australia. Religions impose their own taboos on eating There is no one ideal diet. We all know that what habits. Pork is prohibited among the Jews, beef determines our food choice is food preference; among the Hindus and all animal foods among what determines the other man's choice is food the Jains. In our own culture food preferences prejudice. Man can and does eat an enormous may be due to class consciousness - chips with variety of foods for reasons as varied as the everything is the symbol of one class, caviar of food itself. The first and most obvious is avail another. One can climb the social ladder by the ability and this generally depends on geography, choice of food as well as the choice of company. climate and season. In most parts of the world Attitudes between mother and child may deter cheap foods, rich in starch, form the bulk of the mine food preferences, children who turn into diet; wheat and potatoes in Europe, maize in sugar addicts do so for profounder reasons than South Africa, cassava in South India and rice in a sweet tooth. 26 Research into social nutrition has so far been various vitamins were recognized and their very limited. One fact, however, does emerge specific action understood. clearly. Although most of us eat a diet suffi ciently varied to supply the necessary calories, The Benefits ? of Education proteins and vitamins, our food preferences are It would be logical to presume from this that not dictated by physiological need. The much in communities where food is short education quoted story of the pregnant woman's craving can bridge the gap between making it available after sardines to fulfil her need for protein or and getting it eaten. In a recent pamphlet the the child biting lumps of plaster out of the wall UN Food and Agricultural Organization ex to give him his fill of calcium loses point when pressed this view with great conviction, yet one realizes that pregnant women crave just as eminent nutritionists such as Professors Yudkin often for petrol or moth-balls and children will and McKenzie are sceptical whether education and do eat coal or mother's lip-stick. A tragic can overcome social factors which influence example of the lack of co-ordination between food choice. A case in point is that of Peru where need and craving is the fate of William Stark, villagers ate or avoided foods according to a an eighteenth century doctor who did nutrition complex and, nutrition-wise, meaningless classi al experiments on himself and finally died of fication of hot, cold, heavy and light. The effect scurvy, his body having totally failed to signal to of an intensive educational campaign which in him that vegetables and fruit would have saved troduced concepts such as vitamins was to his life. The history of scurvy illustrates this reshuffle the food into a completely mythical point beyond doubt. There is on record a ship's order beginning with Vitamin A for the best captain who, in Elizabethan times ordered his food, Vitamin B for the next best and so on down crew to bring aboard and drink, in the course the alphabet. Even in a country as highly educa of a long voyage one or two ounces of lemon juice ted as England knowledge and practise bear a day - an experiment repeated by Captain Cook little relation to one another. A small survey in 1772. On neither occasion did the crew suffer among housewives recently showed that they from scurvy but it took twenty-three more years believed that brown bread is healthier than and many deaths before the Admiralty ruled white, canned food inferior to fresh and sweets that every ship on the high seas must carry one bad for the teeth. Right or wrong, these ounce of lime juice per man per day, a step opinions had little influence on food choice. which many historians believe helped us to win Ninety-two percent of bread consumed is white, the Napoleonic wars at a time when the French the sale of canned food is rapidly increasing and Navy was still riddled with scurvy. It took the consumption of sweets in Britain is the another seventy years before the Board of highest in the world, averaging half a pound Trade made the same law for the Merchant for every man, woman and child per week. Navy and it was not until this century that the Ours is a comparatively wealthy country and 27 with the rapid advance in food preservation, transport and technology, availability has be come the least influential factor in our choice of food. Whereas two hundred years ago the diet in late spring was made up almost entirely of salted meat, potatoes, dried peas, beer, cheese and bread the housewife today can buy almost any food she likes in and out of season either in a tin or in a packet. Her main concern when she does her weekly shopping is price and con venience in cooking. Records of Change The British Association began estimates of food consumption per head in 1880 and it is from then on that one can examine in detail the changing patterns of food consumption. Exami ning first a basic food such as milk one sees that it remained stable until the last war when the government pursued a policy of making fresh milk cheap to make up for the shortage of other food. From then on liquid milk has risen steadily. Meat, which we began importing at the end of the last century and the beginning of this, rose steadily until the war years when a high standard of protein food could not be maintained. It is only lately that we are again eating as much as before the war with the difference that today the wealthy classes who were the main meat consumers are eating less, while the poorer sections of the community are eating more. Housewives are buying different kinds of meat - a decrease in the sale of beef has been offset by increases in pork and poultry both of which as running their households, there has been a have become cheaper while beef is comparatively strong trend for women to favour not only dearer. The dramatic increase in the consump labour-saving devices which cut down house tion of poultry is due to the enormous develop work, but labour-saving foods which can be ment of the broiler industry in which Sainsbury's quickly cooked after a day at work and will still have taken such an active part. Chicken has be appetising and attractive. This has meant an become instead of a luxury, an everyday dish. enormous increase in manufactured foods of all Lamb, although relatively cheaper than before kinds, particularly tinned goods. Domestic the war has retained a fairly even level. purchase of these began in the second half of the In the eighteenth century ' the great Dealers last century and when canning was used as a in Flesh-meat in Southwark and White-chapel means of importing cheap Australian meat have justly complained of late years that they before the days of refrigeration. The main items can have no Purchasers for the coarser Parts of imported before the war were fruit, corned beef, Meat, which used formerly to be Sold to the salmon, sardines and condensed milk —the latter Poor at Low Price, but must now be buried or has of course gone down as fresh milk has thrown upon a Dunghill'. They are still justly become cheaper. Tinned vegetables however, complaining for the expensive cuts are the cuts show a rapid increase. Not only do they save that arc selling. Housewives are willing to pay the chore of washing, scraping, cutting muddy extra for a joint or cut that looks appetising, is vegetables but arc an all-thc-ycar-round pur simple to prepare and has no wastage in fat, chase of what is inherently a seasonal food. this despite the fact that marbled meat has a Tinned soup is perhaps the most representa much better flavour. tive of the convenience foods bought to save the housewife time and add a variety to her menu. Prices and Prejudices Unlike the early canned meat or manufactured With the rise of incomes the consumption of jam today's tinned soup, indeed any tinned food, cheap, satisfying food has gone down. Potatoes is of uniformly good quality. Sainsbury's now declined steadily until the war years and even stock sixty lines of soup - over double the number in today's affluent society expenditure on them we carried five years ago. This has been made increases as one moves down the social scale; possible not only by manufacturers' sales cam ordinary potatoes that is. New potatoes which paigns but by modern methods of retailing. The arc a delicate and expensive food come into a self-service store is such a large unit that even different category; so do potato crisps the sale relatively slow-moving lines have a worthwhile of which has doubled over the past five years sale. There is moreover, room to display a mul and will continue to rise as additional flavours titude of varieties. Customers who tend to be are brought onto the market. Potato chips on diffident are more likely to help themselves to a the other hand, although they can be bought brand they have seen advertised than to ask an ready prepared, have strong working class assistant for it. associations and arc not selling so rapidly. Flour and bread show the same basic pattern - as New or Old Tastes incomes have grown, bread, which was a fre A third of today's housewives are considered quent substitute for cooked meals, is now being progressive. Due to advertising campaigns and replaced by more expensive foods. Bread and increased travel facilities families are more will jam are inseparable. As the sale of bread has ing to try food from abroad, although some gone down, jam has gone down too, although it times they have to be disguised with English is one of our oldest manufactured foods, having names; Cheese Flaps, for instance. Nevertheless first been sold ready made in 1880. more and more pre-cooked dishes are based on pasta. The sale of spaghetti has gone up, the sale Labour Saving Foods of tinned Italian tomatoes with it. Herbs and The place for the Victorian housewife was in seasonings are once again coming into their own. the home and one has only to leaf through Mrs For many years they were thought a lot of Beaton to sec that no preparation of a meal was foreign nonsense, yet during the Middle Ages too lengthy or elaborate. Since the emanci they were used in abundance. Garlic and saffron pation of women and particularly since the last antedate our English turnip by several hundred war when most wives were working as well years. Continental meats which before the war 29 could only be bought at a specialized shop cater very much on the increase following as so often ing for foreign trade have a place of their own happens, the American pattern. An iced soft at many new self-service Sainsbury's; salamis, drink or cocktail are a regular feature of Ameri frankfurters, pat6 de foie are becoming part of can life both when eating out or at home. the national diet. What's in the can can be bought in the packet. An Exception Frozen foods have the same virtues as tinned, Most food has been made more attractive they are easy to prepare, attractive, varied - and and easier to prepare, incomes are higher and you don't have to fight with a tin opener. The customers are willing to pay extra money for sale of fresh fish has gone down, but frozen fish extra convenience. Under such circumstances is up, with good reason. It is ready prepared, the sale of fresh fruit and vegetables should have more economical in cases such as plaice where gone up, but they have proved to be the excep smaller fillets are used and there are conse tion to the rule. The horticultural industry quently more portions per pound, and one can which has received no subsidies from the buy it along with the rest of the meat and gro government has had to raise its prices and more ceries. No doubt products frozen by accelerated could be done to raise sales by means of grading, freeze drying will have similar success, such cleaning, cutting and pre-packing. Before the AFD items as are already in the shops are war the upper income groups bought a lot of selling well. vegetables. Only a relatively small increase in We are still a nation of tea-drinkers but one consumption has taken place since then, so one of the most marked changes in our habits is is forced to conclude that this is a field which has reflected in the sale of coffee. Since instant not been fully explored. coffee came onto the market consumption has Today's housewife is tempted, cajoled, per increased from 0-7 lbs per head before the war suaded and pampered as never before. Even in to P3 lbs in 1955 and 2-1 lbs in 1961. The value the suburbs she can serve a meal of foreign and of this trade in the Home Counties is now equal out-of-season food that would do justice to a to one-third of the tea trade and is far in excess restaurateur-and appear at dinner as though she of ground roast coffee. Tea drinking has re had not been near her kitchen. We think we are mained fairly constant and attempts at selling traditional in the matter of food. We are nothing instant tea have resulted in failure - the pot of of the sort. The speed with which the British tea and the ritual of making it are deeply in have given themselves over to bananas or cus grained in our way of life. Cocoa which used to tard powder, scampi or fish fingers, shows that be a popular drink is no longer selling so well on the contrary they are as adaptable as a great but soft drinks, squashes, mineral drinks, are trading nation should be. *##f ot£ 30 Whatsit No 1 J.S. Journal Puzzle Picture for February. See our next issue for the answer and more Whatsits. 31 Griffin Report Since the last report, the Club tennis team has friars this winter under the direction of Driver J. retained the Premier Division Championship in Gowland, Black belt. New members are always the London Business Houses League, when in welcome to come along. November it defeated North Thames Gas Board in a play-off. The fact that owing to holidays Football Prospects and other commitments, in no match did we In the football sphere, we are having a quiet field our strongest side, shows the high standard season during mid-week.' H' Section, which had of play within the Club. such a successful season last season have been The Golfing Society ended 1963 at Worthing, opposed to much stronger teams now that they when the annual Branches v Depot match was are in a higher division of the Croydon League played. An enjoyable day's play resulted in the and have suffered some heavy defeats. An amal first victory for the Depot. gamated team from the Thursday sections have formed themselves into a workmanlike side and Table Tennis look like having a long run in the Beckenham In the L.B.H. Table Tennis Leagues, the Hospital Cup. In the Depot, where there has Men's 1st team, in spite of being promoted, arc been a reverting back to Section Football, the having a fruitful season and are within a chance Factory has produced a very fine side, one of of winning their division. The 2nd team and the the strongest Griffin teams for many years and Ladies' team are holding their own in their res they arc at present leading the Intermediate pective divisions. For the first time, a side has League in the West End Association. Their and also been playing in the Southwark League and XI, after two initial defeats, has settled down although at present more matches have been into a competent team. The Warehouse has lost than won, there is the opportunity for new lost a little ground after a great start, but they comers to have a taste of competitive play. There are doing very well in view of the fact they only is a strong entry for the Club Competitions, with have a limited number of players to select from. past winners of the Men's Singles in C. Hora, The combined 'P', 'O' and 'V team have also B. Gilham, T. Harris and T. Kinchen all enter been more than holding their own and are still ing as well as last year's runner-up, M. Kalb. in two Cup Competitions at the time of writing. The support for Badminton continues and The annual 6-a-Side Tournament is again being although the Club has not entered a League held on Good Friday and we would like to see a this season, several friendly matches are being few more teams playing than last year. arranged. The American Tournament is again I.ES POTTER being organized in February and we are hopeful that there will be a good entry. Darts Netball and Judo Dates to Note The Club Darts Competitions, which still Sunday 23rd February - Blackfriars — Badminlon attracts a large entry, are now well under way American Tournament and will culminate in the Grand Finals Day at Sunday 8th March — Blackfriars — Table Tennis the end of April. Finals The Depot Netball team which competes in Good Friday, 2ylh March - Dulwich - Six-a-Side the L.B.H. League are finding the going much Football Tournament harder now that they have been promoted but Sunday, 12II1 April — Godalming — Golfing Society there is keen competition for places in the team. Meeting Judo classes arc being held again at Black- Sunday, 2G1I1 April - Blackfriars - Darts Finals 32 Congratulations Miss Muriel Bugdale of our Magdalen Street Miss Yvonne Reece and Mr Leslie Williams who were Branch, Norwich, and Mr Richard Butler who married on 17th August ig6$ at St Saviour's Church, Lambeth Road, were married on 5th October at when they were both working at our branch at iy6Streatham Hill St Luke's Church, Norwich. They have since transferred to North London. Film Show The S.S.A. Cine Club will hold its Films to be shown include three made by the club: The Calais Trip of the S.S.A. in June last year. first public film show on Wednesday, The Dulwich Fete - August 1963 am/The 26th February at J.jo p.m. It will Brighton Saga, a film record of the London Brighton be shown at the Christchurch Walk. Private films to be shown in the programme are two by Mr J. Bond, Julia and Christmas, and also Industrial Centre — the hall of Bedtime undone by MrR. Maggs Bubble Trouble. Christchurch in Blackfriars Road. Admission to the showing will be by programme only. 33 40 Years' Service G. H. BATTY Basket Issuer, Paddington w. c. CUDD Manager, Hanwell w. c. HOY Salesman, Northwood Staff News w. c. HUNT Assistant Head Butcher, Chelmsford G. RIDGWAY Manager, Kenton L. G. ROBINSON Manager, St Helier R. SPARROW Head Butcher, Chelsea Movements and Promotions Retirements Managers We send our best ivishes to the following colleagues who From 50 Goodmayes have just retired. C. GRIGSON to Dagenham From 176 Streatham Mr F. Jeyesretir- I E. NEWMAN to Grocery self-service ed on 31st January. training For almost 30 years S. PARTRIDGE From Dagenham he had been re to 50 Goodmayes sponsible to Mr Turner for not only Spare Managers the maintenance E. SPRIGGS From Spare assisting of our fleet but also Mr Hedges to Spare for the design and at Southgate development of the vehicles. Assistant Managers Mr Jeyes joined c. BAYLEY From further training the firm in the to Leicester summer of 1933 following some 15 years at sea, and c. BODMAN From 24 Croydon held a Master Mariner's Certificate. His first year to 9/11 Croydon with the firm was spent in staff engaging and he took p. CARR From Norbury over the management of the Motor Engineers at to 176 Streatham Sail Street in the late summer of 1934. Being a mem w. COLE From 176 Streatham ber of the Royal Naval Reserve he was recalled to to Grocery self-service service just prior to September 1939 and his service training during the war took him to many distant places and s. COOPER From Tottenham included special duties in connection with convoys. to self-service training He was promoted to Commander during the war c. A. DOLMAN From further training to which was a rare distinction for a member of the Leicester R.N.R. On his release from National Service he R. HOPKINS From self-service training resumed his appointment at Sail Street and since that time, of course, his responsibilities have been to Richmond extended beyond the confines of Sail Street to the R. QJOEMARD From 250 Kentish Town fleet maintenance depots at Haverhill and Bunting- to Bedford ford, and he has been directly concerned in the D. SILVERMAN From Seven Kings planning of the new fleet maintenance section to Barking at Basingstoke. A. J. WARD From Edmonton to Tottenham T. WILSON From Boreham Wood A. W. Osborne who to Stevenage originally joined the staff of the factory in Head Butchers 1920, but who was sub F. ELLIS From Eastcote sequently transferred to to Hatch End the Warehouse where he W. GIBSON From Pinner to Berkhamsted worked until 1947. He C. MCQUEEN From Spare to Eastcote returned to the factory in D. THOMAS From Hatch End to Pinner that year. In 1955 he was transferred to the Post Promoted to Spare Head Butcher Department in Stamford House where he was em j. R. PRATT Caterham ployed until his retirement on 27th September 1963. 34 1955 ne was transferred to the Post Department in Stamford House where he was employed until his retirement on 27th September 1963. G. E. Blackie, who joined the firm as alabourer in the factory in June 1940. At the time of his retirement on 1 st December 1963 he was a special rate labourer in the Sausage Department. A. C. Joynes, who retired from the staff of the factory on 1st December 1963 was engaged in 1938 as a stoker, and was a boilerhouse engineer at the time of his retirement. MrG.E. Blackie Mr A.C. Joynes Obituaries We regret to record the death of the following colleagues and send our deepest sympathy to all relatives. Mr A. Galpin Mrs I. L. Fuentis Mr C. E. Fuller Mr C. R. Howes An appreciation of the late Mr A. Galpin A. Brown, who joined the firm in 1953 as a by Mr F. A. Pagden stockman at the abattoir at Haverhill. He died on The sudden death of A. Galpin came as a very great the 25th November 1963 as a result of an accident shock to his family and his very large circle of whilst cycling to work. friends and business colleagues. Mrs I. L. Fuentis, who was engaged as a sales He started his career with J. S. as a learner in 1930 woman in September 1939 at 176 Streatham. She working at Watney Street and Seven Kings. His transferred in 1940 to our branch in Stamford Street training was interrupted by the war when he was on and was working here until her death on 20th National Service from 1940 to 1946, but on his return December 1963. She was a leading saleswoman in he went to Lewisham and Peckham. He was pro charge of the Grocery Department. moted to Manager of Catford Hill in 1949, from there to Oxted in 1953, and finally to Haywards C. E. Fuller who retired from the factory, where Heath in November 1958. he was a chargehand, in 1949. He had joined the His very pleasant manner, and keen sense of staff of the factory in 1910 and was promoted to humour made him very popular with his colleagues chargehand in 1937. He died on 1st December 1963. and staff, many of whom will remember him for the C. R. Howes, who was engaged as a day service very kind and helpful advice he gave them. cleaner for the factory in 1956. He was carrying out It seems quite impossible to think that one who the duties of a special rate labourer at the time of his in his younger days took such an active interest in death on 12th November 1963. outdoor games and enjoyed good health should C. A. Kenny, who joined the firm in 1954 when have passed away so suddenly. our poultry packing station was at East Harling. He He will be sadly missed by all who knew him, transferred to Bury St Edmunds when the processing and the firm has lost a loyal and trustworthy station opened At the time of his death on 27th servant. December 1963 he was a fully skilled tradesman. WESTERHAM PRESS 35 May 1/2/3/4 The first four May days will be SSA days at Butlin's Bognor Holiday Camp. You'll have seen the details on your notice board by now. Whether you want a fabulous or a family week-end—there's room for both—this is the SSA week-end you'll never ever forget. Swimming, dancing, billiards, eating, bingo, whist drives, more eating, films, theatre, more dancing, more eating still, three bars—one a hundred yards long, big bands, small combos, children's playgrounds, table tennis, more eating and prizes and—in fact the mostest. BOGNOR BOGNOR BOGNOR BOGNOR BOGNOR BOGNOR