Carr's facts for kids
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McVities/Carr factory in Carlisle
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| Private (1831–1964) Subsidiary (1931–) |
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| Founded | 1831 in Carlisle, Cumberland |
| Founder | Jonathan Dodgson Carr |
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United Kingdom
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| Products | Biscuits (United Biscuits) Flour Carr's Flour Mills Ltd , animal feed, fuel, engineering (Carr's Group) |
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Carr's is a famous British company. It makes tasty biscuits and crackers. You might know their "Table Water Biscuits." The company started way back in 1831. Jonathan Dodgson Carr founded it in Carlisle, England. Today, Carr's is part of a big food company called Pladis Global. In the United States, Kellogg's helps sell Carr's products.
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The Start of Carr's Biscuits
In 1831, Jonathan Dodgson Carr opened a small bakery. It was also a biscuit factory in the city of Carlisle, England. Just ten years later, in 1841, Carr's received a special honor. They got a royal warrant. This meant they were official suppliers to the British Royal Family. Within 15 years, Carr's became the biggest baking business in Britain.
Carr's was special because it had both a flour mill and a bakery. This is called "vertical integration." It meant they controlled everything from grinding the wheat to baking the biscuits. They made bread at night and biscuits during the day. Their biscuits were like the dry ones sailors ate on long trips. They stayed fresh in tins and could travel easily. Canals and railways helped send them all over the country.
Jonathan Carr spoke out against the Corn Laws. These laws made imported wheat very expensive. This kept British wheat prices high, making bread costly even when people were hungry. Jonathan Carr passed away in 1884. But by 1885, his company was making 128 different kinds of biscuits. They also employed 1,000 workers!
Changes in Ownership
In 1894, the company became "Carr and Co. Ltd." Later, in 1908, it went back to being a private family business. The part of the company that made flour became "Carrs Flour Mills Limited." Jonathan's four sons were not as good at running the business. But the biscuit making part stayed in the family for a while.
In 1964, Carr's biscuits joined Cavenham Foods. Then, in 1972, United Biscuits bought Carr's. They also bought other biscuit brands from Cavenham. In 2014, a Turkish company called Yıldız Holding bought United Biscuits. Two years later, in 2016, all of Yıldız's snack brands, including Carr's, became part of a new company called Pladis.
A member of the Carr family, Captain Richard Carr, was a Commando in World War II. He was honored for trying to escape from prisoner-of-war camps many times.
Carr's Today
Since 1972, the Carr's biscuit factory has been part of United Biscuits. In the United States, Kellogg's sells Carr's products. The factory in Carlisle is now officially called McVitie's. But many local people still call it Carr's.
Other Carr's Businesses
The flour mills and farming supply businesses became "Carr's Milling Industries plc." This company is still based in Carlisle. It is now known as Carr's Group PLC. You might see their "Carr's Breadmaker" flour in UK supermarkets. Carr's Group also owns companies that do light engineering. In 2016, Carr's Group sold its flour-making part to Whitworths Holdings Ltd.
In 2012, Carr's Table Water Biscuits lost their royal warrant. This was because the Royal Family had "changing tastes." Carr's quickly started using the coat of arms of the City of Carlisle on their packaging instead.
Factory Flooding
The Carr's factory in Carlisle has faced challenges. In 2005, a flood stopped production for two months.
In 2016, the factory flooded again. Five feet (over 150 cm) of water damaged the brick ovens. This caused shortages of Carr's products in stores. The local newspaper, News and Star, reported that the factory reopened with help from a £1 million government grant. After being closed for a month for repairs, production slowly started again in spring 2016.
See also
