Crawford's facts for kids
Crawford's is a well-known brand that makes delicious biscuits. It began in Scotland in 1813. Back then, it was a small bakery in Leith, making special biscuits for ships. Robert Mathie took over in 1817. Later, in 1856, William Crawford bought the bakery.
William Crawford & Sons grew very big. They built large factories in Leith, Scotland, and Liverpool, England. At one point, they were one of Britain's biggest biscuit makers. They even said they were the oldest biscuit company in Britain. In 1960, a company called United Biscuits bought Crawford's. Today, Crawford's is still a popular brand under United Biscuits.
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History of Crawford's Biscuits
In 1856, William Crawford (born 1818) bought a bakery in Leith, Scotland. The bakery was at 31 The Shore. It had been making biscuits since 1813. The previous owner, Robert Mathie, had run it since 1817. This bakery was famous for making "ships' biscuits." These were hard biscuits that lasted a long time, perfect for sailors on long journeys.
Expanding the Business
William Crawford wanted his business to grow. In 1861, he opened a shop at 14 Leith Street. He moved this shop to a fancier address, 2 Princes Street, in 1866. In 1879, Crawford's built a large, new factory in Leith on Elbe Street. This factory even had its own railway line to help move ingredients and biscuits. Another factory was built in Leith in 1947. This one was on Anderson Place. Today, it is used as a creative space.
William's oldest son, also named William Crawford (born 1858), joined the business in 1880. He helped the company grow even more. The company then became known as Crawford and Sons.
The Liverpool Factory
In 1897, William's two younger brothers, Archibald and James, were sent to Australia. Their job was to start a new branch of the company there. However, they stopped in Liverpool, England. Liverpool was a very important port city. They decided to build a huge new factory there instead.
This large factory was called the Fairfield Works. It was designed by their brother, Alexander Hunter Crawford, who was an architect. It took two years to build, starting in 1895. The Liverpool factory used many machines. This helped them create more detailed biscuit designs. One of their most famous biscuits, the Custard Cream, became very popular. The Fairfield factory also made snack bars like Penguin and 54321 chocolate.
Helping Employees and Research
In 1927, Crawford's was one of the first companies to offer special benefits to its workers. They opened a social club and sports facilities for employees. This was at Sandown Hall in Wavertree, near Liverpool.
In 1938, Crawford's did something new. They carried out the first ever national biscuit survey in Britain. They talked to about 5,000 families to learn about their biscuit habits.
Changes Over Time
In 1960, a company called United Biscuits bought William Crawford & Sons. United Biscuits was formed in 1948 from two other Scottish companies. They paid £6 million for Crawford's. In the 1960s, many of the biscuit-making processes became automated. This means machines did more of the work.
The Elbe Street factory in Leith was updated in the 1950s. But it was torn down in the 1990s. This happened as the old industrial areas of Leith changed into new housing areas. About 200 people lost their jobs when the factory closed in 1996.
Crawford's Products
Crawford's has made many different kinds of biscuits over the years. In 1923, they even advertised special biscuits to celebrate royal weddings. For example, they made "York" biscuits for the marriage of the Duke of York (who later became King George VI). They also made "Wedding Bells" for Princess Mary's marriage.
Their range of biscuits included many popular types. These were shortbread, cream crackers, digestives, and ginger nuts.
Today, the Crawford's brand still makes many classic biscuits. These include:
- Bourbon creams
- Cream crackers
- Custard creams
- Digestives
- Garibaldi biscuits
- Marie biscuits
- "Nice" biscuits
Packaging and Collectibles
In the past, some of Crawford's biscuits were sold in fancy metal tins. These biscuit tins were often very decorative. They are now sometimes collected by people. In 2007, a special Crawford's biscuit tin was sold for a lot of money. It was shaped like a sports car and sold for £15,600. This was reported to be the most expensive biscuit tin ever sold at that time.
Images for kids
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During the First World War, Crawford's gave out maps to people who bought their biscuits. This map is from the National Library of Wales.
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A machine used to press ice cream wafers at Crawford's Biscuits.
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A delicious Crawford's custard cream biscuit.
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