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Express Dairies facts for kids

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Express Dairies
Subsidiary
Industry Dairy Products
Founded 1864 (as Express County Milk Supply Company)
Headquarters London
Key people
George Barham (founder)
Parent Dairy Crest

Express Dairies was a well-known company in the United Kingdom. It was famous for delivering milk and other dairy products right to people's homes. It used to be a brand of Dairy Crest.

The Story of Express Dairies

Starting a Milk Business

The company began in 1864. It was founded by a man named George Barham. He called it the 'Express County Milk Supply Company'. The name came from how they moved milk. They used fast express trains to bring fresh milk to London.

Milk Plants in London

Express Dairies had two big places in London where they processed and bottled milk. These were called creameries.

  • One creamery was near South Acton railway station. This spot was great because milk trains from both the Great Western Railway and the Southern Railway could easily reach it.
  • The second creamery was at the company's main office in Cricklewood. It was right next to the train station. This allowed milk trains from the London, Midland and Scottish Railway to deliver milk there.

Changes in Ownership

Over the years, Express Dairies changed hands several times.

  • In 1969, a company called Grand Metropolitan bought it.
  • Then, in 1991, it was sold to Northern Foods.
  • In 1998, Express Dairies became a separate company again. It also bought a big part of Claymore Dairies Ltd in Scotland.

Growing the Company

Express Dairies continued to grow by buying other businesses.

  • In 1999, it bought Star Dairies Food Service Ltd.
  • Later that year, it also bought the milk operations of Glanbia plc in the UK.
  • It also bought Blakes Chilled Distribution Ltd. This helped them deliver more products.

Later Sales and Mergers

  • In 2000, Express Dairies started a joint company in Northern Ireland called Dale Farm Dairies Ltd. However, they sold their share in 2001.
  • In 2002, they sold their UHT milk business and a creamery in Frome.
  • The company faced some tough times. In 2003, Arla Foods bought it.
  • Then, in 2006, Dairy Crest bought Express Dairies from Arla Foods.
  • Dairy Crest later sold the home delivery part of the business to Creamline Dairies in 2013.
  • Finally, in 2015, Dairy Crest sold its milk processing business to a German company called Müller.

Premier Supermarkets: A New Idea

Britain's First Supermarket

After World War II, Britain was changing. Patrick Galvani, who was from the United States and had been in the US Navy, had studied how stores worked. He was especially interested in supermarkets. He suggested to the company's leaders that they should open a supermarket.

In 1951, Britain's very first supermarket opened. It was in Streatham, South London. This new store was called Premier Supermarket. It was a big change from the smaller shops people were used to.

Expanding the Supermarket Chain

  • In 1960, Galvani wanted to make the Premier Supermarket chain bigger. He suggested buying 212 stores from John Irwin and Sons. These stores were located in Liverpool.
  • However, the company leaders did not agree to this plan.
  • Instead, Jack Cohen, who founded Tesco, ended up buying that chain of stores.

Selling Premier Supermarkets

  • In 1964, the Premier Supermarket chain was sold. It was bought by Unilever's Mac Fisheries chain for £1 million.
  • The money from this sale helped Express Dairies. It allowed them to develop and start selling "long-life milk." This type of milk lasts much longer than regular fresh milk.

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