Saxby Bros Ltd facts for kids

Saxby Bros Limited was a company that made food products. They were based in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, in the UK. The company was well-known for making pork pies, other tasty deli foods, meat products, and pastry.

In 2007, a bigger company called General Mills bought Saxby Bros. This led to Saxby Bros closing down just one year later. The old factory building was later taken down, and new houses were built there.

How Saxby Bros Started

The Saxby company began in 1904. Two brothers, Herbert and Ted Saxby, started it as a butchery shop. They sold their own meat and pies. Fresh meat was shown outside the shop.

The pies were made by hand in a room above the shop. Different meats were prepared in the kitchen. Herbert would wake up very early to catch a train to Smithfield Market in London. He would buy pigs there and be back in Wellingborough to open the shop by 9 AM.

The brothers saved money to buy the empty land next door. They built a small bakery and made their butchery bigger. They even delivered food to customers' homes using a pony and a small cart called a trap. A veal and ham pie cost an old coin called a shilling. A single pork pie cost "tuppence," which was another old coin.

Growing Bigger

Saxby's business did very well and grew quickly. In 1912, they opened their first factory. It was located at Brook Street East, about half a mile from the town centre. They had 12 workers there.

By 1921, they had built a pig slaughterhouse and a special area for making sausages. When the brothers first started, they butchered about ten pigs each week. By the time Saxby's celebrated their Golden Jubilee (50 years in business), they were butchering 500 pigs a week!

From 1938 onwards, the company expanded six more times. In 1988, Princess Diana officially opened a large new part of their factory. This new section and office building cost £8 million and was located at Chester Road.

What Saxby's Made and Who They Sold To

Saxby's was most famous for its Melton Mowbray pork pies. These pies were made using a special secret recipe. The company made many different products. They produced other baked deli items for large supermarkets. These included chicken and ham pies, pork gala pies, turkey and stuffing pies, and puff pastry. They also made steak and kidney pies, minced beef pies, Cornish Pasties, and fruit pies.

Saxby's also made raw meat products from their own butchery. These included sausages, ham, cured pork, and faggots (which are like meat balls).

A very popular product was their chilled pastry, which was sold ready to use. Saxby's was the first company to sell this in 1962. This allowed people to bake their own pies at home easily. The company took part in big events like the East of England Showground and the Ideal Home Exhibition. They won over 100 national awards for their products.

Their pies were sold in famous stores such as Rackhams in Birmingham, Harrods, Selfridges, and Fortnum & Mason in London. Saxby's also had big contracts to supply major supermarkets.

Saxby's had its own fleet of vans and delivery lorries. They traveled to small towns and villages to sell their products. This was especially helpful for customers who lived far from shops. In 1994, the company started a special food service division called Irchester Grange. This part of the business sold vacuum-packed pies and pastries to other businesses. Their main customers included British Rail and British Airways.

Saxby's even sold their products around the world. They exported to places like South Africa, Malaysia, the West Indies, and to the British army based in Bahrain.

Saxby's Shops

The company owned 14 shops in different areas, including Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire. They had three shops just in Wellingborough: on Midland Road, Cambridge Street, and later in the Swansgate Shopping Centre.

However, in 2002, Saxby's closed its last Wellingborough shop in the Swansgate Shopping Centre. This was because of strong competition from the big supermarket chains.

Being Bought Out and Closing Down

Saxby's was a very important company in the food industry. Since it started, the business had always been owned by the Saxby family. In 2001, they created an "Innovation Centre." This was a place where new ideas were developed to make their products better and more exciting.

In 2004, Saxby's celebrated its 100th anniversary. A book was published about the company's history and achievements. Gifts were given to their employees.

In 2005, Saxby's announced that they would stop making sausage meat and some baked deli items. This was because of more competition, pressure to lower prices, and slower sales. At that time, 325 people worked for the company. About 200 jobs were planned to be cut. They continued to make chilled pastry and their Melton Mowbray meat pies, which were then sold raw. About 125 staff members remained in the company's changed structure.

In early 2007, Saxby's was bought by General Mills. General Mills also owned another pastry company called Jus-Rol. After talking with the remaining staff, it was decided to completely close the Saxby's sites at Chester Road and Brook Street East.

A year later, the chilled pastry part of Saxby's was moved to Jus-Rol's factory in Berwick-upon-Tweed. The Saxby's pastry brand became part of Jus-Rol. This meant that the last 125 Saxby's staff members lost their jobs. The land where the factory stood was given back to Saxby Bros Holdings. The factory was torn down, and houses were built on the land.

Today, the Saxby's Melton Mowbray, meat, and pastry brands are no longer sold in supermarkets. This marked the end of an important part of Northamptonshire's history and heritage.