Spillers facts for kids
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| Industry | Food |
|---|---|
| Fate | Acquired |
| Founded | 1829 |
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Headquarters | New Malden, Surrey |
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Key people
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Joel Spiller (founder) |
Spillers Ltd was a British company that made and sold food. They were well-known for their flour mills and bakeries. They also made popular pet food and food for horses.
Contents
The Story of Spillers: How It Began
The Spillers company started in 1829. A man named Joel Spiller opened a flour mill in a town called Bridgwater, in England. A flour mill is a place where grain is ground into flour.
Growing Bigger: Mills and Biscuits
Joel Spiller's business grew very quickly. Soon, he had mills in many parts of England and Wales. In 1855, Spillers started making special ships' biscuits. These were hard biscuits that sailors could eat on long voyages.
By 1854, Joel Spiller opened another flour mill. This one was in Cardiff, with his business partner Samuel Browne. This mill sadly burned down in 1882. But it was rebuilt even bigger in 1887! In 1893, a huge new mill was built in Cardiff. It used steam power and could make a lot of flour each year.
In 1889, Spillers joined with another company. It was called William Baker and Sons. Together, they became "Spillers and Bakers Ltd."
Famous Products: Bread and Pet Food
At the start of the 1900s, Spillers introduced a new type of brown bread. It was called Turog bread. Spillers made the flour for Turog bread. Then, they let other bakeries use their special recipe to make and sell the bread. Spillers advertised Turog bread a lot. It was a competitor to another famous bread called Hovis.
Winalot Dog Biscuits: A Pet Favorite
In 1927, Spillers launched Winalot dog biscuits. These biscuits were first made for greyhounds that raced. But soon, many pet owners bought them for their own dogs. Winalot quickly became a very popular brand in the 1930s.
After another company bought Spillers in 1998, the Winalot brand grew even more. They started making many different kinds of dog food and snacks.
Expanding the Business: More Companies Join Spillers
Spillers continued to grow by buying other companies.
- In 1947, they bought Foster Mill near Cambridge railway station.
- In 1964, Spillers took over the Kennomeat dog food brand.
- In 1978, Spillers bought a company in the USA called Modern Maid Food Products Inc.
The End of Spillers as an Independent Company
In 1979, a company called Dalgety plc bought Spillers. After this, Spillers' bakery business was sold to another company.
Later, in the 1990s, there was a health concern in the United Kingdom. Because of this, Dalgety decided to sell off parts of Spillers.
- In 1997, the flour milling parts of Spillers were sold to Kerry Group plc.
- In 1998, the pet food business was sold to Nestlé.
This marked the end of Spillers Ltd as a single, independent company.
