Browse the categories that interest you below and click on the video thumbnail to open the link. Most open in YouTube, some on other channels, for copyright reasons.
Videos are listed by date of the material that they cover, or publication date. Oldest first. General-interest videos (not Express) are shown like this.
Explore and perhaps follow our own Express Dairy Tales YouTube channel where there are around 50 unique videos about Express Dairy over the years.
A video story of the rise and decline of Seaton Junction, a part of Devon industrial and railway history in the small village of Shute, near Axminster. The coming of the station in 1860 led to the establishment of an Express Dairy Egg Packing plant and dairy, which sent milk daily to London until the late 1960s.
Ecton Creamery specialised in Derby cheese. Here's an illustrated story of the Leek and Manifold Railway, constructed in 1904 and was built to a narrow track gauge of 2ft 6in to reduce costs. Mainstay of the railway was Ecton Creamery, where wagons were filled with milk churns. These were again manhandled at Waterhouses where they were transferred to standard gauge wagons for transport to London. Later, the railway introduced transporter trucks which "piggybacked" standard gauge wagons through to Ecton. Eventually, glass-lined tank wagons were introduced. The line survived for only two years after losing the dairy traffic.
Tower Creameries-
Mitcham Foods 1940s
Express purchased Mitcham Foods in 1960, which sold a range of canned and packaged products including margarine, cheese spreads, jellies, soups and stews. Its predecessor on the same site was Tower Creameries, which produced margarine in the 1940's and after. This 1940's video ‘Margarine from oil’ shows the manufacturing process, from an edible oil tanker 'Towers Creameries' pulling into the factory on Commonside East, Mitcham, Surrey through weighing, blending, emulsifying, mixing, kneading, extrusion, packing and boxing.
‘The Art of English Cheesemaking’ was commissioned by Express Dairy in the mid 1960’s. The film shows the preparation of starter cultures, followed by a detailed explanation of Cheddar making, packing and cutting. Cheshire Cheese packing at Minsterley Creamery is shown, along with Derby, Sage Derby and Wensleydale production. The production of whey butter, and the condensing, drying and packing of whey powder at Appleby Creamery is also illustrated.
This video includes extracts from the full cine film that include Staplemead churn reception, cream separation, spray drying and condensing. This is followed by buttermaking at Crediton, cheese-making and storage at Milborne (featuring Mr J. McTurk), Cottage Cheese and finally Yogfruit at Cricklewood.
Express Foods film from 1989, showing the production of Cheshire cheese at the old Malpas Creamery which Express acquired in 1987. Shortly after the film was made, production was transferred to a new site in Malpas. Also mentioned is the Express cheese cutting plant at Oswestry (which opened in 1988).
Charming 1993 video with a little history of Ruyton XI Towns, and a detailed account of cheesemaking at this time.
Interesting August 2024 GB News video about Tuxford and Tebbutt, and possible closure by Arla.
Grand Metropolitan Foods Europe - 'Caring for the Environment' - this 1990 video discusses the management of industrial waste with particular emphasis on effluent treatment and water use and its related energy costs. The ozone layer is then explained, and the effects of refrigerants that include CFC's, as well as the hazards associated with ammonia refrigeration. Work that is planned to reduce the use of CFC12, particularly in transport and distribution is outlined.
Thorpe Lea Nurseries in Egham, Surrey UK was owned by Express Dairy and was a key supplier to Premier Supermarkets, the first 'US style' supermarket chain in the UK, in the 1950's.The nursery also grew flowers, vegetables and fruit for major exhibitions and the Chelsea Flower show, under its manager Roy Fiske.