1890's The Tower Creameries were named after The Towers, or 'Woodite Towers', a mock-gothic house built in the 1890s for the Wood family, who ran the adjoining Woodite works. The house had been occupied as a margarine factory since 1903. (Courtesy 'Memories of Tower Creameries by Irene Bain, Merton Historical Society 31)
1930's Location of Tower Creameries from street plan, from Mitcham Official Guide. (Courtesy 'Memories of Tower Creameries by Irene Bain, Merton Historical Society 31)
1933 Tower Creameries site from 'Workhouse Path'. The old workhouse master's Lodge is centre foreground. (Photograph reproduced by courtesy of Eric Montague, 'Memories of Tower Creameries by Irene Bain, Merton Historical Society 31)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Edible oil tanker arriving. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Weighing the oil. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Mixing oils. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Mixing oils. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Mixing oils. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Adding emulsifier. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Churning. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Adding colour and vitamins. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Cooling. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Cooling. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Kneading and extruding. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Kneading and extruding. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Kneading and extruding. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Packing. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Packing. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1940's Tower Creameries, later Mitcham Foods, part of Express. Boxing. (Courtesy British Instructional Films, British Pathé)
1953 Mitcham Foods advertisement. Martin comments "Tiger Swiss Petit Gruyere Cheese, made by Mitcham Food Products, Commonside East.This advert appeared on Page 13 of the 2nd June 1953 edition of the Daily Express." (Courtesy Martin Weselby)
1957 Set of collectors aquarium fish cards, Mitcham Foods (Courtesy Martin Greshoff)
1950's? Mitcham Foods jigsaw puzzle (Courtesy Martin Weselby)
1950's? Mitcham Foods jigsaw puzzle (Courtesy Martin Weselby)
1950's Mitcham Maid Bedford Truck (Courtesy Dave Fane)
1960 Walter Nell reviews progress, with the acquisition of Allied Dairies in Manchester, the Surrey Sterilised Milk Company at Nine Elms, Hornby and Clarke in Richmond, Towers Holdings (Mitcham Foods), and Goldhanger Fruit Farms in Essex. (Express News Summer)
1960 Mitcham Foods operation
1960 Mitcham Foods operation
1960 Mitcham Foods operation
1960 Mitcham Foods operation
1960 Mitcham Foods operation
1961 Express Foods first sales conference,a - held at South Morden!
Mitcham Foods Location off Commonside East and Windmill Road on Mitcham Common
2023 Mitcham Foods Location
1962 Express Manufacturing Centres
1962 Mitcham Foods, employed 500 staff. Chris Austen comments "As a Work Study officer, I worked at Mitcham Foods for about six months in 1962 carrying out method study and work measurement as a precursor to introducing a bonus scheme. The three departments were jelly, margarine and processed cheese. The General Manager was T P O'Connell who had played rugby for Trojans near Southampton (he had a metal plate in his arm as one of the battle scars from playing the delightful, but very rough, game!) and I think that his father had played for Ireland! Having seen the process for making margarine, I vowed that I would only eat butter in future!" (Express News Christmas)
1962 Mitcham Food's products
1962 Mitcham Food's canned products
1960's Audrie Grogan, working at Mitcham Foods
2014 Marcia Howard's collection of cheese labels from Mitcham Foods. (Courtesy Marcia Howard)
1960's? Mitcham Maid cream cheese (Courtesy Images of Old Mitcham)
1960's Mitcham Maid Cheese spread (Courtesy Mitcham History Notes)
1960's Mitcham Maid Cheese celery spread (Courtesy Mitcham History Notes)
1962 Norwood News- Mitcham Foods. An evening shift of 4 hours at three shillings, nine pence and a farthing per hour came to fifteen shillings and a penny. Adjusted for inflation, this is equivalent to sixteen pounds in 2018, or around £4 per hour. (Courtesy Mitcham History Notes)
1962 Norwood News- Mitcham Foods. (Courtesy Mitcham History Notes)
1962 Minsterley canned cream and evaporated milk with Goldhanger Fruit Farms canned vegetables and fruit
1964 - Express Story 1864 - 1964
1964 Mitcham Foods drum processing floor where margarine flakes are produced in bulk for the bakery trade. Philip Boyd comments "We built a mezzanine platform, something to do with making jelly. We went there and erected it. Didn't like the process cheese packing room smells."
1965 Packing Processed Cheese at Mitcham Foods
1965 Selection of 'E' branded products. (April Express News)
1965 Mitcham Foods closure announcement. (Express News Christmas)
1976 Dr Bertholt Deutsch retires after 22 years, following a career at Mitcham Foods and head of Research and Development at South Ruislip
1965 Mitcham Foods, testing of Silver Line margarine. (April Express News)
