On Tuesday 12th November, we visited Tunnock’s in Uddingston. The visit was arranged through Preston Lodge Learning Foundation for our Students studying food and nutrition.
A Huge thank you to Fergus Loudon, Director and Graham Harkness, Account Manager at Tunnock’s for hosting PL Staff and Students. We had an amazing day learning how a small family bakery has grown to the world famous Tunnock’s Factory.
We began our visit with a Health and Safety briefing so we fully understood the regulations of touring the factory. We got kitted out in our pink hair nets and white coats (visitors wear pink and staff blue) and we were off.
We had a wonderful tour including every element of production from start to finish, which was mesmerising. This included watching all the famous products being made; caramel, caramel logs, teacakes and wafer creams.
No secret ingredients were divulged during the visit! But everyone knows how tasty Tunnock’s biscuits and teacakes are!
Did you know?
Thomas Tunnock was born in Uddingston in 1865. After leaving school Thomas served his apprenticeship in Aberdour Bakery. He worked hard and saved enough money to buy a bakery in Uddingston for £80 and Thomas Tunnock was established in December 1890.
Thomas got married and had a son called Archie. By 1906 Thomas was employing 6 boys, including his son Archie to deliver warm rolls from the oven to customers in the village. He soon branched out into purveying for weddings and special occasions etc. In 1910 a fire destroyed the bakery, but within 2 years Thomas had built a new bakery at Loanhead Mansions in the main street and he opened his own tearoom in 1912.
Business prior to the First-World-War was slow, so Thomas made the difficult decision to ask son Archie to find other employment. Archie started his own car hire business with 2 cars, and bought petrol from the local plumber.
War was declared in 1914 and in 1916 Archie sold his 2 cards and joined the army. He was sent to Iraq where he served for three years with no leave.
During the later years of the war Thomas’s health began to fail and they had to close the bakery. Unknown to Archie his father died in January 1920 aged just 54 just two weeks before Archie returned from Iraq.
Archie returned from the war to be told his father’s dying wish was that he reopened the bakery. With his demob money he and his mother opened the bakery soon afterwards. Despite the hardship of the miners’ strike in 1921, Archie supplied school meals for several local schools.
In 1924 Archie opened a larger tearoom above the shop. The bakers shop and tearoom are still there today and we paid a little visit before our journey home.
Julie Lowe
Head of Development
Preston Lodge Learning Foundation
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