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Picture
from 1968
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Central
Buying Department
The
Central Buying Division was established in 1968
under the auspices of Hugh Joseph and John
Mendelssohn. Prior to this the buying of raw
materials and goods had been the responsibility of
two main departments; the Stores Department and the
Works Department. The Stores Department were
responsible for food related products and the Work
Department for non-food products. Packaging and tea
buying did not form part of their responsibilities.
Tea buying was carried out by the Tea Division and
packaging by the Box Department which became
Alperton Carton Company Ltd. However, Alperton
Carton Company closed in 1981 and their package
buying was moved to the main trading companies with
some work taken on by Central Buying. It is not
known how long the Stores and Works Departments had
been responsible for their respective buying
operations but it is thought it could have been as
early as 1900. William Burt, for example, was
responsible for grocery and provision buying in
Liverpool in 1918. In 1926 he transferred to Somers
Town, St Pancras (London) as a potato buyer
presumably where the Works Department had a
depot.
After
the Central Buying Division had been established in
1968 they regarded the World as their market. Like
the previously established Stores and Works
Departments, the Central Buying Division was
divided into two main groupings, Food and Non-Food.
The food category included: meat, fish, fresh
fruit, canned fruit, dried fruit, fresh vegetables,
canned vegetables, frozen vegetables, bacon, flour,
sugar, oils, cocoa products, nuts, eggs, cheese,
butter, spices and herbs etc. The non-food items
included: glass, pottery, food processing
machinery, oil, electrical equipment, catering
equipment, refrigeration, fabrics, furnishings,
protective clothing, furniture, cutlery, timber
& associated products, paints, watches and
plastics etc. Later gas, electricity and petroleum
were added to the lists.
By
October 1968 there were over 60 staff working in
the Central Buying Division, both food and non-food
and at this time they moved into the first
open-plan office at Cadby Hall. Situated on the
third floor of Elms House it had been refurbished
by Cadby Hall Estates & Services with a
predominantly orange decor. All except the
perishable goods buyers (who were located in the
City) were located in Elms House. The department
was headed by John Mendelssohn, with
responsibilities for all buying, except for tea and
coffee buying.
The
Central Buying function at Cadby Hall also provided
a service for staff and many commodities such as
paint, wallpaper, carpets, furniture and household
goods could be purchased at varying
discounts.
©
Peter Bird
2005
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