Alfred Bird and Sons
of Devonshire Works, Deritend, Birmingham
1811 Alfred Bird was born.
1837 He set up a chemist's shop in Birmingham.
1843 Alfred Bird and Sons was set up to produce, on a larger scale, custard powder made from cornflour, and baking powder so bread could be made without yeast.
It is said that Mrs Bird was very partial to custard which at that time was prepared from eggs and milk. Bird turned his attention to custard and invented an eggless version. It brought relief to Mrs Bird's delicate digestion and was soon proven to do the same for many others. Bird launched production on a commercial scale.
1844 Bird's Custard Powder was sold internationally. Alfred F. Bird his son developed the company and introduced many new products.
1875 Advertising started around this time and Bird's Custard quickly became renowned as a wholesome and nutritious food.
1878 After Alfred Senior's death, his son Alfred Frederick Bird planned a modern factory, with up-to-date machinery, to replace the outdated premises. After demand began to soar he opened an even larger factory on a new site in 1886; this burnt down a year later, and he had a specially designed works erected.
1880 Bird was using pictorial advertisements, the speciality of his London agent, T. B. Browne, who gave Bird's products an equally colourful image to those of his other clients, Cadburys and Pears.
Instead of the previous costly system of direct contact with retailers, Bird appointed a network of wholesale agents throughout Britain, who worked with the salesmen he hired. The sales force developed into one of the most effective in the field of groceries.
Diversified into other convenience foods, such as an egg substitute in 1890, jelly crystals in 1895, and tablet jellies a few years later.
1895 The company was producing Blancmange powder, jelly powder, and egg substitute.
1900 Alfred F. Bird and two of his four sons, Robert and Geoffrey, registered the company was registered on 19 June, to acquire the business of manufacturers of food products of the firm of the same name. [1]
They set up a London office and warehouse for the metropolitan trade.
1905 Alfred F. Bird retired from chairmanship and as managing director.
1905 Discontinued the remaining toiletries and chemist's products as these were not compatible with foodstuffs.
WW1 Bird's Custard was supplied to the British armed forces.
1947 Bird's was acquired by the General Foods Co.
1954 Advert for Jello.
1985 General Foods Co merged with tobacco firm Phillip Morris.
1988 Bird's became part of the Kraft General Foods company.
2004 Bird's was sold to Premier Foods.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Stock Exchange Year Book 1908