Bread Factory Harpurhey for C Elmore

A MODEL BREAD FACTORY - A MODEL bread factory has been erected at Harpurhey, in a modern Gothic style of architecture, with machine-made selected grey bricks, relieved with red pressed brick quoins. The walls are panelled, and have moulded cornices and relieving courses with Yorkshire stone dressings and copings, etc. At the entrance to the premises is erected a very chaste Gothic archway, with a pediment over the same, and with a pail of largo framed folding doors, which leads into a large, well-paved quadrangle, on the right of which is the bakehouse, two stories in height, flanked by a covered way with sky lights the whole length, so that the vans are under cover while being loaded. At the end of the bakehouse are the barm room, lavatories, storerooms, offices, and engine house, and at the rear of the bakehouse are erected six of Jennison's large-sized smokeless decker ovens, which are heated with coke, and are capable of turning out 2,550 two-pound loaves at one batch, the firing- up being done at the rear of the ovens, and entirely away from the bakehouse, so that there is not the slightest particle of soot or coal-dust where the process of kneading and baking is carried on. The heat in the ovens is registered by pyrometers, so that the bakers know exactly the temperature; also, whether the stoker is at tending properly to his duties. The internal walls of the bakehouse, barm room, and lavatories are faced with cream-coloured glazed bricks, relieved with courses of buff- coloured bricks. The whole of the floors are formed in concrete, so there is not the slightest receptacle for dirt or vermin. The lighting and ventilation are all that can be desired. In regard to the kneading and baking, the modus operandi is the very essence of simplicity. On the two sides of the yard or quadrangle are the van sheds, and on the opposite side to the bakehouse are the stables and loose boxes for ten horses, with elaborate iron fittings of the most modern type, and with perfect ventilation. Over the stables are the usual hay chambers and com stores, with improved modern machinery for hay cutting and corn grinding, &e. The whole of the fittings and requirements for the bakehouse, which are of a special kind, have been designed by the architect. The general contractor for the buildings is Mr. George Macfarlane, builder, New York-street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, and the whole of the works have been carried out under the superintendence and from plans prepared by the architect, Mr. Seanor, St. Ann-street, and Police- street, Manchester. It appears strange, but is not loss true, that in this ago of progress very little improvement has been made in the baking of bread, for as in the days of Pharaoh even up to now the process is much the same, with this exception, that there are hundreds of subterranean dens in England called bakehouses that would never have been tolerated by Tharaoh or his hosts — cellars that are mere receptacles for all kinds of vermin and filth, and are outlets for obnoxious sewer gases, in which the workmen nave to toil in a vitiated atmosphere, often ranging from 70' to 100° of heat. This state of things must be anything but desirable, even under the most stringent regulations and attention in regard to the cleanliness in the making and manipulation of dough, and under such conditions, apart from the human secretion in volved by the contact with the hands in the kneading process, it is most repulsive, and is a matter that is engaging the serious attention of sanitary inspectors throughout the country, which must eventually lead to very great changes for the better ; but, like all other improvements by machinery, there is the usual prejudice and suspicion by those engaged in the trade who would rather jog along in the old and familiar grooves, not even caring to deviate in the slightest from what was done in the days of their great grandfathers. But in this age of enterprise this state of things cannot last. Ignorance and prejudice must ultimately vanish before the march of progress. [Building News September 1883 page 359-360]

Reference        British Architect 21 September 1883 Page 138 and illustration
Reference        British Architect 28 September 1883 Page 150 - Additional notes on bread oven
Reference        Building News 7 September 1883 page 359-36