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Longslow
Dairy Ltd., was set up in 1933 by the late Mr Hugh
Eardley, who farmed at Longslow House Farm, Longslow,
Market Drayton, and who named his dairy after his
farm. Mr Eardley continued to run the business until
1948
when it was bought by Mr. Harold Crewe, who ran it
on his own account until 1956, when it was converted
into a limited company. Mr. Crewe's active association
with the business was continuous from 1948 until
his retirement in the 1980's when his son Philip took
over
the reins.
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In
1948 when Mr Crewe bought the business, it was selling
approximately 180 gallons of raw, untreated milk per
day on retail rounds. Distribution was by five horses
and floats and one motor van, and employed five people.
For the first six months or so of his ownership, Mr
Crewe ran the business from Longslow House, but in
September 1948 premises at 35 Stafford Street, Market
Drayton were purchased and the business operated from
there until 2000 when most of the operation moved to
Colwyn Bay.
Pasteurising
of milk commenced in 1951 and this led to a steady
increase in daily processing, so that by 1955 this
had reached 1,000 gallons per day. That quantity could
not be handled in the premises then used, and a new
and larger dairy was built in that year on part of
the garden at 35 Stafford Street. Daily gallonage continued
to increase, and by 1961 this had reached such a size
that the dairy built in 1955 was no longer large enough,
and it was necessary to enlarge the premises to twice
its original size. In 1968 the company commenced the
production of Sterilised Milk, and in doing so it entered
a field which was, at the time, very largely the preserve
of much bigger dairies. The company also separates
and packs its own range of creams and polybottles.
Due
to its own success and lack of space, the Stafford
Street site has closed down. A depot remains in Maer
Lane to cover local milk deliveries, laboratory, engineering,
sales and office facilities. The processing and bottling
have moved to Colwyn Bay. Milk collected from local
farms by 'wagon and drag' tankers now goes direct to
the dairy at Colwyn Bay.
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