Factory at 2/10 Commonside East producing ‘Margarine, Cheese, etc.’ according to the 1963 Borough of Mitcham List of Factories.

This factory was on the corner of Commonside East and Windmill Road, which is a housing estate today called Talbot Close. This 1954 OS map shows two named factory buildings: Victoria Works and Towers Works.

1954 OS map

The Victoria Works was registered with the Land Registry by Mitcham Foods Ltd in 1959, according to the London Gazette, publication date 12th June 1959, issue 41737 page 3831.

According to Eric Montague in his book Mitcham Common, page 77, Mitcham Foods Ltd left the premises in 1965 which was then taken over by S. & R.J. Everett & Co., surgical instrument manufacturers. The factory estate was later known as the Windmill Trading Estate.

The brand name ‘Mitcham Maid’ was used on its cheese spreads, as shown in these box tops:

Mitcham Maid Cheese celery spread

Mitcham Maid cheese spread

The boxes contained segments of spreadable cheese, as seen in ‘Dairylea’ products today:

Mitcham Maid cheese spread segment

Norwood News – Friday 17 August 1962
Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

An evening shift of 4 hours at three shillings, nine pence and a farthing per hour came to fifteen shillings and a penny. Adjusted for inflation, this is equivalent to sixteen pounds in 2018, or around £4 per hour.

Norwood News – Friday 17 August 1962
Image © Trinity Mirror. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Maps are reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.