THE WAIKATO BISCUIT MANUFACTORY.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1661, 27 February 1883, Page 2

THE WAIKATO BISCUIT MANUFACTORY.

Few things would afford greater pleasure i to the apostles of local industry than a ', visit to Mr T. Tr'ewheellar's ''TVaikato Biscuit Manufactory" in Grantham-street, Hamilton. , Although numberless people in all parts of the district have made the acquaintance ,of the , articles .produced here, and have been favourably impressed ' thereby, they do not seem 'to be 1 fully cognisant of the enterprise which the | proprietor lias shown in the establishment I of this industry, or of the, capabilities of the factory itself, otherwise we should ! not see so' much of the imported article exposed for sale in the shops and stores ' oi the district. 1 Gradually Waikato u> learning to lean more upon itself, to see the value of fostei ing such enterprise's as legitimately bulong to it, and as the truth i of this lesson gains in force so will the j prosperity of the district increase. The consumption m the Waikafco of such goods as Mr Trewheellar can turn out is very large, much larger than most people think. Heretofore the supply has been draw n from Auckland and other places, but it does not require that we should array arguments to prove the wisdom of keeping the money so invested in the district. Mr Tt cwheellar's factory, which we had the pleasure of inspecting a few days ago, is typical of the disti ict from which it derives its name. Established in 1875 ou a very modest foundation it has grown as the country has prospered, and although neither the one nor the other hab yet attained to such proportions as could be wished, both possess plenty of force in reserve, which they will quickly demonstrate when opportunity offers. When the busi- ( ness was first commenced it was carried on in a small, unpretentious building; in the rear of the projector's confectioner's shop, and the only appliance that could be said to be abreast of the times was a substantial oven of brick and concrete, erected at a considerable cost. The work of converting the flour and other ingredients into biscuits was done entirely by hand, and we were &hown a collection of very ingeniously constructed dies and cutters (now only kept as curiosities) winch did duty in those days. Subsequently on the open space between the shop and the bakehouse the preseui; large, two storey building, 40 feet by 20, in w hich most of tha work is now can ied on, was erected, together with a dwelling house, stables, &c. Grantham-strect was then the main thoroughfare of Hamilton West, but ,'the construction of the traffic bridge relegated it to a subsidiary position, and Mr Trowheellar thereupon removed his retail business to Victoria-street, where it has ever since been carried on. The whole of the buildings in Grauthacn-street are therotovc now devoted to the purposes of the factory, which is thus about 75 feet long by over 20 feet wide, In this there are two ovens, the one already mentioned, which is 8 feet by G feet, and a newer one, 9ft. Gin. x lift. Gin. The concreted tops of these ovens form very convenient floors for drying - rooms. Underneath the larger oven is a " proving" oven, used for buns and other light fancy goods of that description. The machinery consists of a mixer, breaking r machine, and cutting machine, constructed on the newest principle, by Watbew, % Birmingham, and furnished with nine sets of cutters, and a cylinder .cutting machine for turning out the larger kinds of biscuits. There are also crimping machines, " ront" machines, boxwood cutters, and York and wine bisciivkprinting machines, besides the hand cutters referred' to above, which; as 'we have hinted, are now seldom or never used. During our visit a batch of " settler's" biscuits were made, in what seemed to be a few minutes. The flour, &c, was placed in the mixer, and soon converted into dough, which was immediately transferred to the breaking machine, and rolled out into a beautifully even; smooth' sheet, which then passed oh to the cylinder, cutter, which quickly converted it into the familiar biscuit form. The. attendants placed these on baking wires, (which look like oblong seives) and, the oven being of the prpper temperature, they were popped in, So little time did the whole process occupy, that before leaving wp had the pleasure of tasting as an excellent biscuit, which on our entrance had not N left the flour bag. The room in w hich the mixing is done is underneath the old shop ," it is really / a cellar, and thus is particularly well adapted for storing those articles that require to be kept cool, such as butter, eggs, &c. Spoakiug of eggs, it is worth noting, as indicating the amount ofbnsiness done in fancy goods, that since Christmas no .less than 2700 eggs, have been used in the factory. The* operations of the,establishment aro not, of course, confined ,to the j making qfi biscrtits/ ,Mr Trewheellar, turns out a large quantity of bread weekly, and his growing confectionary .business requires that a considerable time .should be devgted to tlje 'production of I cakes, tarts, and the like; 'but >for these little or no, machinery is required, so that it is with that part of the industry which ; demands enterprise and capital that we are the most nearly > interested. TJje , qelerifcy with which .the work can, be done obviates the necessity for keeping a large stock, so |hat; Qqstomgrs are always certain of getting their igqoda fresh. The week's orders having /been attended to at the time of our visit there were- very few biscuits in the store, and the bulk of those left , were . already bespoken. , Mr ,Trew,heellar placed a tray, /before , us Qon-_ taining,an,assortment of /tempting-looking biscuits, .the ; following being some of ithe, names given them :•— " Settler," cabiti, Junch (sweet au,d t ,plain), "Abernethyj" ft/'. / 8 *" i f wi>% ' * ;^HT: ff pipmes,'* coffee, a^^qqli^^ijk^jbest mised pjam d 0.," ginger „flu,ts,. sponge, clropa,"aenionTdo., rout£, (i (pf fall f 'all kin,ds),~ cracknel}, inaccaroon, ratafias, y charcoal, and 'digestive.* '^Not being ati''emejii orj a ! ' schoolboy iwe%ere re. luctanjblyj,j 'compiled ' to confine bur attention to pn^'oi: "ijwo $ofr these ' dainties^' regretf «il|y ( remejnjjering tn&a^yWjwlien' Mill's eyes antt'-'sweet-iois^ ecMtmm 'M staplepf ouOie£\\Att' fhing'^c'onsi^e^^owever^we diji'vepy. well. Mr.TreveheelUr Jjpened a case bf Jjiscuits for tyro' years/ an<j except thai,,tb.ey were a I trifled stale ■(^vjnjdeedftK^y^ught^td be) ihey,'