Making an Irish Free State City – The story of Thompson’s Bakery in Cork
On 3 February 1926, the Cork Examiner wrote of the business centenary of FH Thompson and Son Ltd Bakery on MacCurtain Street. Director William Thompson in his reply thanked the staff for their kindness and highlighted the company’s history and heritage from its establishment by his grandmother Christina. The history element was written up and published in detail by the Cork Examiner.
In 1826 the bakery business was established at Clarke’s Bridge by Christina Thompson. She rented a two storey house near the bridge and she carried on the business with her brother and son. William in his thank you speech to staff outlines that the Crosses Green area of 1826 was the centre of industrial activity. The shop was remembered as a small one.
By 1926, the shop had long been pulled down and its previous use had long been forgotten until in the course of demolition a business sign was discovered with the name of Thompson’s on it.
After six years at Clarke’s Bridge, Christina Thompson transferred the business in 1832 to no. 8 Bridge Street. In 1839 no. 8 Princes Street was also rented, which according to William, this second rented premises gave a “supply to the south side of the city”. In 1881, no. 9 Princes Street was taken for rent.
In 1864 another house was rented in Bridge Street and there large ovens were erected, as the demand on the other shops was far outgrowing the limit of supply. In 1892, another rented premises at no. 2 Bridges Street was open for the manufacture of high class chocolates, ices, and a specialisation in producing continental confectionery.
The acquirement in 1886 of the old established bakery business carried on by Russell Martin at 71 St Patrick’s Street and two years later the renting of the adjacent spacious premises gave Thompson’s even more opportunities of providing their products even more to the people of Cork. The premises on St Patrick’s Street were remodelled, a spacious dining and tea rooms provided, and a beautiful shopfront fitted.
In 1892 Thompsons opened a cake factory in Bridgefoot Street, Dublin, which was fully equipped with the most modern ovens and machinery for turning out cakes of every description of a variety on a larger scale. The business established there grew quickly. Soon products were being dispatched by rail, motor and horse vans, north, south and west. One of the company directors, Mr JM Long, resided in Dublin and in 1926 managed the factory, which employed over 70 people.
The continuous expansion of Thompsons’ trade pushed the firm to realise that their premises in Cork city had become too small and that it was affecting the growth of business.
The desire of the company was to require some large building, centrally situated, where the baking could be concentrated and with room to develop to any possible requirement. They also desired a premises that could adapt itself as well to the operation of a system of distribution or products. Fortunately, the spacious area, occupied by the burned out mills of Messrs Browne on King Street or MacCurtain Street, and the adjacent flour stores came up for rental. They were considered suitable and the directors of Thompson’s formally acquired them.
The latest machinery was installed and the stores enabled large stocks of bread stuffs to be kept. A few years later, these big premises proved all too small and larger ovens and machinery were contemplated. The task was undertaken and it was necessary to carry out a big extension bringing the operations to close to Wellington Road.
The architects were Messrs Walker. The builders Messrs D Hegarty and Son, Merchant Street, Cork, who excavated 1000s of tons of rock and soil, erected the extended premises.
A description of the King Street premises by the Cork Examiner on 27 February 1926 outlined the employment of 350 people. The directors of the company comprised Messrs WF Thompson (chairman), CHT Thompson, JM Long (Dublin), GF Brewitt, and FW Thompson, Secretary.
In particular, the Cork Examiner focusses on the efficient use of modern day machinery for upping product output and meeting demand.
“From the very first until the present moment, the firm realises that the splendid hygienically sound system of mechanical baking meant increased output, and the possibility of a far reaching trade over the country, therefore the sequence was increased output, fresh markets, more employees, leading again to increase of output, fresh markets, more employees and so on, one may say, ad infinitum.”
Capturing the impact and essence of the machinery at work, the Cork Examiner writes of the impact of it on the aesthetics of the factory. “One sees the vast stores of all kinds of bread making or confectionery flours, the crosswalk of shoots and elevators through which materials are conveyed to the several sieves, then to the mixers, and then to the dough bins on wheels, and then to the machines where it is weighed, and divided into loaf weights. Then the vista of great ovens, faced with ceramic white tiles, many hundreds of beautiful brown fresh loaves from the oven, and the aroma of the crisp bread that smells like nothing else but the crusty side, dearest of all flavours to youth.”