The thesis is a study of the Baking Industry in London: its history,decline and late twentieth century renaissance. Part I is a review of the history of the bakeries in London, viewed alongside the history of the food - processing industry in general. Trade directories are employed to show particular geographical and commercial trends,patterns of distribution and the formation of bakery chains. Technical developments are discussed and there is a full account of the structure of the industry as it is today. Part II is concerned with the state of bakeries today; it is based on the results of a survey of London wholesale bakers by means of a questionnaire. The principal areas of investigation were: the firm; the range and methods of production; the building; the workforce; the customers of the bakery; in addition,particular emphasis was given to the question of the location of bakeries. Part III examines the present situation,not only in terms of the bakeries themselves,but also in terms of the market they serve and new emerging forms of distribution. This section makes use of structured interviews with buyers of bread products and with directors of companies engaged in distribution. The concluding chapter addresses firstly the problem of categorising the modern Baking Industry: whether it should be regarded in the same way as any other manufacturing industry or as an adjunct of the Hotel and Catering Industry. Secondly the cultural question is considered: whether the present trends result from the manner in which the Industry has developed or whether the Characteristics of London determine the form which the Industry will take.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:287269 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Leon, Robert Kenneth |
| Publisher | Birkbeck (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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