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Meltis
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In 1913 Peek Frean & Company purchased land off Elstow Road, Bedford that had previously been a market garden. A factory was built with 30 employees transferring from the London factory with a hundred people being recruited locally.
In 1923 the factory became Meltis limited as a subsidiary company of Peak Frean. In 1931 New Berry Fruits were introduced which became one of their most popular sweets. In the early 1950s chocolate liquors were introduced. By 1966 the workforce had increased to 1300 workers, 900 of who were women with seven different shifts available. In the 1960s Meltis was the largest producer of Turkish delight in Britain and the second largest producer of liquor chocolates.
In January 1967 Meltis merged with Chocolat-Tobler to become Chocolat Tobler Meltis Limited and by 1976 as a result of mergers Meltis products were manufactured and marketed by Tobler Suchard.
During the 1990s the loss of several major contracts together with increased costs and a decline in profits meant that on the 16th April 1996 the receivers were called in and it was decided that production could not be continued, with the factory closing and the machinery sold off in an auction, October 1996.
Sources:
- The Newspaper Cuttings Collection, Local Studies Library, Bedford Central Library
- EDWARDS, Sue The Sweetest Jobs in Town : Meltis in Bedford 1913-1996. In Bedfordshire Magazine Vol.26 pp.116-120 1997.
Meltis by Bedfordshire Libraries, 2014
Page last updated: 7th May 2014