May 2024
The Visit
I visited this place with @stranton and @Mr Budge. In the past, I have had a few attempts at seeing the neighbouring Burtons Biscuit factory, but I didn't have much luck back then. The old factory has since been demolished, and a new housing estate now stands in its place. However, a portion of the original factory still remains, divided into three smaller factories. One of them is occupied by Premier Foods who produce products such as the Milk Roll for Cadbury. A much smaller building which was used by the Barry Callebaut chocolate refinery who closed their site in 2022, and the final section which until July last year was the home of Typhoo Tea.
Site Map
I vaguely remember hearing about the proposed closure of the factory around a year ago, but I didn't think much of it at the time. That is, until I passed by it on the train a few weeks ago whilst on the way to visit family in the Wirral. The factory appeared to be in a state of disrepair, and that piqued my curiosity, a wee later I was back ready to take a look.
The Typhoo factory is quite sizeable, with a manufacturing facility spanning approximately 28,740-square metres on a 4.76-hectare site. The buildings on the premises have been developed over the years, resulting in a mishmash of different architectural styles and qualities. The original main warehouse section, for example, features a concrete frame construction with north-facing roof lights and brick walls. Towards the north, the property consists of two and three-story buildings with brick exteriors. On the southern side, there are sections that are three and four stories tall. Unfortunately, the three-story section was in a terrible state, with water leaking through every floor and even a few stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Weirdly, I haven't been able to find any mentions of the factory on social media or GoonTube, how it has managed to remain under the radar for so long is frankly amazing.
However, the same cannot be said for the main admin building at the front of the site. It has fallen victim to extensive vandalism, with all the majority of windows smashed. Inside, the filing cabinets are still filled with purchase orders and staff records, and boxes of tea are scattered across the floor. Thankfully, the vandalism appears to have been contained to the admin area, as the main factory itself other than being stripped for parts seems to have escaped any real damage.
If you’d like to see what the now demolished section of the site looked like @urbanchemist did a fantastic report which can be found here: Report - - Burtons Biscuits - part of (Moreton, Wirral, Jun, 2018) | Industrial Sites
Workers leave the Cadbury factory at the end of a shift in 1961
The History
Construction began on the future home of Typhoo in 1952 when Cadbury Bros Ltd built a factory in Moreton, Wirral to help revitalise Merseyside post-WW2. The factory was completed two years later, and on September 17, it was officially opened by Mrs. Lawrence Cadbury. The focus was on producing Cadbury chocolates, biscuits, hot chocolate powder, and even instant mashed potatoes. The site featured a library and social club for workers, fostering a strong sense of pride among the workforce. Over time, the workforce expanded to include family members and began producing products from other brands after Cadbury merged with Schweppes in 1969. This expansion included Typhoo in 1978, leading to over 4,000 employees at the peak of its success.
In 1986, Cadbury Schweppes decided to sell Typhoo, Kenco coffee, and Jeyes Fluid brands to focus on their main products. Typhoo was bought by a management team and formed a new company called Premier Brands. Shortly after, Premier Brands acquired Melrose's, the Glengettie Tea Company, Ridgways, and the Jersey Trading Corporation. In 1990, Premier Brands was acquired by Premier Foods, which was known as Hillsdown Holdings at the time. Then, in October 2005, the Indian company Apeejay Surrendra Group purchased the brands for £80 million from Premier Foods and established The Typhoo Tea Company. The manufacturing of these brands continued at Moreton on the Wirral.
Typhoo faced a tough year in 2018, with record high material costs and unfavourable currency movements leading to a £20m loss. The company responded by proposing to cut a quarter of its headquarters' posts to secure its future. By 2020, Typhoo Tea reported even higher losses, raising concerns about its ability to stay afloat. Pre-tax losses for the year ending March 2019 were £29.9m, up from £20m the previous year. The company's accounts highlighted uncertainties regarding refinancing and the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Typhoo attributed its struggles to an overly aggressive sales growth strategy focused on expanding its own-label business.
Typhoo was bought by Zetland Capital, a British private-equity firm, in 2021. During the same year, the popular BBC documentary 'Inside The Factory' showcased the Moreton site, capturing numerous scenes of the bustling factory. At its peak, the factory churned out a staggering 14 million teabags every 24 hours, accounting for approximately a quarter of the tea consumed in Britain daily.
In March 2023, Typhoo's parent company made the unfortunate decision to shut down their factory in Moreton, resulting in the loss of 85 jobs. Only 5 positions were saved and moved to a new 'brand hub' in Birkenhead. On the 6th of July 2023, the final bag of tea rolled off the production line, marking the end of 45 years of tea production on the Wirral. Since the factory's closure, Typhoo's production has been outsourced to a third party.
[1]
[2] - A loan box of tea left to rot in the Blending Plant
[3] - Main Entrance
[4] - Conveyor belts in the Blending Plant
[5] - A computer terminal in the Blending Plant
[6] - ‘Robbie 2’ The Robot
[7] - Weighing scales in the Blending Plant
[8] - Blending Plant
[9] - Blending Plant
[10] - Blending Stores
[11] - Filling Station
Continued.......
Cheers for looking 
Fujifilm X-T2, 10-24mm f4 R OIS WR (Velvia)
Fujifilm X-T2, 10-24mm f4 R OIS WR (Velvia)
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