James Lang opened a shop and bakery in Gallowgate in 1817. His nephew, John Macfarlane, joined the business and took over when James died. A new bread factory was built at Wesleyan Street in Calton in 1880.
The firm decided to move into machine-made biscuit manufacturing and opened the Victoria Biscuit Works on an adjoining site in 1886. Expansion to London followed, with the opening of the Imperial Biscuit Works in Fulham in 1903.
In 1925 a new Victoria Biscuit Works with modern equipment was opened in Tollcross. The Osterley factory opened in 1931 and replaced the Imperial Biscuit Works in Fulham where production had doubled during WW1. Both had extensive staff recreation facilities. Osterley closed 1980.
Macfarlane, Lang and Co. Biscuit Factory, Clydeford Drive, Glasgow. 29th December 1929
Macfarlane Lang merged with another Scottish family-owned biscuit manufacturer, McVitie & Price to form United Biscuits in 1948. United Biscuits soon expanded to become one of Britain's leading food firms with brands including Jacob's of Aintree, Carr's of Carlisle and McVitie's.
From 2000 onwards family and plc owners were replaced by a succession of private equity and foreign owners, who loaded it with debt, failed to invest in product innovation or modernisation of factories. In 2014, Blackstone & PAI sold United Biscuits to Yildiz, now @pladis_Global.
A selection of biscuits manufactured by Macfarlane Lang & Co, advertised in the Commercial year book of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce & Manufactures in 1915.
A proud Glaswegian industry callously discarded by faceless men in a boardroom far from our city.
The fight goes on.
Macfarlane Lang's rich tea biscuit and cream cracker production lines at their brand new Victoria Biscuit Works, Tollcross, Glasgow, 1928. @scotsonscreen @nlskelvinhall
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