Aplin and Barrett
of Yeovil, Somerset
St Ivel Cheese and Golden Meadow Butter
1893 James Shorland Aplin and his partner William Henry Barrett, began to expand their wholesale dairy businesses, which in a few years under the name of Alpin and Barrett Ltd, would become one of the largest producers of fine dairy products in the country.
1898 Amalgamated with Western Counties Creameries as Aplin and Barrett and The Western Counties Creameries. To acquire Aplin and Barrett, Cheddar Cheese and Butter Merchants and amalgamate with the businesses of Edwin Down Marden, The Western Counties Creameries and Maynard and Sons Sausage manufactory carried on by Maynard's Pure Food Co. Directors - James Shorland Aplin (chairman), William Henry Barrett, William Tanner Maynard, Edwin Down Marden and Edward Felix Slade.[1]
1912 Fire. 'A large portion of the handsome and spacious premises of Alpin and Barrett (Western Counties Creameries, of St. Ivel cheese fame, were destroy by a disastrous fire at Yeovil, Somerset, on Sunday night. The fire originated in a loft, and within a short space of time the whole building was a roaring furnace. New offices only erected within the last month or two were completely gutted. The damage is estimated at many thousands of pounds.'[2]
During the first half of the century, the company's head office, creamery and factory for making many of the St. Ivel products, covered nearly two acres of land at Newton Road, Yeovil.
Aplin and Barrett's dairy products were many and varied and included such popular brands as Golden Meadow Butter, St Ivel Cream, many varieties of cheese and the uniquely flavoured product St Ivel Lactic Cheese, together with sausages, potted pastes and a variety of milk based foods.
1959 Aplin and Barrett were absorbed into the Unigate Group.
1959 Report. '....The first Chairman of directors of Aplin & Barrett Ltd. was Mr. James Shorland Aplin. His father had carried on business as wholesale cheese factor for 40 years Market Street, Yeovil, and when he retired in 1888 his son and Mr. William Henry Barrett succeeded to the business. Both were expert judges of Cheddar cheese, for which the county was famous. Their partnership was continued in Market Street and from a store in Court Ash. Then realizing the advantage of refrigeration, Mr. Aplin and Mr. Barrett turned their attention to the fresh butter trade. They rented a stable in Ram Park. Yeovil, on a site approximately where the Telephone Exchange now stands. Done by Hand Here was modelled, by the standards of the last decade of the 19th century, a modern equipped butter factory, employing at first half a dozen workers, with one clerk. Practically all the work was done by hand. Because of the growth of the business the premises, staff and equipment became totally inadequate, and in 1897 a site was bought from the Newton Surmaville estate in Newton Road, Yeovil, alongside the premises of Maynard's Pure Food Co. Ltd. (a company registered by Mr. Aplin, Mr. Barrett and Mr Maynard in 1897). New Factory A new butter factory cheese store was built and equipped and in 1898 a company was registered as 'Aplin & Barrett and the Western Counties Creameries Ltd.' with a capital of £100,000. The title was shortened in 1935 to Aplin & Barrett Ltd. The first directors were Messrs. James Shorland Aplin (chairman), William Henry Barrett, William Tanner Maynard, Edwin Down Marden and Edward Felix Slade. Messrs Aplin, Barrett, Maynard and Marden were all managing directors. Mr. William Sherwood Barrett was secretary and Mr. A. L. Pope chief clerk.'[3]