Cocoa of Empire

This is the second in the series of "Food of Empire". The co-operative societies fully participated in importing and promoting victuals from the distant colonies and dominions. Not only that they owned the plantations, had depots and agents in the cities of the Empire.

The English and the Scottish CWS opened a cocoa factory in Dallow Road, Luton, in 1902. Like the British Empire it is gone now, demolished early in 1970. It is now a site of the Guardian Business Park, near the junction with Vernon Road. The poster dates from 1906 and is a contrast between an idealised view of work in West Africa and the impressive building with smoking chimney to demonstarte a hive of industry in Luton.

Nowadays the cocoa and chocolate is advertised as a Fairtrade product, the workers in West Africa have their own co-operative, but no sign of any factories in the UK, or wherever it is processed in the EU.

Links :
Divine Chocolate
Teas of Empire - previous post