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About Lloyd Maunder
100 years of Devon Country ways.
Country life has changed very much over the last century, more than in any previous time span.
As much as we hanker after "The good old days" we have to live with modern technology and try to fit in with European and Global living and doing business.
Lloyd Maunder celebrated 100 years of business in 1998 and, along with Jean Goddard of the Woman’s Farming Union, whose family have farmed locally for many years, celebrated by producing a booklet looking back over the company’s history in some detail
In 1898 this country had imported foods. These were mainly wheat, tea, coffee, sugar, dried fruit and citrus fruit but very little fresh food, because, with very poor refrigeration perishable goods could not travel far from the area of production.
Country people were mainly self sufficient. Every house had a garden and many kept some poultry and the odd pig.
Nothing was wasted; household peelings and scraps were fed to the animals and the resulting manure returned to the garden.
Diet was simple and seasonal. Salt, vinegar and sugar was used to preserve foods.
Cooking was done on open wood fires or coal ranges and households situated away from village bakers made their own bread. Butter and some cheese was also made on farms, then delivered to shops or private customers by pony and trap. Jean Goddard's family reared turkeys and sent them to London for Christmas. Men went out to catch rabbits to help the meat supply; pigeons were also eaten and even rooks!
All farms had orchards for growing apples and other fruits such as plumbs, damsons and pears, including special varieties of apple for making cider.
Lloyd Maunder's father, FJP Maunder, started in the meat trade at Witheridge, Devon in 1879. He established a butchers shop in 1886 and was chairman of a Dairy company from 1894. Lloyd Maunder took over the management of his fathers dairy business in 1898, soon expanding into poultry, eggs and pork and selling direct to customers in London.
Lloyd Maunder moved to the present site in 1913, chosen for it's better railway links to London. The first of Lloyd Maunder shops was also opened in 1913 in Brampton Street, Tiverton.
The business grew rapidly between the wars, expanding into the production of lamb, beef and sausages. The company began processing chicken on a small scale in 1958 from which it has grown to become the dominant sector of Lloyd Maunder output.
The company is now managed by Lloyd Maunders' grandsons and great grandsons.
Lloyd Maunder Ltd poultry division at Willand was sold to 2 Sisters Food Group in January 2008. 2 Sisters did not purchase the butchers shops. At the same time, Andrew Maunder, one of the former directors of Lloyd Maunder Ltd set up a new limited company (West Country Family Butchers Ltd) and purchased the 14 butchers shops which trade under the Lloyd Maunder name. The company has since added its own sausage making facility on the outskirts of Exeter.
Pictures:
Top: Mr Lloyd Maunder and son 1910 at Mill Park, Whitheridge
Bottom: Turkeys on Thornland Farm prior to Christmas
And finnally, what our customers really think....
