Why did Wall’s Sausages start selling Wall’s ice-creams?!
Thomas Wall laid the foundation stone at the Baptist Church in Cheam Village, Surrey.
Is the name familiar? If we say ‘sausages and ice-cream’ we’ll all know the Wall’s brand. Thomas founded a school in Sutton, which eventually became the Sutton United Football Club ground in 1935.
It started with Sausages!
Born in London in 1846, Thomas was born into a family of pork butchers who were supplying to royalty and the top end of London society. Thomas’ grandfather and father had built a business making sausages from their pork. In Queen Victoria’s reign they were given the royal warrant for supplying sausages to Buckingham Palace. They never needed to advertise and had a thriving business with plentiful trade for their top-quality products.
The take-over of the 1920s
T. Wall & Sons Ltd became a target for take-over. William Hesketh Lever purchased Wall's in 1920. He owned MacFisheries and wanted sausages to form part of the offerings. Two years later he sold Wall's and MacFisheries to Lever Brothers Ltd, which in 1929 became part of Unilever Ltd.
Seasonal Sales …
Sausages were a seasonal business - very low sales in the summer - and so the business began to sell ice-cream to balance out the years trading. Most ordinary shops didn’t have refrigerators, so they created a sales force to cycle the streets in box tricycles. Thomas was both religious and generous and gave greatly to the surrounding area. Thomas Wall died at his home, Blythewood, Worcester Road, Sutton on 2nd January 1930.
Sausage and Mash …
An old English favourite. Also known as Bangers and Mash. Sausages became called bangers as during World War One there was a shortage of meat and so more water was added as a component in the making of sausages. When cooking, this would cause them to burst their skins and explode … hence they became known as bangers!
If you have a barbeque this midsummer weekend – enjoy your bangers!
