Chapter Fifteen - The Egg Packing Station, Bedford

Summary

The Peacocks’ Egg Packing Station occupied an L-shaped block of a former stabling and coach house adjacent to the market office at Horne Lane. As it was run as a separate entity, most employees in other departments knew little about this part of the business.

The sales of eggs at Horne Lane commenced in 1921 to 1922 when cottages near the centre of the yard were converted to an egg sale room. This was followed in 1929 by the development of an Egg Packing Station, accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture. The Egg Packing Station was regularly referred to in Peacocks’ newspaper adverts until July 1935 after which there is no significant mention until September 1940. An advert in The Bedfordshire Times and Bedfordshire Standard of 6 September 1940 announced the approval of Egg Packing Station number 128 by the Ministry of Food as a result of the new Maximum Prices Order.

The development of egg packing stations was initially in response to national concerns regarding imported eggs and their effect on home egg producers. The Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act 1928 gave the Ministry powers to prescribe quality marks for British produce and license dealers (such as Peacocks) to use a ‘National Mark’ on commodities in an effort to boost the purchase of local produce. The ‘National Mark’ was suspended at the outbreak of the Second World War.

The war brought new controls in an effort to deal with the problems of egg distribution, particularly to large towns, where the shortages were worst. Problems also existed in more rural areas; Peacocks received an anonymous letter dated 13 January 1944 naming a person guilty of buying and then re-selling eggs at inflated prices in Marston Moretaine. Due to these strict war-time and post-war regulations, all eggs were required to be tested, graded and stamped with the egg packing station number.

In 1957 the Egg Marketing Board introduced the ‘Lion Mark’, which was imprinted on all eggs as well as the packing station number, to enable faulty eggs to be traced back by retailers.

The work of the Egg Packing Station staff varied little over the years. All eggs delivered to the Egg Packing Station were fed onto a conveyor to be taken to women who ‘candled’ each egg by holding it in front of a light, to check that it was infertile.