Viota

Food > Baking

17 Comments

Viota
Viota
Year: 1924
Views: 23,025
Item #: 348
Viota "Afternoon Tea Cake Mixture". One packet makes 18 of the most delicious home-made cakes in the World.
Source: A Day In the Home of Ease, 1924

Comment by: Susan on 10th December 2023 at 10:50

I worked at Viota for the first 8 months or so of 1976. Boy, was it hot!! I worked next to the shrink-wrap machine where you loaded boxes of cake mix onto a conveyor belt, which took them into the furnace. They came out the other end all bundled into packets, which you then picked up off the rollers and put onto a pallet. It’s a long time ago, but I remember Ann, who was really kind, and Dallas, who drove the forklift truck. There was also an older lady in charge, but I don’t remember her name. She used to organise people to “go for a spell”, which meant spending 10 minutes or so in the crowded loos having a ciggy! (And going to the loo if you needed too). The canteen was very good too, spacious and bright.

Comment by: Frank Coffey on 28th January 2022 at 12:12

Was your nan not the Muriel Belcher who ran The Colony Club 'up west'

Comment by: Angie Stagg on 27th November 2021 at 13:54

Loved the afternoon tea cakes, wish I could get the recipe?

Comment by: Andrea Higham on 9th April 2019 at 20:07

Hoping someone might know of my mum and nan.
My mum was Judith belcher. My Nan Muriel belcher. My nana brother Percy Owen .
My mum worked in a factory called viota. She was there for good few years.
We lived at 1 wood sleigh cottages. My mum also was a horticulturist . She used to look after the gardens of a Mountbatten family. Any knowledge would be fantastic.

Comment by: les smith on 24th February 2017 at 18:54

unless im mistaken harry was personel manager or production

Comment by: Louise wade on 13th September 2016 at 19:13

My father (harry Ingham) worked at viota bromborough from the late 1970's until late 1980's. Sadly he died in 2012, but I would love to hear any stories. I remember Eddie Sankey and mentions of a lady called Kathy Parr who I think was a union steward .

Comment by: Michael on 11th August 2015 at 22:07

I would like to get in touch with any member of the Stoddart family. Our house is on the site of their home 'Tudor House' in Barnet.

Comment by: Bob Pooley on 1st November 2013 at 19:26

I worked At Viota between 1970/73, great times. Worked with Trevor Hughes and Eddy Sankey and met my wife Gillian there.
Looking back I should have stayed longer, but pastures new and eventually retired 2004 from Vauxhall Motors.

Comment by: LYNN ROGERS on 17th September 2013 at 14:57

I worked at Viota in 1966 it was my first job and remember Ann Mc and Tommy Boylan, Irene Davies Gwen and the wonderful smell from the cooking lab. Happy days a great place to work

Comment by: John Stoddart on 8th June 2013 at 15:13

My grandfather Alfred Stoddart I believe to be the brother of Norman Stoddart.
He married Bessie Julian in 1899 and moved to Australia about 1912 -13 with his Wife , Mother in Law , Sister in Law and Son Charles Vernon Stoddart who was my father. Alfred returned to England about 1920, leaving his family behind in Sydney . I believe he died in the Chester area in 1967

Comment by: les on 17th October 2012 at 19:01

was the trevor hughes you refer to the engineering manager.if so he will know right away who basher harrison was.

Comment by: Geoff Thomason on 4th April 2012 at 11:01

When I was an undergraduate student I had a summer holiday job at the Bromborough plant 1975-1977. This was via my uncle, Trevor Hughes, who worked there. I spent most of the time in the sections which made breakfast cereals, including muesli which went by a curious name like "P 63". It was run by a guy who appeared to have left half his fingers in a machine at some stage. I remember sweeping the huge room where the grain for cornflakes was milled and having to empty the massive cookers every so often when the pressure got too high - which was hardly a pleasant task in the heatwave of 1976. The epithet "basher Harrison" certainly rings a bell. Was he the Kevin I worked alongside and who, like many of his colleagues, couldn't really get his head round what students were about?

Comment by: Steve Fletcher on 2nd January 2012 at 15:20

Any information, stories, memories & even photo`s concerning Viota & Mr Norman Stoddart would be very welcome

all of which will be put into the hoped publication acknowledged

Thanks
Steve

Comment by: Sue Monico on 26th April 2011 at 10:54

My Great Aunt Floss married Mr Stoddart and they lived in an appartment next door to Edward and Mrs Simpson in London before moving to Brighton! If anyone has any information about Norman and the company, my son is doing a project on family history and we would be very interested to find out about the company.

Comment by: les on 15th April 2011 at 19:21

anyone remember the duck and basher harrison.both foremen fitters at bromborough plant in 70s and 80s

Comment by: steve on 14th March 2011 at 21:27

I worked for viota in bromborough 1977-91 happy days, good people to work with T Boylan Ann Mac & all the crowd etc

Comment by: austin on 2nd January 2011 at 18:12

i worked at viota foods on islington green 1963-68 it was owned by norman stoddart who unfortunately had no sons so the business was sold out to robinsons jam what a wonderful man to work for.......