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| Flood-hit Carlisle factory resumes production of Carr's water biscuits | Flood-hit Carlisle factory resumes production of Carr's water biscuits |
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| One of Britain’s most popular biscuits is returning to the nation’s shops after a flood-hit Carlisle factory resumed production. | One of Britain’s most popular biscuits is returning to the nation’s shops after a flood-hit Carlisle factory resumed production. |
| Carr’s water biscuits will be delivered to retailers in the next few weeks, having been off the shelves since floodwater inundated the United Biscuits-owned site in the Cumbrian town before Christmas. To prevent another dunking in the future, the biscuit maker is considering spending about £5m on developing watertight flood defences for the factory. | |
| The development is good news for Carlisle, which feared it might lose a major employer responsible for 800 direct jobs after the factory was flooded for the second time in 11 years. | The development is good news for Carlisle, which feared it might lose a major employer responsible for 800 direct jobs after the factory was flooded for the second time in 11 years. |
| The business was established in 1836 by Jonathan Dodgson Carr, a Quaker who apparently walked to Carlisle from Kendal with a bag of flour to set up a bakers shop five years earlier. | The business was established in 1836 by Jonathan Dodgson Carr, a Quaker who apparently walked to Carlisle from Kendal with a bag of flour to set up a bakers shop five years earlier. |
| The factory’s “cracker packers”, as they’re known locally, now make 80,000 tonnes of biscuits a year and export to 97 countries including the US, Nigeria and Australia. | The factory’s “cracker packers”, as they’re known locally, now make 80,000 tonnes of biscuits a year and export to 97 countries including the US, Nigeria and Australia. |
| Mark Taylor, manufacturing director for United Biscuits, acknowledged the economic and historic importance of the site to Carlisle. He said: “There is a weight of expectation about keeping the place going.” | Mark Taylor, manufacturing director for United Biscuits, acknowledged the economic and historic importance of the site to Carlisle. He said: “There is a weight of expectation about keeping the place going.” |
| The site in Carlisle’s Caldewgate is the second-biggest biscuit factory in Europe – and the only place that produces the savoury crackers and McVitie’s ginger nuts. It also make 12 other types of biscuit including Crawford’s custard creams and chocolate bourbons. | The site in Carlisle’s Caldewgate is the second-biggest biscuit factory in Europe – and the only place that produces the savoury crackers and McVitie’s ginger nuts. It also make 12 other types of biscuit including Crawford’s custard creams and chocolate bourbons. |
| Taylor added that making Carr’s water biscuits anywhere else would be difficult because their distinctive taste and crunch comes from the local spring water and the factory’s 1930s brick ovens in which they are baked. Caldewgate also houses special ovens that give ginger nuts their trademark texture. | Taylor added that making Carr’s water biscuits anywhere else would be difficult because their distinctive taste and crunch comes from the local spring water and the factory’s 1930s brick ovens in which they are baked. Caldewgate also houses special ovens that give ginger nuts their trademark texture. |
| Taylor said: “What we have got here as well as the local ingredients is years of expertise in baking top quality biscuits and people shouldn’t overlook that.” | Taylor said: “What we have got here as well as the local ingredients is years of expertise in baking top quality biscuits and people shouldn’t overlook that.” |
| On 5 December the factory and surrounding area were inundated by more than five feet of water in some places. More than 1,600 homes, council offices, the leisure centre and dozens of small local businesses were inundated. | On 5 December the factory and surrounding area were inundated by more than five feet of water in some places. More than 1,600 homes, council offices, the leisure centre and dozens of small local businesses were inundated. |
| Managers turned off the factory ovens before the water hit, which prevented even more serious damage, but delicate mechanical components and electrical equipment were overwhelmed by water. | Managers turned off the factory ovens before the water hit, which prevented even more serious damage, but delicate mechanical components and electrical equipment were overwhelmed by water. |
| It took a month clean the factory and its eight ovens before production line repairs could begin. The workload included dumping 10 tonnes of chocolate and clearing 500 tonnes of sodden biscuits, packaging and river silt that had accumulated in the factory. | It took a month clean the factory and its eight ovens before production line repairs could begin. The workload included dumping 10 tonnes of chocolate and clearing 500 tonnes of sodden biscuits, packaging and river silt that had accumulated in the factory. |
| The £5m flood defence investment will see the company install its own generator in case power supplies are cut off, waterproof the buildings’ outer walls and install gates or hydraulic barriers that can seal doorways and other entrances against flooding. | The £5m flood defence investment will see the company install its own generator in case power supplies are cut off, waterproof the buildings’ outer walls and install gates or hydraulic barriers that can seal doorways and other entrances against flooding. |
| “We can’t leave ourselves exposed to that again. It’s just not tenable,” said Taylor. “Weather systems have changed significantly in the last five years and what was once a one in a 100 years rainfall is now significantly less than that.” | “We can’t leave ourselves exposed to that again. It’s just not tenable,” said Taylor. “Weather systems have changed significantly in the last five years and what was once a one in a 100 years rainfall is now significantly less than that.” |
| Even now, the water biscuit line is only running at about 80 per cent capacity as the company fixes glitches with the equipment. It will also be a few more weeks until custard creams are delivered to stores. Taylor said: “There is still a lot of work to do – four or five weeks of tough work on little failures in the equipment that have come from the water damage.” | Even now, the water biscuit line is only running at about 80 per cent capacity as the company fixes glitches with the equipment. It will also be a few more weeks until custard creams are delivered to stores. Taylor said: “There is still a lot of work to do – four or five weeks of tough work on little failures in the equipment that have come from the water damage.” |
| United Biscuits is also concerned that retailers and shoppers will have found alternatives while the factory’s products have been off the shelf. “Other competitors have taken our spot on the shelf and we’ve got to rejuvenate our marketing to get back the space we had before and build on it,” Taylor said. | United Biscuits is also concerned that retailers and shoppers will have found alternatives while the factory’s products have been off the shelf. “Other competitors have taken our spot on the shelf and we’ve got to rejuvenate our marketing to get back the space we had before and build on it,” Taylor said. |