Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 19 August 1932

A Modern Bottling Factory

Half a Century’s Progress in the Bottling of Beer and Mineral Waters

It is said that truth is stranger than fiction, and in the case of the now famous House of Ward & Sons, who have their headquarters at Swinton, it is so. From an obscure small factory, Ward & Sons, in the last 58 years, have blossomed into an amazing factory with an amazing turnover and business.

From hand machines they have transformed the premises into the most modern and can boast of having machinery of the very latest type. To have the latest; to be modern is possibly the secret of their success.

It is Ward & Sons who have the initiative for marketing new mineral waters. Only this summer they added to their prestige by bringing out what now one – of the most popular drinks—grape fruit. This is made from the finest South African fruit. Others followed suit: they copied, but they had not the secret for the delightful taste of Ward & Sons.

Here is the story of the building of Ward & Sons’ business:

The space of the small factory in which the business was first commenced could easily be put into the area of the present premises over a hundred times. The turnover of the factory of 58 years ago was about 100 dozen bottles per day, which in those days meant some hard work with hand-filling machines, odd- shaped heavy bottles, and very weird specimens of stoppers which had to be juggled into position.

There is a striking difference today in the factory where Ward and Sons, now one of the largest bottling firms in the country, of a turnover of 2000 dozen bottles a day, where everything is done by the most modern machinery.

The reason for the firm’s rise to fame and the enormous popularity of Ward & Sons products is undoubtedly due to their efforts always to give the finest quality and value for money.

Here is a description of the tour round the factory. First is the mineral water department, which is capable of producing 36,000 bottles of mineral waters in one day. In the Mixing Room there is a delightful aroma of lemons, oranges, limes, et cetera, and after the fruit syrups have been mixed they are passed in pipes straight to the filling section. This is a maze of latest type machinery, filling mineral waters into bottles faster than one can count.

At the bottle washing department one realises why cleanliness is part of Ward and Sons slogan. The dirty bottles are put on a conveyor and passed into a large container of hot cleansing solution which washes the bottles inside and outside, at high pressure, and also washes off the labels. The bottles are then passed into hot water rinse, and when they come out they are thoroughly sterilised and as clear as crystal.

In another department one can see Guinness Stout being filled in large quantities and packed away to mature in order to produce the creamy head for which Ward and Sons bottled Guinness is renowned.

The next department is the bottling of non-sediment beers. These beers can be used for any occasion and can be kept in any temperature. They are always bright and sparkling to the last drop. It is by Ward and Sons very latest plant that this is achieved. There are two large cold storage rooms containing glass – line tanks, each holding 500 gallons of beer at a very low temperature. The beer is bottled on the latest high pressure filling machines and then specially treated to make it keep in perfect condition for a long period.

Nearby other Bass and Worthington bottling departments, where an average of 30 hogshead of beer, getting ready for bottling are kept.

After the beers have been bottled they are conveyed by electric lifts to a further department, where they are stacked for a period to ensure their reaching excellent condition in bottle.

Owing to the demand for their products in other areas, Ward and Sons have branches now in Doncaster, and Retford and an extensive business is carried on at the present time in four counties, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire.

The delivery of the products in this large area is done by fleet of modern motor vehicles which cover thousands of miles every week.

Ward and Sons can supply anyone with everything to drink, as they have bottled beers of all qualities and sizes; all flavours of mineral waters of the high standard; various makes of ciders, including Gaymers, Bulmers, Whiteway’s and Henleys, and large stocks of wines and spirits.

In addition Ward and Sons can deal with “smoke”; they have a wide variety of cigars, cigarettes and tobacco.

One can write columns about Ward and Sons factory at Swinton. It is amazing that, almost in the way, such a large business is being carried on. The principal of the firm takes a rightful pride in his factory and is pleased to show anyone round. Indeed he is delighted when anyone accept his invitation – which is extended to all – to visit the factory. As has already been said, such a visit is amazing and has excellent educational advantages.

But it is only by seeing that one can believe, and after making a tour of Ward and Sons factory one sees definitively that quality and cannons are not mere slogans of the firm but the decided principles on which it is run. By drinking Ward and Sons products one is assured of drinking the finest and cleanest of all bottled beers etc. So the principal for all in the Don and Dearne valleys at any rate should be to:

Ask for Wards and Obtain the Best