Spillers
Encyclopedia
Spillers Ltd is a defunct British company that owned flour milling operations in the United Kingdom
, operated bakeries and also sold pet food
.
Winalot
is a popular brand of dog food
sold by Spillers.
The name was first used in 1927 for dog biscuit
s. They were initially marketed as a food for racing greyhound
s, but soon gained popularity with domestic canines and became a brand leader in the 1930s.
In 1947, Spillers acquired Foster Mill next to the railway station
in Station Road
, Cambridge
.
In 1964, Spillers took over the Kennomeat
dog food brand with its acquisition of a subsidiary of Robert Wilson & Sons, Scottish Animal Products Ltd.
In 1979 Spillers was acquired by Dalgety plc
, after a hostile take-over battle. The company's bakery business was spun off and sold to Allied Bakeries.
In the late 1990s, following a BSE
crisis in the UK
, Dalgety entered into a series of disposals and sold Spillers flour milling operations to Kerry Group
plc in 1997 and its pet foods business to Nestlé
in 1997.
The Spillers business was expanded by Nestlé
, and the Winalot brand was extended to include a range of dry and tinned dogfoods and snacks.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, operated bakeries and also sold pet food
Pet food
Pet food is plant or animal material intended for consumption by pets. Typically sold in pet stores and supermarkets, it is usually specific to the type of animal, such as dog food or cat food...
.
Winalot
Winalot
Winalot is a popular brand of dog food sold in the United Kingdom.The name was first used in 1927 for dog biscuits by Spillers Ltd; they were initially marketed as a food for racing greyhounds, but soon gained popularity with domestic canines and became a brand leader in the 1930s.The Spillers...
is a popular brand of dog food
Dog food
Dog food refers to food specifically intended for consumption by dogs. Though technically omnivorous, dogs exhibit a natural carnivorous bias, have sharp, pointy teeth, and have short gastrointestinal tracts better suited for the consumption of meat...
sold by Spillers.
The name was first used in 1927 for dog biscuit
Dog biscuit
A dog biscuit is a hard biscuit-based dietary supplement for dogs or other canine, similar to human snack food.Dog biscuits tend to be hard and dry. Dog biscuits may be sold in a flat bone-shape...
s. They were initially marketed as a food for racing greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
s, but soon gained popularity with domestic canines and became a brand leader in the 1930s.
In 1947, Spillers acquired Foster Mill next to the railway station
Cambridge railway station
Cambridge railway station is a railway station serving the city of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located at the end of Station Road, off Hills Road, 1 mile south-east of the city centre...
in Station Road
Station Road, Cambridge
Station Road is a road in southeast Cambridge, England. It leads west from a junction with traffic lights on Hills Road to the Cambridge railway station. At the western end of Station Road on the opposite side of Hills Road is the Cambridge University Botanic Garden.- Buildings :The station and a...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
.
In 1964, Spillers took over the Kennomeat
Kennomeat
Kennomeat was a popular brand of canned dog food sold in the United Kingdom. It was particularly popular in the 1960s due to a successful series of TV commercials which reversed the role of dogs and their masters....
dog food brand with its acquisition of a subsidiary of Robert Wilson & Sons, Scottish Animal Products Ltd.
In 1979 Spillers was acquired by Dalgety plc
Dalgety plc
Dalgety plc was a major British conglomerate. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.-History:...
, after a hostile take-over battle. The company's bakery business was spun off and sold to Allied Bakeries.
In the late 1990s, following a BSE
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy , commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 30 months to 8 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of...
crisis in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Dalgety entered into a series of disposals and sold Spillers flour milling operations to Kerry Group
Kerry Group
Kerry Group , is a public food company headquartered in Ireland. It is quoted on the Dublin ISEQ and London stock exchanges. It evolved initially from a local dairy co-op in the Munster region of Ireland...
plc in 1997 and its pet foods business to Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
in 1997.
The Spillers business was expanded by Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
, and the Winalot brand was extended to include a range of dry and tinned dogfoods and snacks.