Object number
62/2
Creator
Description
This is a barrel butter churn, a piece of butter making equipment generally used in larger dairies. It consists of a large wooden churn on a stand, and a handle which when turned causes the barrel to spin end over end. This churn was made by the Dairy Supply Co. Ltd. It is not known where it was used.
Physical description
1 churn with stand: wood [oak] and metalA large wooden churn on a stand similar to those advertised in the Dairy Supply Catalogue. The churn is made of wooden staves held together by metal bands. There are two metal rods fixed on each side by means of which the churn is suspended on the stand. A metal handle with a wooden end is fixed to one of these rods. When this handle is turned the churn rotates end over end. The lid has a rubber seal which fits onto a copper rim in the neck of the churn. The lid has plated metal hinges, fastenings and fittings. There is a safety valve and a glass peep-hole on top of the lid. There is a drainage hole at the base of the churn. The stand is solidly made and has four hinged metal handles to facilitate carrying. There are two slats at the bottom which form a stand for a bucket to collect butter milk or to drain the churn into. There is a brass tube to hold the churn bung when it is not in use.The metal fittings which support the churn have a small wheel on each side upon which the churn rotates. There are two metal hooks which fit into eyes on the churn and hold the churn in a steady upright position when not in use or upside down when the churn is being drained or cleaned. This churn is for making medium quantities of butter.
Label Text
<DIV STYLE="text-align:Justify;font-family:Georgia;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:16;color:#000000;"><P><SPAN><SPAN>6. <B>Barrel Butter Churn</B><P>'Champion' barrel butter churn by the Dairy Supply Co. Ltd of London, early twentieth century. End over end barrel churns like this were the most common type in use by the end of the nineteenth century when most butter was still made in relatively small operations on individual farms rather than in centralised factories. Churns of this sort required much less effort than the traditional plunger churn and, because the barrel rotated vertically, the cream was very effectively agitated. This meant that internal beaters, which were difficult to clean and were prone to harbouring bacteria, were not required and that therefore the butter was of better quality. In 1905, the 'Champion' churn was available in a range of sizes from 3 gallons, at a price of £3 5 shillings, up to 25 gallons at £8 10. Even larger sizes were equipped with a belt pulley to be driven from an engine. This churn was used in the dairy department of Reading University. The photograph on the introductory page to the butter sequence shows a butter making class in progress in the 1930s.<BR> 62/2</SPAN></SPAN></P></DIV><DIV STYLE="text-align:Justify;font-family:Georgia;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;font-size:16;color:#000000;"><P><SPAN><SPAN>9. <B>Barrel Butter Churn</B><P> 'Champion' churn by the Dairy Supply Co. Ltd of London, early 20th century. The Dairy Supply Company was the principal manufacturer and importer in Britain of milk, butter and cheese equipment of all kinds. It was an offshoot of the hugely successful Express County Milk Company founded in 1864 by George Barham (1836-1913) to transport fresh milk from country districts into London each day by rail for retail to a rapidly growing market. The 1905 Dairy Supply catalogue describes the 'Champion' churn thus:<BR> [It] has a wide open mouth, enabling the cream and butter to be more easily handled, and giving better facilities for thoroughly washing the churn, as also admitting ready access of light and air, the great purifiers for keeping the churn sweet. There are no beaters, fixed or moveable; consequently it is very easy to turn and clean, the interior of the churn being simply a barrel with one end out, free from corners and crevices for the accumulation of sour cream, which always causes a churn to smell foul and taint the butter. The cream falls from end to end as the churn revolves, producing butter by the concussion of the fall and not by friction from beaters agitating the cream.<BR> Amongst the testimonials printed in the same catalogue was one from Mr E. T. Harvey of Goudhurst who wrote: "I have received the 'Champion' churn and am pleased with it. We churned 38½ lbs of butter and made it up into ½ lb rolls in 1½ hours. I have no hesitation in calling it the best churn on the market and will so recommend it".<BR> This churn was used in the dairy department of Reading University. The British Dairy Farmers Association moved its Institute from Aylesbury to the recently founded University College in Reading in 1895 and formal instruction was given in butter and cheese making. The photograph on the introductory page of the butter sequence shows a butter making class, using churns like this one, in the 1930s.<BR> 62/2</SPAN></SPAN></P></DIV>
Archival history
MERL miscellaneous note - 'made by Dairy Supply Ltd.', MERL ‘History Artefacts’ card – Description: A large wooden churn on a stand similar to those advertised in The Dairy Supply Catalogue. The churn is made of wooden staves held together by metal bands. There are two metal rods fixed on each side by means of which the churn is suspended on the stand. A metal handle with a wooden end is fixed to one of these rods. When this handle is turned the churn rotates end over end. The lid has a rubber seal which fits onto a copper rim in the neck of the churn. The lid has plated metal hinges, fastenings and fittings. There is a safety valve and a glass peep-hole on top of the lid. There is a drainage hole at the base of the churn. // Description cont: The stand is solidly made and has four hinged metal handles to facilitate carrying. There are two slats at the bottom which form a stand for a bucket to collect butter milk or to drain the churn into. There is a brass tube to hold the churn bung when it is not in use. The metal fittings which support the churn have a small wheel on each side upon which the churn rotates. There are two metal hooks which fit into eyes on the churn and hold the churn in a steady upright position when not in use or upside down when the churn is being drained or cleaned. // Use: For making medium quantities of butter. This type of churn was generally used in larger dairies...'
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External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_4595.tif - High resolution image
