Witheridge Dairy Company

December 2nd 1893: With a view of establishing a butter factory in Witheridge on the same principles as that successfully carried out by the Culm Valley Dairy Company at Hemyock, it is proposed to form the Witheridge and District Dairy Company Limited, with a capital of £1000, in shares of £5 each. The Directors and Hon. secretary, all practical men, will give their services for the first year without remuneration, and, judging by the promises of support already received, there is every reason to hope that the Company will be successful.

In 1893 a group of local farmers and businessmen formed the Witheridge and District Dairy Company Ltd. The directors bore such well known local names as Elworthy, Maunder, Partridge, Selley, Smyth and Eastmond. Mr Maunder, of The Lawns, offered the site for the butter factory.

January 27th 1894 - Proposed Butter Factory: The Committee have accepted Mr Robert Lee's tender for the erection of the Butter Factory in Fore Street. Mr T S Mitchell is the architect and Mr Stenner of Tiverton will supply and fit up all necessary machinery. This will be on the ground floor. Above this will be a large room over fifty feet long which will be, it is stated, available for public meetings. If that is the case it will be a valuable acquisition to the town. Work will commence at once and it is to be completed by the second week in April.

The building was opened in April 1894, and is the one on the left in the photograph. In 1895, a 5% dividend was declared, and corn cracking and grinding machinery installed. In 1897, a box-making machine was acquired so that butter could be despatched in the Company's own boxes. By then production had reached a ton per week, and a branch factory at Rackenford was being considered. For many years the Secretary was Mr W Greenslade, known as "Billy Butterdabs". After some years, the building became the property of Mr C Maire, the miller at Witheridge Mill. In its last years it belonged to the Tiverton Roller Mills, and supplied stock feed. In 1966 it was demolished as part of the scheme to widen Fore Street and to provide access for the Chapple Road developments. The shop beside The Lawns was a grocery store run by Mr P Holloway.

W. Greenslade (Manager of Witheridge and District Dairy Company) was known as "Billy Butterdabs" and always wore "clogs and a big waterproof" as the butter factory was "always swimming in water." The kids used to go up there and dip their fingers in the butter.

(EW) Butter Factory (1920s - 1930s): You only got local butter if you got in early before they mixed in a proportion of Danish butter." It all had 'Witheridge Dairy Company' stamped on it."

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