Shippams are famous for their jars of paste, and most of us have probably tasted it in a sandwich at some time. However, only those who paid attention to the label will be aware that the firm was founded in Chicheser in the eighteenth century.The Shippams were prominent grocers and later butchers in the town. In 1892, they expanded by building a factory behind the butcher's shop to manufacture canned goods and potted meats.
The famous metal-lidded glass jar was launched in 1905. Now sterilised, the products had the long shelf life which remains central to their appeal. A later innovation was television advertising: they were among the first companies to use this new medium, in 1955 (see their 1955 'guide to opera' advert here).
Today, Shippams are no longer a family firm and their Chichester factory moved out of the town centre in 2002, but they still have a visible presence within the city walls. This clock in East Street features a fine wishbone; a 1954 company film declared that 'a feature of the factory which always appeals to visitors is the great pile of wishbones. There must be a quarter of a million of them, and twelve hundred new bones come in every day, so anyone who calls can take away a good luck token.'
32 comments:
The Shippams factory was moved, not closed, and a good job too as it made the entire east end of Chichester smell of fish. The clock itself was originally moved to the new site on an industrial estate, but was subsequently moved back by public demand. You can see the clock in its temporary position here http://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/2404/Prince_among_ready_meals.html.
Thank you for the article link, I've corrected the post (and am now trying to forget the phrase 'protein-in-sauce products'!).
Like Marmite, I remember Shippams jars had spring clips round them that were so much fun to take off.
I really miss Shippams spreads. And I remember the old spring clips, too. :)
Great post, Caroline...I'm about to do a foody nostalgia post about Shippams! Bloater paste was always my favourite
Thank you - I look forward to reading your post.
Hi Caroline, I'm the great gran daughter of Mr Shippam, and would like to thank you for your informative Post. Its nice to hear peoples memories of our old family business.
Hello, thank you for commenting and I'm glad you like the post.
Hi,
My mum was Janet Shippam and I have never bought shippams paste because I always believed that my grandad was done out of his dues!
John
Hi
My great aunt was Bessie Shippham [nee; Moffitt]. Would be interesting to hear from other relatives as it is a part of my family tree I know little about. My visit to your site was prompted by finding a Shippham's jar at a dig on a Bronze Age barrow on the Isle of Bute in Scotland. It was previously dug in 1903 and then backfilled. I had hoped that it would prove part of the backfilland help date it as it is a very old style of jar. If the production did not start until 1905it is unfortunately two years too late!
Good luck with your various researches! You may have found a predecessor of the metal-lidded version Shippams started using in 1905, as they started making potted meats in the late nineteenth century. The Chichester District Museum may know more?
Hi all, I too have a relative in the Shipphams tree. My great great grandmother's sister Rebecca Bankhead married Walter John Shippham in 1902 in Kensington and they lived at Wyck Lodge, Sussex. I have some letters written by Rebecca, though she speeks mostly of the Bankhead family. She gives the children as Alexandra, who married Thomas Jay and Aileen who married Arthur Hollis and another born 1903 who I can't make out.
it's all facinating
Si Todd
I'm very sad that Princes have stopped producing the anchovy and bloater pastes. Does anyone have a family recipe they would like to share :-) I'd like to have a go at making the stuff myself I miss it so much!
Cheers,
Harry
I'm Walter Shiphams's great grand daughter. My dad used to often go to Whyke lodge, and he even worked in the factory a bit before it was sold to Prince's
Hi there,
Can anyone confirm that a member of the Shippam family was either a JP or Magistrate in Chichester during the 1960's? Thanks
Simon Wells
MY Aunt told me that my great great grandad John Hollingdale from petworth married a shippam girl and she was disowned when they got wed.he was a gypsy from
what i been told,quite a suprise.
can anyone help?
colin.tufnell@esterline.com
i meant it was a gumbrell who married a shippam girl .colin.tufnell@esterline.com
Very interesting. In a helpful way, one is missing a 't' in the following "firm was founded in Chicheser in the". Cheers!
My aunt told me James gumbrell in 1860's had affair with shippam girl and she was disowned as he was a gypsy from moving.he was my great grandad
Where can I get the recipe for bloater paste.JFCHRISTMAS
I worked there for a number of years had some great times the fun with the picking girls , eating all day long , cheap drink in the club house over the road happy times
I too am related to Shippams my great great great granny married a shippam i have a family tree that relates to this
My father - Arthur Victor Talbot, Jan 1914 to June 1983, worked at Shippams for 51 years from the age of 14. During the war the wives of the workers took over the men's jobs. I remember being taken round the factory on several occasions and each time being given a wishbone to take away. I had my wedding reception at the Shippam's Hall, accessed through a tunnel in the Roman Wall.
Shippams had a store in South Street (where Milletts is now) and they used to sell ham carved off the bone, jars of chicken jelly (my mum used to gave me this when I had my tonsils out) and their own fabulous pork sausages. Not sure when it closed, maybe in the late 50's ?
my grandfather GEORGE JAMES FARNDALE worked at SHIPPAMS from the age of 14 till he retired but he was good friends with the 2 brothers running it at the time, they asked him and my uncle ARTHUR BISSETT to go to NEWLYN CORNWALL to set up a plant there so the fish and crabs could be treated and put in ice to ship to CHICHESTER in refridgerated lorries so they were fresher. I myself worked in potting paste department myself for 2 years and at the time held the record for the most paste pots filled in a day, before it was automated in 1962, I also spent some time in NEWLYN CORNWALL FACTORY washing the carcases in giant washing machines after they had been topped and tailed by the girls as the fish were loaded off the boats. my grandfather worked a further 10 years of so after official retiring age. I left in 1962 to come to LONDON
While I was there I also ran a young persons disco on Friday nights in the club opposite the factory after going under the old roman wall. one of my sisters later worked for SHIPPAMS, before they closed.
at present I am trying to find my family tree, and I am having trouble finding any information about my grandfather GEORGE JAMES FARNDALE, and I wondered whether there are any employment records or family records held somewhere still ?
my grandfather was born 02/02/1892 and would have started at SHIPPAMS IN 1906 AGED 14. the births deaths marriage office have no record of his birth , and I wondered if SHIPPAMS records would have any record of his parents who let him work there at 14?
I am now the oldest living family member and I never heard him talked about his family or birth place.
I would be grateful for any help
GEORGE JAMES FOGDEN
The JP was my father's cousin
I am trying to locate Pauline Shipham....an old friend of myself and the Balsan family of France. Madame Balsan would love to hear from her re France-Aimee. 0687265021. maureen. 07342955687
My father work at shippams forover 30years Known as darky he made the sauce for the supreme buy hand in huge pots with a big paddle.
John Shippam was a magistrate in Chichester, he was certainly around when I was honoured to be one in the 80's a really nice but imposing man.
I wasn't aware Shippams made such an impact on Chichester. When I was little (80's), I remember Mum spreading something on bread and seeing a jar on the kitchen counter that had our surname. My little world stopped for a moment. "That jar has our name on it!"
The guy who started Shippams was my Great-Great-Great-Uncle.
My great grandparents William & Alice Butler used to live at 5 East Walls, this was before it became Shippams Social Club and I believe he used to own a large orchard there as well. There was a picture of one of his daughters in the Chichester Observer many years ago selling apples in the archway. They had 9 children as per the 1911 census.
Brian Butler
I worked for Shippams many years ago it was a great place to work have lots of memories.
The social club could tell some stories and my engagement to my first wife was in the club after a cheap drink night playing darts with Mr. Shippams ( we all called him that in or out of work ).
The old building was amazing so many places to hide and as you walked through the building
each area would have different smells from cooking if you timed it right just after steamers had been opened it was bacon for breakfast or grab a piece of chicken to dip in the sauce .....
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