100 years of Devon Country ways.

Country life has changed very much over the last century, more than in any previous time span.As much as we hanker after "The good old days" we have to live with modern technology and try to fit in with European and Global living and doing business.Lloyd Maunder celebrated 100 years of business in 1998 and, along with Jean Goddard of the Woman’s Farming Union, whose family have farmed locally for many years, celebrated by producing a booklet looking back over the company’s history in some detailIn 1898 this country had imported foods. These were mainly wheat, tea, coffee, sugar, dried fruit and citrus fruit but very little fresh food, because, with very poor refrigeration perishable goods could not travel far from the area of production.Country people were mainly self sufficient. Every house had a garden and many kept some poultry and the odd pig.Nothing was wasted; household peelings and scraps were fed to the animals and the resulting manure returned to the garden.Diet was simple and seasonal. Salt, vinegar and sugar was used to preserve foods.Cooking was done on open wood fires or coal ranges and households situated away from village bakers made their own bread. Butter and some cheese was also made on farms, then delivered to shops or private customers by pony and trap. Jean Goddard's family reared turkeys and sent them to London for Christmas. Men went out to catch rabbits to help the meat supply; pigeons were also eaten and even rooks!

All farms had orchards for growing apples and other fruits such as plumbs, damsons and pears, including special varieties of apple for making cider.Lloyd Maunder's father, FJP Maunder, started in the meat trade at Witheridge, Devon in 1879. He established a butchers shop in 1886 and was chairman of a Dairy company from 1894. Lloyd Maunder took over the management of his fathers dairy business in 1898, soon expanding into poultry, eggs and pork and selling direct to customers in London.