A rather grand Victorian-style villa with double bays, set behind a green lawn and shrubs. This is Beaumont House, former HQ of the British Baking Industries Research Association, where the Chorleywood Bread Process was invented. It is now a care home.

Small bakers couldn’t compete with the giants created by Allied Bakeries, so they turned to science. That produced the Chorleywood bread process, which gave them a quicker, cheaper loaf. Unfortunately, the giant bakeries gobbled up the new method too. More and more small bakeries went out of business as a loaf of bread became cheaper and cheaper.

Was it worth it? You tell me.

Listen to The Bread that Ate the World at Eat This Podcast.

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