Kellogg's marks 88 years at 'iconic' site before closure

2 hours ago

Georgie Dockerand

Michelle Adamson,North West

News image — Construction at the Trafford Park factory started in 1937

KELLANOVA Old black and white photograph of workers building the Kellogg's factory. — Construction at the Trafford Park factory started in 1937

A global brand is marking almost 90 years at its Greater Manchester factory site ahead of closing its doors for good later this year.

When the Kellogg's factory in Trafford Park was opened in 1938 it became the largest cereal factory in Europe. Now, almost nine decades on, the Stretford factory is set to close as manufacturing is transferred to their Wrexham site in north Wales.

Ahead of the closure, a free exhibition has been opened in Sale - with memorabilia from throughout the period celebrating the staff, products and culture behind the site.

"Kellogg's Trafford Park is one of the most iconic manufacturing sites in our city's and country's history," plant director Tim McKnight said.

Peter McDermott External view of the Kellogg's building in Trafford Park. — The Kellogg's factory is a feature of Park Road in Trafford Park

The closure comes after Kellanova, which runs the cereal giant, announced plans to transfer manufacturing to its Wrexham site - due to the layout of the Trafford plant, which was said to be unsuitable for modern manufacturing, with a "large amount of redundant space".

KELLANOVA Black and white photograph showing the opening of the plant with a crowd of people and a woman with flowers in the foreground. — The plant was officially opened in May 1938 by Florence Millward, who won a national competition looking for the "typical British housewife"

The exhibit - which is free to visit - is being hosted at the Trafford Local Studies and Archive Centre, in Sale.

Trafford Council's Local Studies & Archives Memorabilia including the monkey from the Coco Pops box in a cabinet. — The exhibition has been curated by Trafford Council's Local Studies and Archives team, along with colleagues from the Kellogg's factory

The exhibition has more than 100 items spanning nine decades - from the factory's construction to the present day - with everything from vintage promotional materials to a large-scale Tony the Tiger cut-out.

It includes items recovered from a time capsule unearthed earlier this year, with original cereal packaging and branded merchandise.

Vintage cereal packaging on display in a cabinet. — Cereal packaging from across the decades

"We have a time capsule from 1986, we have archival photos with archival footage of Prince Charles's visit in 1974," Matthew Wilkinson, local studies and archive manager at Trafford Council, told BBC Radio Manchester.

"And we've got some rare collectibles on display."

Matthew Wilkinson local studies and archive manager at Trafford Council — Matthew Wilkinson, local studies and archive manager at Trafford Council, says they want to celebrate the legacy of the factory before its closure later in the year

He continued: "The Stretford plant is closing in 2026 and we wanted to celebrate the people, the story and the legacy of it," Wilkinson continued.

"The plant is such an iconic figure within the landscape of Trafford and it's a massive employer.

"It evokes such kind of strong memories of its community and we wanted to explore that and celebrate it."

A newspaper titled 'Kellogg's News'. The headline reads: 'Into the nineties'. — The exhibit has copies of Kellogg's News and even has a section dedicated to wartime Kellogg's from the factory's first decade in operation

Alongside the artefacts, event organisers have said there are dozens of photographs documenting the history of the Trafford Park site - "highlighting its connection to the local community and the hundreds of local people who have worked there over the years".

The exhibition is currently open to the public until 31 August.

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