Production: Cooked meats factory, Part 2

The new factory opened in 1936. Branch staff could visit for an organised tour on their early closing afternoon.

Pork carcasses from Frank Sainsbury's abattoir at Haverhill, were transported to the second floor, using an overhead rail system. Some meat was sold as fresh pork, while the rest was boned and minced for use in the sausages and 'table delicacies' for which Sainsbury's was renowned. Next to the butchers were the sausage-makers – rows of girls who used machines to fill lengths of sausage-skin with meat. The end product could be despatched within an hour of the carcasses entering the building.

On the third floor was the bakery, where Sainsbury's range of meat pies was made. Bread was baked and allowed to go stale, providing breadcrumbs for sausage-making. There was also a spice and seasonings room, described by the workforce as the 'holy of holies'. From the oven the pies went down to the first floor where they were packed into wicker baskets ready for despatch to the branches.

The factory employed more than 2400 workers in three shifts. It was the only meat by-product plant licensed in central London and pioneered new production techniques. Sainsbury's was the first company to produce pre-packed long pie, and skinless sausages were introduced in the late 1950s.

By 1972, the work of the factory was transferred to Haverhill Meat Products and to contractors. Since then, none of Sainsbury's products has been made by the company.

The bakery at Sainsbury's factory is depicted in a stained glass window at Christchurch Southwark.