The Chorleywood Bread Process

The British Baking Industries Research Association (BBIRA) was one of a number of Research Associations set up by the Government before and after World War 2 to serve industry. It acquired Chorleywood Lodge, situated on the opposite side of the A404 to Chorleywood Common, a gracious, double-fronted building well shielded from the road by a row of tall trees. It had curved bay windows either side of the front door and moulded plaster ceilings.The grounds were extensive and included an orchard, a sweeping curve of beech hedge and some beautiful trees from the original garden including a giant redwood visible from several miles.

The BBIRA premises were formally opened by the late Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent in 1949. The west and north wings of laboratories were added in 1961. BBIRA was concerned with baked goods, their ingredients, and bakery technology and equipment, and in 1966 it merged with the Research Association of British Flour Millers (RABFM) at St Albans to become the Flour Milling and Baking Research Association (FMBRA). RABFM had been founded in 1923 and brought expertise in milling, starch, sugars and nutrition; it was responsible, amongst other things for the ‘National loaf’ in the Second World War and for working out how Vitamin B was distributed within different parts of the wheat grain. A new East Wing was built at Chorleywood to accommodate the larger combined establishment and its 100-140 staff during 1970, and it was declared open by the present Duchess of Kent in March 1972.