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Kunzles

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Re: Kunzell Cakes

Jennyann, in the 50's we used to go to the cocktail bar in the Queens. We thought we were so daring :)
 
I live quite close to the former Kunzle factory in Garretts Green Lane, and they would sell any unsold cakes on a Saturday, there was always a queue of customers, you took potluck with what was being sold, the cakes might be damaged or not but they were always delicious!, the cakes were sold because they would be stale by Monday that was Kunzle`s policy their cakes were always fresh.
 
Graham, RHM much larger factory, Kunzles fronted on to Garretts Green Lane closer to the college and the Remploy factory.
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

Hi, my sister used to work for Kunzels in there restaurant, in cheery in cherry street, I think. It was in the early fifties, one night after her shift she brought home a cream cake, she said there was one left over, we’ll leave it at that!!! She put it on the table and slowly peeled back the grease proof paper or tissue, there it was, I swear it was as big as a small loaf. Every body in the family having a bit, us kids ending up licking the paper. Happy days.
Baz
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

[SIZE=-1] This Bakery was about 1.5 mls from where i live they sold off any cakes left on Saturday night at cheap prices, they said their cakes were sold fresh, on Monday they would have been stale. Garret's Green Bakery (Birmingham)[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]The Garret's Green factory was part of the Scribbans-Kemp Fuller, Kunzle Group. It majored in small cake manufacture and most of its specialised equipment was designed and made on the premises in the factory's 22-man machine shop. Mint Meringues, Fondant Fancies, Macaroons, Cakelets (a chocolate enrobed cake) and home made Crackle Cakes were just a few of the special items made. Own label cakes were made also for Marks & Spencer, British Homes Stores and Tesco. One of its more famous lines was the production of Showboats, a chocolate case shell, filled with sponge and butter filling and topped with a piped decoration. These cakes were individually wrapped and packed into boxes of six or twenty-four. Nearly a half million were produced every week at the Garret's Green factory and it was the only chocolate-shelled cake of its kind made in Britain. Len.
[/SIZE]
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

OtherHalf, Please don`t post that link again, i looked at it myself about a week ago & it took me 3 days to stop my mouth watering!!!, and the images of the cakes keep coming back in my thoughts and my mouth starts again, so i am resisting the temptation to open the link because its torture to look at those scrumptious cakes!!!. Len. ps: Its stored on my computer so the temptation is there always!.
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

Oh I used to LOVE Kunzle showboats.....I'll join you Lencops, in drooling at the very thought of those delicious cakes. Wouldn't it be brilliant if they came back....ooooh lush *wipes dribble from mouth & sighs*
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

Sorry Len but temptation to look at good things is always there and its always good to get the tastebuds flowing especially with some of the Goodies on there lol
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

Hi Tom: Those of us who remember Kunzle's cakes will forever miss them.
They were so special and the best you could buy at the time. I think the Crown photo is amazing and tempting. It has been said that there is no way Showboats would ever come back since they are so labour intensive to produce they would cost a small fortune.

Drucker's cakes used to be very good years ago but never as good as Kunxle's.
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

Alf, Re your link to the unmentionable products, you are not a diplomat you are a cruel so & so!!!. Len,
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

oh yes i use to work at kunzells in the late 60s in the wrapping room very nayghty i know but when know one was looking we would shear a box of eccles cakes why'll they were still hot and home made fruit cake the one's with brown sugar on top and lots more besides
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

This is a copy of the email jennyann refers to in her post page #27. Len.When Lyons bought Kunzles I was the Project Engineer given the job of buying a new chocolate moulding machine. At Garrets Green factory Kunzle had choc. moulding 2 machines both old-both Danish, an Aaasted and a Jenson. This factory was to be closed and everything moved to the other one in the group, which was in Smethwick- the old Scribona Fullers bakery. it must have been around 1973 I went to Denmark and Germany and eventually we bought a Bindler Mouding machine which was a huge rectangular loose mould machine, with nickel plated moulds for the 4 shapes. The whole project of installation in an air-conditioned area, -we build internal rooms and then the long conveyors where they were hand filled with Genoese sponge, butter cream and decorate. There were 10 ladies each side-a total of 40 girls alone . The total crew for the whole line must have been about 55, so it was incredibly labour intensive. The move to Smethwick must have cost around .£150,000 and remember this was around 1973. The machinery was far from perfect. I recall the moulds tended to slip out of position in the coolers and cause smash-ups. Anyway the line ran and production was ok and they were packed in singles x 24 to a carton, in 4's and also in 6's - so there was a lot of cartoning and over-machinery as well which we moved. A few years later and Lyons decided to move all their 4 or 5 factories into one huge facility in Yorkshire. Naturally I got the job of sorting out the move. The product was stockpiled but the job could never be done quickly and I guess they were all sold and taken off the shelve for a few months. We built a new room to be air conditioned under the mezzanine, and dismantled and re-installed the Bindler moulder, and also moved the 15 ton chocolate tanks, all the jacketed piping and the other specialist chocolate machinery. When the shells were de-moulded the moulds were inverted so the shells, by then cooled so they shrunk, were hit with automatic nylon faced hammers. Noise regulations meant this noise had to be muted and I made an acoustic hood to place over this area, but the hood had to lifted regularly so we put a beam and electric hoist in the ceiling to do this, and then of course such lifting equipment has to have a safety certificate every year, so more admin cost! We still had the huge crew of girls filling the shells. We spent time considering how to automate the whole thing. Change the cake to rice crispies so they could be metered automatically, etc. We ended up with a huge new machine -on paper only- I can't remember what it would have cost to make but the Directors would never have authorised it. Chocolate prices were always rising. They did trials on a less expensive grade of chocolate, moving the cocoa solid % lower; maybe this lost sales and slowly the product died. Lyons killed it off long before RHM and Kipling came in the scene. I went to Australia for the firm in Sept 1977. By then the line was running. I think it only lasted there about 2 years. So I hope I have given you some facts about Showboats and there is no chance that the product will ever return. The economics just don't add up. I am now retired and live in N.W. London. Have you had comments from any others like me who know the inside story?​
 
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Re: Kunzell Cakes

Oh yes !!!!!!!!!!! Kunzle cakes .couldnt very often afford them .but on birthday etc we went to the kardoma coffee shop along colmore row (i think ).and workmates used to buy them too ..so yummy.and sickly ......
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

Hi iLen: Thanks for the inside story on the manufacture of "Showboats". From your detailed account it looks as though Kunzle' s really tried to keep those wonderful confections in production but as you say the rising costs of labour,machinery,moving the plant,mergers,etc. put an end to what must have been one of Kunzles' most popular cakes in their day. They are just a lovely memory now of the times when for a special treat they appeared iin our homes. Thanks for posting your story Len.
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

SANDRA, Now I can afford them they are no longer around, plus the fact that I am diabetic so I cannot win.
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

I was taken by Nanny and the family whom lived close by often into the City Centre: well, you know women always love shopping and I guess during wartime and the austerity period afterwards it became something of a challenge.

One place we always visited was Kunzles. In the early 1960's, after I married, I visited relations in Birmingham and whilst taking my fairly new bride to Rackhams and other selected establishments in the city centre I thought I would let her sample the delights of Kunzles. Well, I declare, not only was Kunzles not there neither was Martineau Street! I knew the tramcars had gone but was surprised that some streets no longer existed.

A couple of years ago I saw, and signed, a petition to resurrect the wonderful 'Showboat' range of confectionery. What a pity rationalization overcame a very pleasant tradition. I wonder if M&S would be interested. Now maybe there is an interesting point! Well, many supermarkets chains have products made especially for them. lol
 
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Re: Kunzell Cakes

I've just come across this thread about Kunzle Cakes. I know this may be a long shot, but my Nan worked at Kunzle Cakes in Garretts Green around 1960 and I was wondering if anyone on here might remember her? Her name was Jessie Hands, married to Thomas and she had four daughters - they all lived in Brays Road, Sheldon.
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

Dani, A Mrs. Hands lives opposite my house, her Husband passed away and she married again she had Daughters but i thought she had a Son i could be wrong of cause. Len.
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

I remember Kunzell cakes well. We alway's had them in our office when it was someone's birthday. Of course the person with the birthday bought them, which alway's seemed a bit unfair really. They were certainly very special cake's and expensive.
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

Does any ex-Kunzle employee remember Mary Ryan Mason who worked there in the 1950`s?. Len.
 
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Re: Kunzell Cakes

many moons ago i used to go to Kunzels in Birmingham city centre with my gran . I alwas had cottage pie and then one or two of the lovely cakes bring back the old days
 
Re: Kunzell Cakes

Hi guys ;
when i lived in upper thomas street many years ago there was a guy named tony ;whom used to run a fish and chip shop up there just past clifton rd tw doors fromthe hines family ;
this guy tony used to work at kunzles cakes whilst his wife used to do the chippies at upper thomas street
eventual they sold up and bought a hous and a coffee shop on waterloo rd smethwick
mind you i do not think the chippie made much money in those days
i thought i would mention that in case any body remembers tony and is wife astonian
 
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