A History of Simpson Ready Foods

Simpson Ready Foods was one of the largest employers in the Urmston area for over 100 years. Famous for its Lemon Curd and the Goblin brand of canned meat products the family business was started by William Simpson in 1910. The business provided canned products (and later also pouches and microwavable pots) to many of the big supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Asda, The Co-op and M&S. Production ceased in 2016. A housing complex now occupies the site called Lemon Tree Grove.

This book traces the history of the business and includes a wealth of photographs (many never seen before) including the last month of production and a selection of familiar labels from the many products made in the factory.

The talk will prove to be a trip down memory lane for many Urmstonians.