Memory Lane: Remembering W.N. Mitchell and Sons

William Nicol Mitchell, the founder of the company, was born in 1883 and on leaving school he entered the employment of Robert Douglas ‘Aereated Water Manufacturers’ in Kirkcaldy.

When that company opened a new factory in Dunfermline, Mr Mitchell was appointed manager of the premises which were located on the east side of Townhill Road, later to be occupied by Dunfermline Railwaymens Club, and now housing development named Leny Place.

Mr Mitchell later set himself up in business in what was at one stage a smithy at 43 Pilmuir Street. The goods entrance was round the corner in Carnegie Street and our first photograph shows these premises.

Transport in the early days was all petrol driven, and a fuel pump and tank were on site. The business thrived and Mitchells supplied many of the Italian families in the area through their chip shops and ice cream parlours, namely Corrieri, Maloco, Vernolini, Ugolini, Macari, Divito, Ferrari, Tognarelli and Catignani, as well as the Keddie family who ran a fleet of horse-drawn chip vans.

Mitchell's staff operating the bottle washing equipment. (Image: Contributed) Our next photograph shows staff operating the bottle washing equipment.

Lesley Mitchell, grandson of the founder, recalled his earliest memories of the Pilmuir Street premises as being “the sweet aromas of various fruits and sweet sugar syrup, the smell of the caustic soda from the bottle washer and the smell of coke dust at the open grate of the steam boiler.’

Our next photograph taken from the roof of the Fire Station looks down to where Mitchells was situated, with the Dunlop building that has been converted into housing in view, as well as the Carnegie Clinic and baths.

Mitchells with the Dunlop factory that has been converted into house and the Carnegie clinic and baths. (Image: Contributed)

Mitchells continued to expand their Pilmuir Street premises until in 1969 it became evident that if the business was to make further progress, newer and larger premises would be required.

A site became available at the eastern end of Garvock Hill and a spacious purpose built factory was built there opening in March 1970. They continued to do well and in 1972 at the International Brewing and Bottling Exhibition at Earls Court in London the company were awarded 1st Prize and a Gold Medal for their ‘Sparkling Orange Crush’.

Our final photograph shows a view of the bottle washing machine at the Garvock Hill premises in the 1980s.

The bottle washing machine at the Garvock Hill premises in the 1980s. (Image: Contributed)

The company continued to operate from there until late 1992 when Mitchell’s moved their production to Woodrows factory at Pitreavie Business Park. The Garvock Hill site is now where the Vine Church is located. This was followed by Woodrows taking over the Mitchell business.

Both firms had been serious competitors in the soft drinks industry for many years in Dunfermline but as Roy Woodrow said to the Dunfermline Press at the time: “We have been in opposition for a long number of years, but we have always got on well and the take-over was very amicable”.

More photographs like these can be seen in Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries.