Cheese
1894 Croydon advertisement from the Croydon Illustrated.

1894 advertisement from the Croydon Illustrated. (This is a large file, 82kb).
Sainsbury's sold a wide range of cheeses. The biggest trade by far was in Cheddar, with a choice between home-produced and slightly cheaper red and white Empire Cheddars from Canada and New Zealand.

Contemporary price lists described the 'delicate Cheshires snug in their special linen shirts, rich red cheese from the Low Countries, luscious Gorgons from the mountain pastures' of Italy. There were Stiltons decorated with ribbon rosettes, genuine Swiss Gruyère, and specialities such as French Gervais, Roquefort and Port Salut.


This 1894 advertisement described the cheeses available:

  • Stiltons, 'rich, ripe and blue'.
  • Gorgonzolas 'of the finest quality'.
  • 'gold medal' Gruyere.
  • 'specially imported' Canadian Cheddar and American Cheshire ('pale and coloured').
  • Camembert, Neufchatel, Roquefort and 'Port du Salut' from France.

Sainsbury's was 'the only house in Surrey' to stock so many cream cheeses, including regional cheeses like soft 'green' cheese and York Creams, which are no longer produced today.

The above advertisement included a large section of text. To see it please refer to the Reference Library.

Go back.

Copyright J Sainsbury plc, 2000.