Vintage Homepride Self-Raising Flour Advertising Box – Paul Bros Ltd, Birkenhead

This is a cracking piece of old British food advertising, and much less commonly encountered than the later Homepride Fred items. The little character appears to be Tommy Homepride, the earlier Paul Brothers mascot, rather than Fred, who was not introduced until 1964. Period material featuring Tommy is known from the 1930s, while Paul Bros continued issuing Homepride material into the 1950s.

Displayed with other items illustration only for sale separately

40 cm wide

34 cm depth

18 cm tall

Paul Brothers were established flour millers at the Homepride Mills, Birkenhead by at least 1920. Their extensive mill complex stood beside the East Float and was served directly by grain barges. Paul Brothers was acquired by Spillers in 1945, although the Paul Bros name continued to appear on Homepride promotional material afterwards.

On that evidence, I would conservatively date your box circa 1930s–1950s,

Vintage Homepride Self-Raising Flour Advertising Box – Paul Bros Ltd, Birkenhead – c.1930s–50s

A wonderfully evocative survivor from the golden age of British grocery advertising, this original vintage cardboard transit box was produced for Homepride Self-Raising Flour by Paul Bros Ltd of Homepride Mills, Birkenhead.

Printed in bold black onto the natural brown board, the box carries the familiar Homepride name together with an especially charming early advertising character wearing a Homepride flour bag as a hat. This is the earlier “Tommy Homepride” style of character, predating the famous bowler-hatted Fred the Flour Grader who became the face of Homepride during the 1960s.

The front is boldly printed:

HOMEPRIDE

SELF-RAISING FLOUR

AWARDED GOLD MEDAL EDINBURGH, 1909

One panel also retains its original dispatch information for Paul Bros Ltd, Homepride Mills, Birkenhead, together with the printed box maker's details for Taylor & Co. (Boxes) Ltd, Boxmakers & Printers, Liverpool.

Paul Brothers were an important part of the Merseyside flour-milling industry. Their Homepride Mills formed part of the great concentration of flour mills around Birkenhead's docks, where grain arriving by ship was transferred by barge directly to the mills. Paul Brothers were eventually acquired by Spillers in 1945, although the Paul Bros and Homepride names continued to be used together for a period afterwards.

It is remarkable that something as inherently disposable as a commercial cardboard flour box has survived at all. Unlike later Homepride tins, kitchen accessories and Fred advertising pieces, these working trade cartons were made to transport produce rather than to be kept, making surviving examples particularly appealing pieces of social history, advertising ephemera and vintage kitchenalia.

The box has tremendous decorative appeal displayed on top of a kitchen cupboard, dresser or shop display and would sit beautifully amongst old advertising tins, packaging and grocery memorabilia.

Condition:

A genuine old working cardboard package showing considerable age and use. There is general surface wear, staining, creasing, softened and frayed edges, tears and losses to the card, including a hole to one panel. The original metal staples remain visible and the top edges are particularly worn. The box nevertheless retains its form and, importantly, the principal Homepride advertising remains bold and highly legible. We have deliberately left it exactly as found; its wear is very much part of its character and history. Please study all photographs carefully.

Date: Circa 1930s–1950s

Maker / Brand: Paul Bros Ltd, Homepride Mills, Birkenhead

Product: Homepride Self-Raising Flour

Box maker: Taylor & Co. (Boxes) Ltd, Liverpool

Material: Printed cardboard / fibreboard

Origin: England

Price: £68

I think £68 is a good asking price for this rare box !! later Homepride tins and Fred collectables: the appeal here is the early Paul Bros connection, Tommy-era graphics, substantial size and sheer survival of disposable trade packaging. Later, much more plentiful Homepride collectables are currently generally advertised considerably below this level, reinforcing that this box needs to be sold on its earlier industrial and social-history credentials rather than simply as Homepride memorabilia.