6 Apr 2016
Join the SCI London Regional Group for a private tour of the Tate & Lyle Sugars refinery on 20 April 2016.
Tate & Lyle Sugars dates back to 1878 and is a household name. Its iconic Tate & Lyle, Lyle’s Golden Syrup, and Lyle Black Treacle brands have formed the basis of every UK home’s larder for over 130 years.
Founded in 1878, Henry Tate’s Thames refinery in London’s East End began producing operations specialising in cube sugars. Soon after, in 1882, Abram Lyle began refining sugar and producing Lyle’s Golden Syrup in nearby Plaistow Wharf. Forty years later, in 1921, Henry Tate & Sons and Lyle & Sons merged to become Tate & Lyle. In 2010, the company was bought and became part of the American ASR Group. To this day, Henry Tate is also remembered for his endowment of the Tate Gallery (now Tate Britain).
The company is Europe’s biggest cane sugar refiner, and its East London refinery on the Thames is one of the largest in the world. Raw sugar is imported by ship and then processed into white sugar, molasses, and a range of syrups and other value added products, using unit operations such as filtration, ion exchange, decolourisation and crystallisation.
The tour will open with a visit to the small on-site museum where there will be a talk on the history of the business since 1878, from Henry Tate to the present day, and an explanation of the process. There will also be an opportunity to look at the historical collection of artefacts. This will then be followed by a tour of the site, finishing with tea and coffee.
Please note that clothing and footwear appropriate for a visit to an industrial site must be worn - no open toed shoes or high heels please. You will also be required to wear a hard hat and safety glasses on the tour.
Numbers on the tour are limited to 15 so register early for a chance to secure your place by clicking on the link below.
The event is free but attendees will be able to make a donation to the Richard House Children’s Hospice.
SCI's London and Construction Materials Groups are also planning a visit to the brickmakers, H G Matthews, in Chesham, on 12 May. Please click on the link below for more details.
Related Links:
- Visit to Tate & Lyle Sugars, Thames Refinery, London, UK, 20 April 2016 - Book Your Place Now
- Other London Group events
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