Kellogg’s Trafford Park has been immortalised in three new artworks by local artist Sue Scott, as a unique memento of one of Greater Manchester’s most recognisable manufacturing sites.
Commissioned exclusively for colleagues at the factory, each framed print carries a unique number out of the 450 made, with the designs unveiled at a special event this weekend. The factory, which has been manufacturing many of the country’s most-loved cereals for 90 years, is preparing to close in the autumn as its operations move to Wrexham.
The three artworks each capture different memories of the site, with the famous red-brick exterior captured in one, a montage of recognisable scenes from inside and around the factory depicted in the second, and the iconic Christmas scene complete with the site’s much-loved Zippy Santa being showcased in the third.
The idea for the prints was the brainchild of Laura Tuff, Sanitation Manager at the Trafford Park factory, who has worked at the plant since 2002:
Laura said: “We had a lot of productive conversations with colleagues about how they wanted to remember the site and from those chats we established everyone wanted something that felt personal to us and the factory.
“We know how iconic the site is and how much it’s loved by people around Manchester, so then it was about finding an artist whose style could really bring it to life. I knew Sue’s work in capturing the everyday and making it into something beautiful, so I knew she would be able to capture the building, the brand and all the little details that have made this site so iconic for the last 90 years.
“What makes the prints special is that they’re only for people connected with the plant.
“The people who work here will look at the prints and recognise something different. It might be the building itself, Zippy at Christmas, the little green forklift truck, or a part of the factory they walked past every day. Those details will mean something different to everyone.”
Sue Scott, who is based in Stockport, is known for paintings and prints of urban and rural northern landscapes, including scenes from Manchester, the North West, the Lake District and North Wales.
Her work often focuses on Manchester’s architecture, heritage and industrial past, capturing the relationship between the city’s historic buildings and contemporary developments.
That made her a natural choice for a commission designed to celebrate a factory that has been shaped not just by its red-brick buildings, but by generations of people who have worked there.
Sue said: “It was an honour to be asked to be part of this project, particularly because it was something local and connected to a place that so many people in Manchester recognise.
“While working with Laura and her colleagues it became very clear how important it was to capture not just the buildings, but also the sense of community, shared history and belonging that existed within the factory.
“I hope the prints give colleagues a lasting connection to the factory, its community and the memories they made there.
“For me, this wasn’t just another commission. It was an opportunity to be part of a significant moment in the factory’s history and to help create something that would mark and celebrate its legacy. I’ve also never painted fireworks before, so it was great to get to try something new!”
The prints are just one of many activities to celebrate the people, memories and legacy of the Trafford Park factory during its final months of operation. This has also included a public exhibition at Trafford Local Studies & Archives Centre in Sale, which brings together photographs, archive material and memorabilia from nearly 90 years of the site’s history. The exhibition is open and free to visit until mid-August.
