Remember Surprise Peas

[chrishall 10]

OK you've all had a laff, but I worked at Bachelors up Claywheels Lane for two summers around '68 and '69 when surprise peas were being processed - so I know!

 

They were the best peas in Lincolnshire and would arrive round the clock on huge artics within a few hours of being picked [peas go manky really fast]. Each batch was sampled with something called a tenderometer [i'm not making this up] and the very best were sent to the surprise peas lines. The lines were like something out of a sci-fi movie - perforated metal beds dozens of yards long and about 2 yards wide, which I think were vibrated so the peas rolled gently down them whilst very hot air was blown up through them to dry them. This produced an atmosphere around the lines of 100% humidity and about 90 degrees F. Every half an hour or so a hooter sounded and all the lads working on the lines had to drink a glass of salted orange juice to stop them passing out [no really, I'm not making this up]. Fortunately for Bachelors the fresh pea season coincided with the university hols - so they could run the lines on the sweated labour of students. But by eck the pay was good. I worked nights driving a dumper truck shovelling up all the peas that fell of the lines and taking them down to a washer to be turned into animal feed [so they told me]. The works canteen was fantastic and even though I sweated buckets I put on pounds.

 

Yeah, the peas were great - small, sweet and juicy. Much nicer than frozen.

 

I think that those who found them inedible were eating some other peas, proper Surprise peas were absolutely delicious, they really were amazing, I remember them being in small packets only, shiny plastic sachets sealed at each end, like sweets come in nowadays. They would make a great product today but maybe productions costs would be too high. The factory I visited in '61 was down Oxford way.

Edited October 2, 2013 by chrishall

[maxiesmum 10]

I loved them........wish they still made them. My dad worked at Batchelors on Claywheels lane at the time they were made.

[Cheshire Lad 10]

Anyone remember Bachelor's "Surprise" pea's .My father devised the name and designed the packaging.Unfortunately frozen peas superseded them .

 

I fear a "greengrocers' apostrophe" has crept into the original post. (Does anyone remember Surprise Pea's what? Colour? Flavour? Sexual orientation?

 

Rather appropriate, given the subject matter...

 

---------- Post added 10-03-2015 at 10:11 ----------

 

If anyone really does crave the taste of Surprise Peas, they may like to know that they are still being made by Continental Foods (a Unilever brand)...in New Zealand!

 

Google: Continental Foods Surprise Peas.

[lazarus 68]

Surprise Peas equals Chapped Legs!!!

[Jaxy15 10]

I remember camp coffee in a bottle

 

Treets which are now minstrels

 

Spanish gold

Aztec bars

[Exabbeylane 10]

Found this thread via google -- a real blast from the past! I worked on the pea dehydration quality control team in 1972/73. My job was to sample the peas as they passed down the dehydration beds -- we then ground up the peas using a coffee grinder, and measured the residual moisture. You spread the pea powder on a balance pan, weighed it, then heated the surface for 20 mins with a heating lamp. The final weight was subtracted from the starting weight, and that gave the % water. We aimed for 7% residual water. Any less, and the peas tasted burnt. Any more, and there was the danger of deterioration on the supermarket shelf. We worked 12 hour shifts (double-time on Sundays!!), and the process went on 24/7 until the pea harvest season was over. The drying shed was indeed as described by a previous poster -- a humid hell that I was pleased only to have to go in periodically to grab samples. My favourite part of the processing machinery was something called the "pea pricker" which was designed to put a small hole through the surface of each and every pea. This was necessary to allow the moisture to escape during dehydration and (equally important) to let water back in when you cooked the peas. Amazing design from process engineers, combining a cylindrical drum with pea-sized pockets on the surface, and a large array of pricking pins that came up to the cylinder surface to prick the captured peas!

[Daven 10]

- Patsy Kensit no less !

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=surprise+peas+advert&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiIh9zfkYDOAhWoIsAKHTSSDoQQsAQINA&biw=1421&bih=757

[stpetre 12]

- Patsy Kensit no less !

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=surprise+peas+advert&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiIh9zfkYDOAhWoIsAKHTSSDoQQsAQINA&biw=1421&bih=757

 

Well Bachelor's relocated most things to Worksop -any recall ?- and as that's in Nottinghamshire. Lincolnshire and it's great peas, are nearer they could perhaps blow there ! Not to be pedantic but Bachelor's were located on Limestone Cottage Lane, yes off Claywheels Lane where two other heavy industries were: Union Carbide (British Acheson Electrodes) and Hope and Anchor (later Bass) Breweries .

Edited July 19, 2016 by stpetre
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[brian1941 11]

Well Bachelor's relocated most things to Worksop -any recall ?- and as that's in Nottinghamshire. Lincolnshire and it's great peas, are nearer they could perhaps blow there ! Not to be pedantic but Bachelor's were located on Limestone Cottage Lane, yes off Claywheels Lane where two other heavy industries were: Union Carbide (British Acheson Electrodes) and Hope and Anchor (later Bass) Breweries .

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Hi Stpetre, Can you remember Dunford and Hatfields rolling mills

on Claywheels Lane, i worked there i the 60s on shifts hard graft

them days but money wern't bad.

[stpetre 12]

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Hi Stpetre, Can you remember Dunford and Hatfields rolling mills

on Claywheels Lane, i worked there i the 60s on shifts hard graft

them days but money wern't bad.

 

I don't remember Dunford and Hadfield's (by that name) on Claywheels Lane -I thought they were in another location, but do recall (1966ish) one, if not two firms on the side opposite Fletcher's bakery and Hope and Anchor brewery, also Beeley Wood Forge at the extreme (Oughtibridge) end. Would love to know the names of those mills and as to where the main D&H was.

[rainbow2411 11]

That they were inedible.

 

lol whats the surprise?

 

they wernt actually peas?

 

they were big green hard b............oh ok ill leave it up to the imagination

 

They were really good, but there are always moaning minnies either cant/wont read instructions or they're never happy never satisfied

 

You got chapped legs :hihi:

Best laugh of my day so far

[brian1941 11]

I don't remember Dunford and Hadfield's (by that name) on Claywheels Lane -I thought they were in another location, but do recall (1966ish) one, if not two firms on the side opposite Fletcher's bakery and Hope and Anchor brewery, also Beeley Wood Forge at the extreme (Oughtibridge) end. Would love to know the names of those mills and as to where the main D&H was.

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Hi Stpetre, I think i got the firms name wrong i think it was

Dunford and Elliots.

I also remember Fletchers but the rolling mills was further up

and opposite side. Thanks for that, Brian