This day in 1978: Go crackers for this footage of Jacob’s biscuit factory

By Mark Keane

40-years-ago today, RTE paid a visit to the Jacob's Biscuit Factory in Tallaght, which, a local institution, was also responsible for shipping ‘Ireland’s favourite biscuit’ world-wide.

The documentary goes behind the scenes at the factory, showing the different steps involved in the creation of Jacob's crackers and biscuits and the people involved in the process. 

Creating such a delicacy resulted in the subsidised staff canteen feeding 500 people daily, the number rising regularly with changes in shifts and staff having tea or coffee breaks.

There was also on-the-spot eye, medical and dental treatment for staff however, there is no mention on whether staff perks also included unlimited biscuits.

Fancy biscuits

‘Fancy biscuits’, such as Kimberley, formed a large part of the factory’s output, being used in Jacob’s Afternoon tea tins, according to the RTE narrator.

The narrator describes the biscuit’s journey as it goes from being cooked to being left to cool on conveyor belts, before being wrapped in Irish-made greaseproof paper and boxed.

The success of Jacobs biscuits resulted in the tasty product being exported to the likes of France and the USA, with each country getting their own specifically designed tin.

As seen in the footage, the delivery trucks that left the Belgard Road supplied customers both at home and abroad, showcasing the product of Irish industry.