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Bradley & Co Ltd of Mount Pleasant, Bilston, were founded in
1872 and eventually changed their name to Beldray - an anagram
of the founder's name. They originally made brass
and copperware and soon added tin plate wares of all sorts.
This got them into domestic appliances of a great variety and
they became especially famous for their ironing boards and
ladders. They were in business until 2005 when they closed
down in the face of far eastern competition. They do not seem to
have done much in the way of cooking utensils and equipment but
the Beldray Rapid Vacuum Freezer was one exception. It
seems to have been made in the 1920s or 30s.
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The Beldray Rapid Freezer, size 3. |
The freezer was for making ice cream.
It came in four sizes, which made 1, 2, 3 or 4 quarts of ice
cream. The photo shows an actual example of the number
3 size. It is just over 12 inches high and about 10 inches
across. The freezer was basically a tin plate barrel.
Inside it was suspended a kind of silvered flask, like that
inside a "Thermos" flask. There was a cover, sealed
with rubber rings, at the top and at the bottom. You
undid the bottom and filled the cavity between the barrel
and the flask with finely chopped or crushed ice and salt -
not any salt but freezing salt which "can be obtained from
any fishmonger". You then put the bottom back on and
took the top off. That revealed the flask, into which
you poured your ice cream mixture. Then you put the
lid back on and left it. You had to stir the mixture
every ten minutes but otherwise you just left it for about
45 minutes when, lo and behold, the flask contained ice
cream. |
| Using only ice without the salt, the Freezer
would also keep salads, sandwiches and fruits fresh - in
other words, you could use it rather like a primitive
refrigerator.
According to the instruction and recipe booklet which
came with the freezer, ice cream was good for you
- "good for every member of the family from the youngest
to the oldest". This is because it has "a very
definite food vale, greater and more concentrated than
that of meat, fish, vegetables or other foods".
This value is demonstrated by the fact that "every pound
of pure ice cream contains nearly 1,000 calories, all of
which is assimilated by the body".
So wonderful is this food that "During the World War
the allied armies consumed enormous quantities, it being
realised that nothing could more quickly refresh the
troops after long marches and strenuous engagements, or
do more to promote rapid recovery from illness or
injury". |
Cover of the
instruction and recipe booklet. |
The booklet reflects aspects of the life style
of the times and the way it was changing. After it has
suggested serving ice cream at "small impromptu dances" it goes
on to comment that "For many of us a car has widened our
horizon, made a day or two in the countryside possible during
every week of the summer. No one will begrudge travelling
space to the "Rapid" Freezer, and then it will simply be a case
of Ice Cream - cool and refreshing - when and wherever it is
wished".
The booklet contained many recipes, divided into
ice cream, frappes and ices. Below is one recipe from each
section.
Chocolate Ice Cream
| l.5 cups milk |
2 eggs |
| 1.5 cups confectioner's sugar |
2 tablespoons cold water |
| 6 tablespoons grated chocolate or cocoa |
0.5 teaspoon salt |
| 2.5 cups cream |
1 tablespoon vanilla extract |
Beat eggs and sugar until light. Stir the
cold water into the chocolate or cocoa and dissolve over hot
water, then add to the eggs and sugar. Stir in milk -
strain through cheesecloth or fine sieve. Flavour with
vanilla; and salt to cream and whip until stiff. Add to
mixture. Freeze.
Pineapple Frappe
| 4 cups grated tinned pineapple |
0.5 cup lemon juice |
| 2 cups sugar |
1 teaspoon pineapple extract |
| 3 cups water |
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Boil water and sugar for ten minutes. Pour
the hot syrup over pineapple. When cold, add lemon juice
and pineapple extract. Freeze.
Fruit Granite
| 4 cups cider |
1 cup pineapple, tinned |
| 1 cup peach or apricot juice, tinned |
0.25 cup lemon juice |
| 1 cup orange juice |
1.5 cups sugar |
Stir fruit juice with sugar until the sugar is
dissolved. Freeze. Serve in a punch bowl into which
is placed two cups of crushed or shaved ice.
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