I live next to a biscuit factory – people say it’d put them off but I absolutely love it… here’s why
LOCALS who live next to a biscuit factory say they aren’t put off by the smell and actually love living nearby.
The McVities factory in Harlesden, North London, is the largest biscuit production site in Europe, employing 600 people and making around 80million biscuits every day.
Standing on Waxlow Road, the 120-year-old factory produces more than 2,500 tonnes of biscuits a week, including British favourites such as the popular digestive, hobnob and rich tea.
With all those biscuits being made, the warm, buttery smell, wafts over the surrounding neighbourhood.
On the other side of the railway tracks lies Milton Avenue where the gardens of one row of houses look directly over the factory.
While many people might be put off by the pungent aromas it seems those living close by aren’t deterred at all – and in fact actually love it.
Zack, 48, who has lived on the road for 20 years said he found the scent “really nice, I love it”.
He told MyLondon: “When they are baking you can smell it across the whole area. [It] doesn’t put me off, it makes me more hungry”.
Even though he has lived on the road for two decades he only discovered recently that biscuits can be bought directly from the factory, after seeing a neighbour carrying a load of boxes down the street.
Zack said: “I asked what they were and he told me they were all from McVities and anyone can go there.
“They don’t give a discount to us but it’s very cheap, much cheaper than the supermarkets. I had been living here for such a long time and I didn’t know about it.”
Samer, 20, has lived opposite the factory for his entire life and the digestive is his favourite.
He said he wakes up to the smell of biscuits every day and uses the digestive for his cuppa.
When asked if the smell put him off biscuits he replied “not at all”.
In fact, some residents think the smell is actually an attraction to the area.
Beverley, 60, who has lived on “biscuit street” for 15 years, said she loves the “sweet smell” and joked that was the reason she bought the house.
She even does her own baking, telling people the aroma is not from McVities and that her baking is better.
Beverley admitted she doesn’t eat biscuits but buys them as a treat for her grandkids.
Her grandson, Devari, 10, is also a fan of the original digestive biscuit.
Juliette, 65, who has lived on Milton Avenue for more than 20 years, admitted while she didn’t like biscuits she didn’t mind the smell at all.
In a startling admission, considering where she lived, she did reveal that she did occasionally indulge – but preferred a custard cream to anything produced by McVities.
A spokesperson for Brent Council said it was “great” that the local community still supported the Harlesden factory.
They said: “We welcome all businesses that contribute to the local economy and provide employment opportunities for our residents.
“Millions of biscuits are produced daily in the factory and I’m sure that many of us at the council are partial to a digestive or two.”
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