The Oxo Factory stood at 199-203 Beersbridge Road, Belfast. First occupied by the famous food company in the years after the Second World War, the site saw use as a storage facility. Oxo stock cubes were popular during both World Wars.
In the lead-up to and throughout the Second World War, Oxo was a staple of many people’s diets. Every member of the forces serving on the frontlines received a single Oxo cube in their weekly rations. During The Great War, advertisers claimed the foodstuff could compensate for meat shortages. Other adverts suggested the beef stock cubes could protect against influenza.
Oxo had long been a tenant in Belfast before the outbreak of The Great War. In 1910, their agents operated from 56 Waring Street, Belfast. This building was home to David Corneville and Co., also agents for Lemco, Bifti, Fray Bentos Corned Beef, and Ox-Tail Soup. By 1912, Corneville’s moved to 28 Waring Street, Belfast. Their movement along Waring Street continued throughout The Great War, ending at 11 Waring Street, Belfast in 1918. They remained there in the inter-war years. During the Second World War, the company of Oxo Ltd. operated from a site at 155-157 Donegall Pass, Belfast.
In November 2019, Clonrose Developments announced intentions to develop the Beersbridge Road site. Choice Housing Ireland will deliver 18 social housing units in the area after £1.9m investment. The proposed new development will retain the name “The Oxo Factory” as a nod to its past.