 1800
- At the turn of the nineteenth century the world's first food slicer was invented in Holland by Wilhelm Van Berkel.
There, people were no longer content with simple bread and cheese. Social conditions and a moderate degree of prosperity fuelled their demand for more meat and sausage. Butchers were kept busy slicing with 16-inch long carving knives from 7 o'clock in the morning until 11 o'clock at night.
This invention was set to revolutionise the butcher's trade, where quality of cut and the speed of the slicer would become the predominant benefits of the new machines.
1898
- Van Berkel has started production at factories based in Rotterdam, and soon slicers were in demand all over Europe. Master butchers simply could not believe that hand-sliced meat or sausage could be matched or even excelled by a machine!
1908
- Van Berkel's foresight and commercial spirit quickly led him to foreign markets. Berkel Ltd was established in London in 1908 and was manufacturing slicers in England for a period after the first World War. In America, Berkel started manufacturing as the U.S. Slicing Machine Co. Inc. in 1909. By 1915, the company had outgrown its facilities in Chicago and moved on to La Porte, Indiana.
1970s
- Berkel pioneered corrosion-free machine finishes and led the way in slicer designs which promoted hygiene and improved food safety.
1993
- Now part of the GEC Avery company, slicers and food processing equipment are still sold under the Berkel brand throughout its companies and distribution network. The company adopts the brand Avery Berkel for all of its weighing equipment.
2000
- With the merger between Weigh-Tronix and Avery Berkel, the Avery Berkel brand now signifies the premier retail scales in Europe and North America.
2004
- The Berkel brand of slicers is sold to Brevetti van Berkel of Itay. Avery Weigh-Tronix becomes the exclusive supplier of Berkel slicers in the UK, France, Austria and Ireland. Avery Berkel retail scales remain a key part of the Avery Weigh-Tronix family as a world leader in the grocery market.
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