The Rowntree Legacy: Pioneers in industrial Welfare

Joseph believed passionately in the welfare of his workforce and that business and community were inextricably linked. Seebohm Rowntree developed these ideas further and demonstrated that improving worker welfare would promote industrial efficiency.

This is an important aspect of the Rowntree legacy. Among later company developments were the establishment of a rest home intended to provide a sanctuary for those suffering with stress and ill health or bereavement.

Dunollie in Scarborough was opened in 1947. In 1957 Rowntrees opened a factory in the Fawdon area of Newcastle upon Tyne in response to staff shortages in York and rising demand for confectionery. Run by Nestle from 1988, this factory finally closed in 2023 having become a focal point of the local community.