Quick Read
Dried, Frozen or canned
Have a look at some of the different Own Label vegetable packaging
Quick Read
Store Highlight: Camden Town
The first supermarket to be listed by Historic England, here we look at the history of the branch which opened in late 1988.
Quick Read
Tea and Biscuits
We take a look at a selection of packaging of our favourite teatime treats from the 1960s and 70s
Long Read
Packaging Design Files
The Sainsbury Archive contains thousands of items created during the product packaging design process from the 1960s onwards. Many can now be viewed online, providing a great source of information and inspiration. See what there is and how to delve into it here.
Video Story
Archive Talk: History of Self-Service at Sainsbury's
Listen to Archivist, Allison Foster, give a talk about the revolution in British shopping habits.
Quick Read
Store Highlight: Coldhams Lane, Cambridge
Coldhams Lane, Cambridge was Sainsbury’s first ‘edge of town’ supermarket – a key milestone in store planning. It was also the first branch with its own petrol station. Go back to 1974 and see more here.
Long Read
The Story of the Car Park
The car park has been a major feature of Sainsbury's stores for the last 50 years and beyond. We look at the story of how the car park developed over time.
Video Story
Archive Talk: The History of Savacentre
Listen to Archivist, Allison Foster, give a talk about Sainsbury's answer to the hypermarket
Quick Read
Pet Products
Sainsbury’s has sold cat and dog food for over 60 years, so even the choosiest of pets should find something they like in this overview.
Quick Read
Sport Ventures
Did you know that Sainsbury’s had a cricket team as early as 1915? Let's look at different sport and social activities on offer and how they evolved over time.
Video Story
Archive Talk: The History of Home Delivery
Listen to Archivist, Allison Foster, give a talk about the surprisingly long history of home delivery
Quick Read
What is Bloater Paste?
Read about how Sainsbury's made and sold this tasty tea-time treat.
Video Story
Archive Talk: The History of Tea at Sainsburys
Listen to Archivist, Allison Foster, give a talk about the changes to tea sales over the last century.
Long Read
Staff Accommodation
For over a century Sainsbury’s offered its staff a place to live as well as a job. Make yourself at home and read more here.
Quick Read
'Food For Talk' Dementia Resource
Use our printer-friendly downloadable PDF, containing key tools for self-led conversation / activity.
Long Read
Home Delivery
Although home delivery of supermarket shopping may seem like a recent innovation, Sainsbury’s has a long history of supplying goods directly to customers’ front doors. This story delivers the details, from the days of horse-drawn carts to the internet age.
Video Story
Archive Talk: Family History in the Sainsbury Archive
Listen to Archivist, Allison Foster, give an introduction to family history in our collection, including what material we hold and where to start a search.