In November 1909 a group of grocers got together and decided to establish some professional standards for grocery education and training. The Institute of Certificated Grocers was formed. A century of progress saw the training body merge with the Institute of Food Distribution to form what would become IGD as we know it today.

This timeline contains a potted history of IGD, covering some key milestones and interesting incidents in our past. From certificates in soupmanship and training in pig butchery, through the creation of GDAs, helping to introduce kerbside recycling, and researching the ‘openability’ of packaging (which led to the invention of the rip-chord on a packet of biscuits), IGD has been providing leadership, inspiration and an impartial place for the industry to come together.

How to use the timeline
The timeline will open in a new window. Simply use the scroll bar to move the timeline along the decades, and click on each point to find out more. Use the zoom tool to see the timeline in more detail.

See how the food & grocery has changed over the past 100 years with our centenary video