In 1831, Carr formed a small bakery and biscuit factory in the English city of Carlisle in Cumberland; he received a royal warrant in 1841. [1] Within 15 years of being founded, it had become Britain's largest baking business. [2] 1922 newspaper advertisement A committed Quaker, Carr was a gentle, kind and modest man. An enlightened employer, he had established a library for his workforce by 1841. Butler, Sarah (1 April 2016). "Flood-hit Carlisle factory resumes production of Carr's water biscuits". The Guardian . Retrieved 6 May 2016. Carr & Co granted its workers a five day working week from 1934, and hours were reduced from 47 to 45 with no reduction in pay.

Since 1972 the Carr's biscuit factory has been part of United Biscuits, and the Carr's branded products are marketed in the US by Kellogg's. The factory today is known officially as McVitie's but still known locally as Carr's. Overexpansion led to liquidity issues, and the business was forced to tender a public offering of shares in 1894. An 1896 advertisement for Carr & Co United Biscuits immediately transferred some Carlisle production to a factory in Liverpool, with the loss of 80 jobs. However the Carlisle factory escaped closure, in part, due to its excellent labour relations, which were in themselves a valuable asset.The Story of Carr's". United Biscuits (UK). Archived from the original on 29 August 2014 . Retrieved 4 December 2013. Theodore Carr died in 1931, and he was succeeded as chairman by his brother, Harold Carr (1880 – 1937).

Story, Chris (2 March 2012). "Carr's Table Water Biscuits Lose Royal Stamp of Approval". Cumberland News. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016 . Retrieved 4 December 2013. The Carlisle factory employed over 600 people in 2016, and produced McVitie’s products such as the Gold bar, as well as Carr’s Water Biscuits. It is the oldest continually-operating biscuit factory in the world. Carrs of carlisle Carrs water biscuits history of carrs of carlislea b c Carr's water biscuit shortage looms after factory hit by UK floods, The Independent, 22 January 2016