It was designed by architect Louis de Soissons to encourage companies to establish factories in the industrial areas of garden cities.

The design of the Welwyn Garden City factory was inspired by an existing one in Niagara Falls, USA, also operated by the Shredded Wheat Company of America.

The factory is considered a local landmark, with its image used heavily in marketing for Shredded Wheat to portray the cereal as healthier and more hygienic than alternatives.

The eastern section of the town was assigned as its industrial district and multiple factories, including Shredded Wheat opened on Broadwater Road.

[3] The Shredded Wheat Company of America first arrived in the United Kingdom in 1908 with offices in Aldwych, London[2] and began exports to the country later that year.

[3]The Shredded Wheat Company was attracted to the Welwyn Garden site because of its proximity to London, railway access and minimal pollution.

[2] The modern architecture of the factory buildings contrasted with the Georgian style de Soissons used for the rest of Welwyn Garden.

The 1937–39 expansion attempted to maintain the visually–appealing elements of the original factory's design,[5] involving the construction of a single–storey production hall and 27 additional silos,[6] increasing the number to 45.

Shredded wheat cereals were promoted in the UK as a healthy breakfast option produced in a hygienic environment, and the factory's aesthetic was used as a marketing tool.

[5] This was achieved through the inclusion of whitewashed concrete and ceramic tiles in the exterior design, as well as its location in a garden city with little pollution.

[5] The factory is considered to be a local landmark,[12][13] and elements of it remain visible to rail passengers travelling on the East Coast Main Line.

[2] Parts of the factory were granted Grade II heritage status by Historic England on 16 January 1981,[1] and it was the entry for 1926 in the Twentieth Century Society's book 100 Buildings 100 Years.

[2][12][15] The factory was acquired by Cereal Partners Worldwide in 1990,[16] who closed the site in 2008[12][13] to lower manufacturing costs by consolidating production lines.

[19] Critics of the development noted that the ten-storey apartment blocks were significantly larger than a previously enforced five-storey cap, so they would overshadow existing buildings in Welwyn Garden's town centre.