Murdoch, William

The University Restaurant, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow.

Mr William Murdoch. 1887.

William Murdoch was born and educated in Stirling and where he began his business career. With a firm belief in the motto that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well, he soon possesed a keen insight into the mysteries of the baking business. The result was that he was able to boast that everything in the University Restaurant including the famed Maccaroon biscuits were baked to perfection on the premises. Mr Murdoch took over the restaurant in 1876 and became a household name. It was a famous place of call for ladies who desired a chippy lunch and a commodious and comfortable luncheon room was set apart for their use alone.

Businessmen in the vicinity, too, had got into the habit of dropping in for a daily snack or an early dinner. Mr Murdoch worked and baked himself on the premises serving a cool beaker of foaming ale or a glass of wine or a good old Scotch whisky along with his home baking. Mr Murdoch catered for balls, suppers, marriages and other festive occasions. When this drawing was taken in 1887 William Murdoch was still a bachelor.