The Aerated Bread Company Ltd (A&l rated Bread Company or A.B.C.) was founded in the United Kingdom (U.K.) in 1862 by Dr. John Dauglish. Its aim was to mass produce healthy, additive-free breads using a new bread leavening technology invented by the company's founder. Dauglish's system was a yeast-free, carbonic acid gas (i.e., carbon dioxide) method of bread making: Nothing but flour, water, a little salt and gas – no sweat! It was liked by many. In addition to the bakery, the company was especially well-known for its many tea shops that operated from 1864.

The Adelaide factory was built in 1866, and used as a bakery until 1900. The Company was considered one of the city’s leading industries, winning local and international prizes for its bread, cakes and biscuits. The building is one of the few surviving industrial complexes of early Adelaide, and was later used as a car showrooms (Robinson’s Motor Company).

In 1866, the Aerated Bread Company advertised that their dough was ‘mixed by machinery’ in a process that injected carbon dioxide instead of using yeast fermentation.

C.A. Motteram left his home in Bendigo, Victoria, around 1875 and started his association with the biscuit trade in South Australia when he joined the staff of the Aerated Bread Company in their factory.

Federation Trading currently trades from the building.