An interesting factoid from a refridgerated transport website

In the year 1900 -

During the year, Great Britain imported 360,000 metric tons of refrigerated meat: 220,000 t from Argentina, 95,000 t from New Zealand, and 45,000 t from Australia.

I bet a lot of that meat came through Liverpool and needed to be stored in a cool place...

The stuff was aso complex -

Although the 1880s saw commercial perfection in mechanical refrigeration, it
served almost exclusively a non-household clientele. Refrigeration equipment was
large and smelly with ammonia, and required manual operation by skilled
personnel. It served the cold storage, ice-making, brewing, dairy, and
meat-packing industries. The average Joe saw benefits only indirectly.

Some of the above you learn by eating at places in the US called "The Ice house"...