Sorting the liquorice collection

The museum collections contain many hundreds of objects associated with the liquorice industry in Pontefract. 

Liquorice has been grown there since the Middle Ages by monks for medicinal reasons. Later factories such as Bassetts and Dunhills flourished, using imported liquorice to make sweets.  Find out more about the history of liquorice by clicking here.

Work experience placement, Sarah, surrounded by liquorice objects

Sarah is spending her work experience placement with Museums to sort and photograph the collection. The results will be used to improve the museum database in preparation for putting the images on the web in the future, so liquorice fanatics the world over can explore our collections!

Once upon a time Pomfret cakes were only made in Pontefract. Although this is no longer the case some are still nonetheless manufactured in the town itself and visitors can still catch that sweet smell on the air.

To mark the importance of liquorice to the town there is an annual Liquorice Festival with all sorts of events taking place and a rare opportunity to buy a liquorice plant of your own.