Pontefract Liquorice Festival
In its sixteenth year, the Pontefract Liquorice Festival took place on Sunday 10th July 2011.
The festival celebrates this unusual plant, the many wonderful products created from it and its historic association with the town. With areas of the town themed around famous liquorice sweets visitors had all sorts of fun and surprises!
Planned as a great family day out, the main stage showcased professional and local talent from around the district, whilst a host of street entertainers delighted the crowds with magic and circus skills. There were lots of liquorice food and drink to sample and for those that like history and heritage, fascinating talks on the history of liquorice. A range of food, craft and gift stalls offered quality products from around the region.
Pontefract museum and Pontefract library hosted a variety of activities for children and young people throughout the day ensuring that this unique festival had something to offer for every member of the family.
Pontefract is rightly proud to celebrate its association with this famous plant from the Middle East. It may have been brought to Pontefract from the Crusades by a member of the De Lacy family who built Pontefract Castle or perhaps by the Benedictine monks that came to the town in 1090. However it arrived, its initial importance was as a medicine whose benefits had been known for thousands of years. It is only in the last few hundred years that it was turned into a sweet and it was the famous Pomfet (Pontefract Cake ) or Yorkshire Penny that marked the cross over from medicine to sweet.
By 1885, there were 10 companies producing liquorice sweets in Pontefract. The most famous of these: Wilkinsons – is today part of Tangerine Confectionery, and still producing millions of Pontefract Cakes, each stamped with a seal representing the history and legend of Pontefract.
Tangerine Confectionery were the proud sponsors of the 2011 Festival. To get an idea of the fun that you missed this year why not go to the
Pontefract Liquorice Festival Facebook page.
- The provisional date for the 2012 Festival is Sunday 8th July
The story of Pontefract and Liquorice
Pontefract is rightly proud to celebrate its association with this famous plant from the Middle East.
