Pontefract Cakes have nothing to do with cake, but the name has stuck for centuries, and the sweet itself is one of the oldest branded confections still made in Britain today.
From medicine to penny sweet
The liquorice disc has roots as medicine rather than confectionery. One account credits Sir George Saville with first stamping liquorice into small discs for medicinal use in 1614. It took until around 1760 for someone — most accounts name a chemist called George Dunhill — to add sugar to the recipe, turning a medicinal lozenge into something people would actually choose to eat, and kicking off commercial production in the town.
Why "cakes," and why Pontefract
The name comes from Pomfret or Pomfrey, older spellings of Pontefract, giving us "Pomfret cakes" long before the modern name settled. They've also been nicknamed "Yorkshire Pennies." At the trade's peak, Pontefract was home to well over a dozen liquorice factories, with workers known as "liquorice thumpers" hand-stamping tens of thousands of sweets a day. Commercial liquorice growing in the town stopped in the 1970s, and most of what goes into today's sweets is imported, though a small local farm has recently started growing it again.
Do we stock it?
Yes — we stock Haribo Pontefract Cakes 3kg for bulk buyers, and 160g share bags by the case for smaller orders.
Frequently asked questions
What are Pontefract Cakes?
Small, round liquorice sweets stamped with a castle design, from the Yorkshire town of Pontefract.
Why are they called 'cakes'?
The name is historic, from the older "Pomfret cakes," not a literal description — they're liquorice sweets, not cake.
Who makes them today?
Haribo and Valeo Confectionery, both still producing them in or near Pontefract.
Does Supreme Sweets stock Pontefract Cakes?
Yes, in a 3kg bulk box and in 160g share bags by the case.