Reading Biscuit Town

Reading has recently celebrated 200 years of its amazing biscuit heritage. In 1822, one of the most famous names in baking, Huntley & Palmers biscuits, began life as a small baker’s shop in London Street, Reading. Within 40 years, the company that created the Nice biscuit, Gingernut and the Bath Oliver was exporting its goods across the globe and Reading became known as Biscuit Town, home to the largest biscuit manufacturer in the world with cakes and biscuit names still known today. 

While the anniversary year has passed, you can still explore Reading's biscuit heritage through:-

The astonishing collection of decorative biscuits tins and ephemera in the Huntley & Palmers Gallery at Reading Museum includes almost 300 decorative biscuit tins as well as the earliest surviving film of a British factory. You can also see a biscuit supplied to Captain Scott's ill-fated Antarctic expedition, and the rude ‘Kate Greenaway’ biscuit tin that embarrassed the biscuit company in 1980! A new leaflet will also help visitors explore Reading’s biscuit heritage at your own pace. Pick up a copy of the self-guided Biscuit Crumb Trail at The MERL or Reading Museum.

Join a Biscuit Walkabout guided tour of Reading’s biscuit heritage with Terry’s Reading Walkabouts. Terry is a Reading walking tour guide and is passionate about all things Reading. His mother worked for Huntley & Palmers in Reading and this special guided walk will take in many of the places synonymous with biscuits in Reading as well as other aspects of Reading’s Biscuit history.

 A new Huntley & Palmers Audio Trail takes you on a journey through time and the world of biscuits. Real and imagined voices and sounds tell the story of how Huntley & Palmers of Reading’s London Street became a global powerhouse. Listen and walk the trail via your smartphone.

Finish off your biscuit itinerary with Afternoon Tea at the Reading Room restaurant at the Roseate Reading Hotel, complete with biscuits inspired by Huntley and Palmer.