Historic gingerbread recipe coming home to Shropshire
A gingerbread recipe, which is 200 years old, is returning to its home town of Market Drayton.
Billington's gingerbread, which dates back to 1817, was made in Market Drayton until 2004 when it was relocated to Yorkshire by the McCarthy family.
The original recipe has been passed down from baker to baker and has always been kept a closely guarded secret.
But now Image on Food, which is based on the Burnside business park, Market Drayton, is set to re-launch, under licence, the heritage gingerbread biscuit brand.
The company is also appealing to all Billington's gingerbread customers to help with the development and re-launch of the product by inviting them to participate in a product survey.
Sarah Hopcroft, sales director at Image on Food, said: "We are absolutely delighted to be bringing the heritage gingerbread back to its home town of Market Drayton.
"As part of the re-launch, we want to engage with fans and customers alike to discover what the brand means to them and what they particularly love about the product.
"Billington's gingerbread dates back to at least 1817 and is very much a part of the heritage of the local town of Market Drayton," she said.
"By inviting local people to take part in this survey, we are hoping to gain a real understanding of the special qualities attributed to this special biscuit and heritage brand.''
Historically, the people of Market Drayton ate the gingerbread by dunking it into a glass of port, sherry, whisky or tea – a tradition dating back to the farmers' wives of the surrounding areas.
The original product was made famous by a Mr Thomas who baked the gingerbread in the basement of his bakery and shop on the corner of Church Street, Market Drayton.
The first record of gingerbread being made in the area is back in 1793 when Roland Lateward began a bakery at the back of his cottage in Shropshire Street.
In 1817 another bakery began on the corner of High Street and Church Street which then became known as Billington's Gingerbread.
And while Billington's still makes the biscuit, it moved away from the town to Yorkshire and instead sells the product back to shops in the area.
The rights to the product were sold to the McCarthy family in 1995 – and they still own the gingerbread today.
Terry McCarthy said: "I am so pleased to see the Billington's gingerbread come back to its home in Market Drayton.
"All I want is for people to be able to buy this wonderful gingerbread biscuit again so it can be enjoyed and shared throughout the town and further afield."
Over the years a number of companies have either moved away, closed or branched into something else leaving just one remaining local gingerbread baker – Image on Food.
The firm is aiming to re-launch the gingerbread to go on sale this summer.
The business has been producing hand crafted gingerbread novelties for more than 30 years.
It makes more than 50 tonnes of gingerbread a year and employs more than 50 people.
To take part in the Image on Food survey, go to billingtonsgingerbread.co.uk and click the news tab.
