About Lancashire Eccles Cakes
Lancashire Eccles Cakes is the world's largest producer of traditional Eccles cakes, operating from a factory just 5 miles from the pastry's historic birthplace in Eccles, Greater Manchester. Established in 1979, the company produces the leading brand "Real Lancashire Eccles Cakes" using a cherished family recipe. The Eccles cake itself has a rich history dating back to 1793 when James Birch first sold them commercially at the corner of Vicarage Road and Church Street in Eccles. The name derives from the Greek 'Ecclesia' meaning assembly or church. These iconic pastries were so popular during the Puritan era that Oliver Cromwell famously banned them in 1650. Despite being mass-produced, Real Lancashire Eccles Cakes are largely handmade, maintaining the artisan quality that made them famous. Each cake features golden flaky puff pastry filled with currants and made with pure butter, delivering the authentic taste that novelist Arnold Bennett celebrated when he called the original Eccles cake shop "the most romantic shop in the world." Today, Lancashire Eccles Cakes can be found on the shelves of all leading UK supermarkets, as well as in delicatessens and corner shops nationwide. The company continues a family tradition stretching back generations – historical photographs show Samuel Edmonds (grandfather of current family members) delivering cakes in his Model T Ford in 1929.
