Quiggin's is a confectionery producer, and the oldest surviving manufacturer of

Kendal Mint Cake Kendal Mint Cake is a sugar-based confection flavoured with peppermint. It originates from Kendal in Cumbria, England. Kendal Mint Cake is popular among Climbing, climbers and Mountaineering, mountaineers, especially those from the United Kingd ...

. It is also one of only three manufacturers of this confection, the others being Romney's and Wilson's.

History

The "Quiggin's Confectionery Company" was founded in 1840 on the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

by William Quiggin, and sold confections such as coconut ice and bullseyes. In 1847,

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

and

Prince Albert Prince Albert most commonly refers to: *Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819–1861), consort of Queen Victoria *Albert II, Prince of Monaco (born 1958), present head of state of Monaco Prince Albert may also refer to: Royalty * Alb ...

visited

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, and were greeted by William Quiggin, whose daughter presented Albert with a stick of

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

with the words "Welcome Prince Albert to Mona" along with the Manx

triskelion A triskelion or triskeles is an ancient motif consisting either of a triple spiral exhibiting rotational symmetry or of other patterns in triplicate that emanate from a common center. The spiral design can be based on interlocking Archimedean s ...

throughout its centre, and is regarded by some as the first lettered rock. In 1872 Daniel, William's son, moved to

Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness, England. It lies within the River Kent's dale, from which its name is derived, just outside the boundary of t ...

and began his own confectionery company, the company today known as Quiggin's. Manufacture of Kendal Mint Cake began soon after (although the product was invented by Wiper's in 1869). In 1975 Quiggin's became the first to cover their mint cake in chocolate, and the same year,

Sir Chris Bonington Sir Christian John Storey Bonington, CVO, CBE, DL (born 6 August 1934) is a British mountaineer. His career has included nineteen expeditions to the Himalayas, including four to Mount Everest. Early life and expeditions Bonington's father, w ...

took Quiggin's Kendal Mint Cake on his ascent of Mount Everest. Quiggin's Kendal Mint Cake accompanied the first successful non-mechanised Trans-Antarctic Expedition in 1990.

References

External links

Quiggin's Original Kendal Mint Cake homepage
Confectionery companies of the United Kingdom Companies based in Cumbria Kendal {{England-company-stub