The Gems Story - Made in Cheshire!
Over the past week we’ve been sharing some of the interesting and perhaps forgotten products that have been made in Cheshire over the years, from shoes and spices to baskets, pharmaceuticals, ribbons, and more.
To mark Cheshire Day, we’ve brought everything together in one place. From spices to silk ribbons, baskets to boots, more was and is Made in Cheshire than people might realise!
1. Spice Processing in Ellesmere Port
We begin with a flavourful reminder of something you might not expect to be connected to Ellesmere Port: spices.
A late 1970s advert from McCormick Foods promotes the company’s plant on Rossmore Road as ‘Europe’s most modern spice processing and packaging facility.’
Part of the world’s largest spice company, the Ellesmere Port site played a key role in keeping the UK’s kitchen cupboards stocked with herbs and spices.
Advert for McCormick Foods c1979
2. Ribbon Manufacturing in Congleton
Berisfords silk ribbons advert c1950s
Congleton has long been home to one of Cheshire’s most enduring manufacturers: Berisfords Ltd.
Berisfords Ribbons has been a constant in the textile industry since 1858, surviving global competition, two world wars, and major industrial changes. Founded by Charles Berisford and carried on through generations of the Berisford and Sebire families, the company grew from Victoria Mill on Foundry Bank to an international brand.
The entrance to the Lion & Swan Hotel in Congleton, incorporated into a seal, became part of the trademark for Berisfords’ Wearwell ‘Tested by Time’ ribbons for many years.
3. Shoemaking in Nantwich
Nantwich once produced tough work boots and later fashionable shoes that travelled far beyond Cheshire.
From the 16th to 19th centuries, local shoemakers supplied sturdy footwear to Lancashire mill towns, selling their products in Manchester and London by 1790. An inventory attached to the will of William Hayles, a Nantwich shoemaker, details his stock and also illustrates the early “putting out” system, where materials were distributed to families working from home.
Shop inventory included in the will of William Hayles, shoemaker, 1708
4. Wartime Munitions at Leighton Court, Neston
Photograph of W. E. Whineray's munitions factory
Neston offers an unexpected wartime story from Leighton Court, home of the Whineray family.
William Whineray, who built his fortune in cotton, became a notable local philanthropist during the First World War. As part of his support for the war effort, he turned a workshop on his estate into a small munitions facility - likely producing shell cases or bullets.
5. Engineering the Sutton Weaver Swing Bridge
This year marks 100 years of the Sutton Weaver Swing Bridge, opened in 1926. Designed by Colonel John Arthur Saner and built by Joseph Parks & Son of Northwich, it replaced an earlier 1872 structure and remains one of five major swing bridges crossing the River Weaver.
Joseph Parks & Son began in 1861 as ship repairers in Wincham before expanding into iron shipbuilding, steelwork, and major engineering projects worldwide - including components for the Mulberry Harbours used during the D-Day landings in WWII.
Photograph of Sutton Weaver Swing Bridge from album of images in Joseph Parks & Son collection
6. Sculpture from Bollington: Alfred Gatley
Alfred Gatley’s ‘Echo”
Cheshire’s creativity is as much a part of what is ‘Made In Cheshire’ as its industry.
Bollington-born sculptor Alfred Gatley (1816-1863), brought up near his family’s quarries, developed an early talent that led him to a successful career in marble sculpture in Rome. His famous piece Echo (1850-1853) survives in multiple versions; one is held at Gawsworth Hall.
7. Everyday Goods from Winsford: Bryte Wear
Advertisement for Colin Stewart Ltd c1958
In Winsford, the company Bryte Wear was founded in 1946 by Colin Stewart to meet postwar demand for electroplated goods.
Operating from a former military depot behind the Red Lion Hotel, the company produced household items such as spoons, knives, and forks, sold under the brand ‘Winsford Plate.’ In 1954 Bryte Wear was sold to Unsworth and Sons of Sandbach. Stewart later continued his involvement in the town through Colin Stewart Ltd, which eventually became part of AMCOL International.
8. Cleaning Products in Wheelock: Zan Ltd
Wheelock was once home to Zan Ltd, a local manufacturer known for producing ‘everything for cleaning and disinfection.’
Originally founded in 1919 as Hovet and Lowther after the purchase of Wheelock Mill, the company made brushes, soap, polish, disinfectants, aluminium goods, and even phosphoric acid - much of which was exported to the USA during Prohibition for use in soft drinks manufacturing.
Zan Works interior, showing the factory floor, c1930
9. Basket Making in Frodsham
Bibby's Basket Makers, Church Street, c1890s
Basket making was once an important craft in Frodsham, illustrated by a photograph of Bibby’s basket works behind Church Street.
The Bibby family produced many types of baskets, but potato hampers were their mainstay. Several generations worked in the business, contributing to a long and skilled local tradition.
10. Pharmaceuticals in Crewe: Calmic and the Invention of Calpol
Calmic Ltd advert in Crewe town guide, c1957
Crewe was once home to the Calmic Group of Companies, which moved to Crewe Hall from Lancashire in 1947.
Calmic produced a wide range of pharmaceuticals - including Calpol, invented in 1959. Transforming bitter medicine into a sweet syrup, Calpol quickly became a household name. A branding combination of manufacturer and active ingredient - the Cheshire and Lancashire Medical Industries Corporation and paracetamol - puts Cheshire in global medicine cabinets.
Manufacturing at Crewe Hall ended in 1995; the building is now a hotel.
11: Chester’s Silver Assay Office
Chester, with its strong tradition of gold and silversmithing, was granted its own Assay Office in 1700.
Before then, local makers had to send their work to London for testing and hallmarking. For over 250 years, from 1700 to 1962, the Chester Assay Office served craftspeople across the region. Its hallmark remains visible on historic silver pieces today.
Photograph of the assay process at Chester, c1960s
Looking Ahead
If you’d like to discover even more from our collections, we’re excited to be launching our new website this autumn, where you’ll find many other collection Gems, stories, and surprising finds.
Happy Cheshire Day - and thank you for celebrating what’s truly #MadeInCheshire!
