Prince Charles Marks 100 Years of Perfect Pickles

The Prince of Wales helped a family-run Bartons Pickles in St. Helens, celebrate their 100th anniversary.

His Royal Highness visited Edmund Barton Limited, also known as Bartons Pickles, which produces 18 varieties of pickles, sauces and chutneys and is run by the fourth generation of the same family. Established by Edmund Barton in 1905, Bartons Pickles will celebrates 100 years of “pickling perfection”.

Upon his arrival, The Prince was greeted by crowds of residents and schoolchildren who cheered, clapped and waved home-made Union flags. The fantastic Haydock Brass Band played “Food, Glorious Food” as The Prince stepped out of his car on Lascelles Road, Fingerpost which was decorated with flags and bunting.

After meeting Managing Director Eddie Barton Fairhurst, his daughter and 4th generation pickler, Joanna Jenner and other office staff, The Prince walked across the road to the factory itself. His Royal Highness chatted to the oldest and youngest of the local residents before putting on a white coat and hat for a tour of the production area.

Factory workers demonstrated the pickle making process and The Prince helped to stir a huge tub of Bartons famous Piccalilli with a giant plastic spatula, before tasting a sample on a piece of bread. The Prince chatted to suppliers and customers of Bartons Pickles and said he had enjoyed the opportunity to help them celebrate their 100th anniversary.

The Prince said: “Coming here just shows what a remarkable enterprise is run here, and has been for nearly 100 years. Bartons represents so much of what is best about small businesses in this country. They provide the diversity and essence of locality that is so important if we are to avoid becoming homogeneous in every sense of the word. I am now reliably told that the North West eats more piccalilli than anywhere else.”

Mr Barton Fairhurst, better known as “Pickle Eddie”, said: “Today is a coming together of all the generations’ hard work. In my wildest dreams I could never have imagined such an honour as His Royal Highness joining us to celebrate our centenary.” He added: “My dad had a fine saying – ‘one taste and you‘re ours for good’ – and it‘s our intention to keep that motto going.”

The Prince unveiled a sculpted wooden onion to commemorate the occasion, and cut a birthday cake, shaped like a big jar of Piccalilli. His Royal Highness was presented with a basket of pickles and chutneys before leaving St Helens.