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Fisherman's Friend
Invented for trawlermen working in freezing northern seas, Fisherman's Friend became an exported lozenge, with three Queen's Awards for Export Achievement, without ever leaving its Lancashire home town.
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Fisherman's Friend are small, fiercely strong menthol lozenges made in Fleetwood, on the Lancashire coast. Anyone who has tried one remembers it.
Made for the trawlermen
In 1865, James Lofthouse, a pharmacist in Fleetwood, set out to help the town's fishermen. They worked in brutal conditions in the northern deep sea fishing grounds and suffered from all sorts of breathing and chest problems. Lofthouse made them an extremely strong liquid remedy based on menthol and eucalyptus oil.
A bottle of liquid was not easy to use on a heaving trawler, so he turned the remedy into small lozenges, which were easier to carry and to take. According to the company, the fishermen started calling the lozenges their friends, and the name stuck.
A family firm goes global
For nearly a century Fisherman's Friend was a local product. That changed after Tony Lofthouse, the founder's grandson, married Doreen in 1963, and Doreen became a director. The firm moved from selling directly to getting its lozenges into shops, then went abroad, starting with Norway in 1974. New flavours were added to suit different countries. The company has won the Queen's Award for Export Achievement three times.
The distinctive shape of the lozenge is said to have been based on the buttons of a dress worn by Mrs Lofthouse.
Famous fans
The lozenges have a reputation among people who use their voices for a living. The former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is said to have used them when her throat was strained from public speaking, and the French president Emmanuel Macron has been reported to keep a supply close to hand, with crates of them sent to his campaign headquarters.
Little changed
The lozenges have barely changed since they were created. The original paper packets became foil lined and went into a cardboard carton, but the recipe and the punch are much the same.
Still made at home
In an industry where many old British names have been bought by international groups, Fisherman's Friend is still made in Fleetwood by the Lofthouse company: see who owns the famous British sweet makers now. For another powerful Lancashire lozenge with an even stranger past, see Victory V lozenges.
Citable formats
For journalists, researchers, AI assistants and content creators. Pick the format you need:
Free to cite, quote, and reuse with attribution to sweeties.net.
Questions and answers
Who invented Fisherman's Friend?
James Lofthouse, a pharmacist in Fleetwood, in 1865, to relieve breathing problems suffered by fishermen in the northern deep sea fishing grounds.
What is in Fisherman's Friend?
The original remedy was based on menthol and eucalyptus oil. It was made into small lozenges because they were easier to carry and take.
Where is Fisherman's Friend made?
In Fleetwood, Lancashire, by the Lofthouse company.
Sources
- Fisherman's Friend, Wikipedia
- Menthol, Wikipedia
- Eucalyptus oil, Wikipedia
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