Kendall's Mint Cake, Is It Crunchy?

English confection

Kendal Mint Cake
Created past
A packet of Romney's Kendal mint cake
Type	Confectionery
Place of origin	England
Region or land	Cumbria
Master ingredients	Saccharide, glucose, peppermint
Cookbook: Kendal Mint Cake Media: Kendal Mint Cake

Kendal Mint Block is a sugar-based confection flavoured with peppermint. It originates from Kendal in Cumbria, England.^[1] Kendal Mint Cake is popular amid climbers and mountaineers, particularly those from the United kingdom, as a source of energy.^[2]

History [edit]

Kendal Mint Cake is based on a traditional recipe known every bit mint cake, peppermint tablet, and various other names.^[iii] Iii companies still produce Kendal Mint Block. The origin of the block is allegedly a batch of glacier mint sweets that went wrong. In 1869 Joseph Wiper, who married into the Thompson family of confectioners based in Kendal, supposedly left the boiled solution for glacier mints overnight and it turned cloudy and solidified. The resulting 'mint block' was discovered in the morning.^[4]

Wiper began producing mint block, with several other confectioneries post-obit suit. Subsequently Joseph Wiper emigrated to Canada in 1912 his great-nephew, Robert Wiper, took over the family business.^[5] Robert marketed Kendal mint cake as an free energy snack used on famous expeditions, including the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition led by Sir Ernest Shackleton, which largely led to its rise in international popularity amongst mountaineers and hikers.^[six]

Quiggin'due south [edit]

Quiggin's manufacturing plant on Low Fellside, in Kendal, England

Quiggin'southward Kendal Mint Block is the oldest surviving mint cake company. The Quiggin family unit has been making confectionery since 1840 in the Isle of mann. When one of the iv sons, Daniel Quiggin, moved to Kendal in 1880, the mint cake company was formed.^[vii] ^[8]

In the BBC Idiot box plan Great British Menu, series 5, Lisa Allen visited Quiggin's factory and used Quiggin's Kendal Mint Cake in her Strawberries with Meringue & Kendal Mint Cake Ice dessert.^[ix]

In the BBC Telly programme Great British Railway Journeys (Series 7, Episode 2), Michael Portillo visited Quiggin's factory.^{[ citation needed ]}

Romney's [edit]

Kendal mint cake with a chocolate coating

Romney's was founded in 1918, and used an erstwhile recipe to create mint block. This mint block was sold in Kendal and sent by train to other areas of the north-west for sale. In 1987, Romney's bought Wiper's Mint Cake from Harry Wiper, who had inherited buying of Wiper's in 1960 when his father Robert Wiper died.^[10]

In 2016 Romney'due south collaborated with style site Lyst to create a limited run of "Kendall Mint Cakes" to gloat Kendall Jenner'southward 21st birthday on 3 Nov. 200 limited edition cakes were given away on social media.^[11]

More than recently Romney'southward accept appeared on the striking BBC program 'Inside The Factory' and Gold UK's Ricky & Ralf'due south Smashing Northern Route Trip. 2020 also saw the launch of Monopoly - The Lakes Edition, where Romney's feature on the board, a defended adventure card and the forepart of the box alongside other iconic Lake Commune companies.^{[ citation needed ]}

Wilson's [edit]

Wilson'southward Mint Cake was founded in 1913, when James Wilson purchased a factory in the Stricklandgate area of the town. He had previously made and distributed types of toffee, just he decided to instead concentrate on mint cake. In 1966, the firm moved to a location in the Cross Lane area of Kendal. Wilson'due south was licensed to sell a Beatrix Potter range of sweets.^[12] Equally of 2007, the manufactory was run by the grandson of James, Andrew Wilson, and mint block was no longer the major product of the company as chocolate confectionery took up 90% of orders.^[13]

Afterward moving from Kendal to Holme in 2013, information technology was reported in 2016 that the company had closed down.^[fourteen] Still, the visitor really changed hands and is now run by W McClures Ltd, a family-run business organisation that was established in Windermere in 1945, and Kendal Mint Cake is still for sale from their website.^[15]

Manufacturing process [edit]

Kendal Mint Cake is fabricated from sugar, glucose, water and peppermint oil.^[xvi] Although the verbal recipe and method of manufacturing mint block is kept secret,^[seven] it is known that information technology is created in the following way:^[17]

The sugar, glucose, h2o and peppermint oil are boiled in a copper pan.
The mixture is continuously stirred (without stirring, the resultant production would be clear).
The mixture is then poured into moulds and immune to set up, afterwards which it is broken into individual bars.

Numerous types of mint block are now available. Mint cake made with white saccharide, mint block made with chocolate-brown carbohydrate, and mint cake enrobed in chocolate are the nigh popular varieties.^[18]

Notable uses [edit]

Kendal Mint Cake has been used on many expeditions around the globe as a source of energy:^[17]

Wiper'due south Kendal Mint Cake was provided for the Royal Trans-Antarctic Trek of 1914–1917, which was led past Sir Ernest Shackleton.^[19] ^[20]
Sir Edmund Hillary and his team carried Romney'due south Kendal Mint Cake with them on the first successful ascent of Mount Everest in 1953.^[2] The packaging currently includes the following: "'We sabbatum on the snow and looked at the country far below us … we nibbled Kendal Mint Block.'^[21] A member of the successful Everest expedition wrote – 'It was hands the almost popular item on our loftier altitude ration – our only criticism was that we did not have enough of it.'"^[2]
Chris Bonington besides used Quiggin's Kendal Mint Block on his 1975 Everest expedition.^[22]
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman included mint block in their supplies for their 2004 motorbike trip around the world in Long Style Circular.^{[ citation needed ]}

Meet also [edit]

Mint
York Peppermint Pattie

References [edit]

^ "Romney's Kendal Mint Cake". www.mintcake.co.uk. ROMNEY'S. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Kendal Mint Cake maker is out of dough". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
^ "Kendal Mint Cake". The Art and Mystery of Food.
^ Tom Holman, A Lake District Miscellany, Frances Lincoln, 2007
^ "Old Cumbria Gazetteer". Geography Section, Portsmouth University. 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
^ Advertisement for Robert Wiper's Original Kendal Mint Block. Auld Kendal: Atkinson & Pollitt. 1926. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on xix February 2018. Retrieved xix February 2018. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy equally title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ ^a ^b The Quiggin's Story from the home of Kendal Mint Cake Archived 17 June 2007 at the Wayback Car
^ "Mint Cake & Manx Tablet". Retrieved xix February 2018.
^ "Dessert Finale: Lisa Allen'due south Strawberries with Meringue & Kendal Mint Cake H2o Ice". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved xvi September 2017.
^ George Romney's – Kendal Mint Block Archived 27 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Express edition Kendal Mint Cakes to celebrate Kendall Jenner's 21st birthday". 1 November 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
^ Most Us Archived 9 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
^ BBC - Added Sauce for Kendal Mint Cake. Retrieved 8 October 2008.
^ "Kendal mint cake and confectionery business organisation 'closes down'". Westmorland Gazette. 10 February 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
^ "About - Wilsons of Kendal - Quality Mintcake, Confectionery and Luxury Biscuits". Wilsons of Kendal.
^ UKTV Food: Local Food Directory: Regions: Due north Westward Archived 12 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b "The famous confection from Kendal". BBC Online. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
^ George Romney's – Kendal Mint Block Archived 31 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
^ "The famous confection from Kendal". BBC Online. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
^ "Foods of England - Kendal Mint Cake". www.foodsofengland.co.uk . Retrieved 5 November 2021.
^ Weblog entry Nosotros Made This
^ Ross, Alisa. "This English language Candy Bar Powered the First Everest Ascent". Outside . Retrieved 31 July 2021.