“With my little stick of Blackpool rock, along the promenade I stroll. It may be sticky but I never complain, it's nice to have a nibble at it now and again.”
In 1937 George Formby recorded his tribute to the iconic seaside snack. The ditty was effectively banned by the BBC, where bosses were concerned about smutty innuendo, but the hard treat has remained beloved for generations.
More than 80 years later, factories producing rock for Blackpool and other seaside spots such as Brighton, Bournemouth and Llandudno fear the end is nigh. Cheap Chinese imports eschew the highly skilled manufacturing process, allowing them to undercut long-standing family businesses.
From dozens of factories producing traditional rock by boiling sugar and glucose and weaving it into shape, just nine remain. Unless the industry is protected, it is feared they could all close down within a matter of a few years and so a fightback has begun - including our petition.
In a move led by David Thorp, who gave up a recruitment job in London to take over the Stanton & Novelty business set up by his grandfather, all of the remaining factories have signed a joint letter asking for support from the Fylde Coast’s MPs.
Today, The Blackpool Lead launches its campaign for Blackpool rock to be granted protected status to safeguard its name and tradition. Sign the petition here.
In the letter, the confectioners warned: “The quality and integrity of British confectionery is unparalleled, built upon generations of craftsmanship and expertise. However, in recent months, inferior products have flooded our market, undercutting domestic producers and eroding consumer confidence in locally-made goods while giving the impression to consumers that they are buying British products.
“In the last few years, eight rock factories based in Blackpool and the surrounding boroughs have regrettably been forced to cease trading, only 9 remain, and more will have no option but to close this year. There are approximately only 30 people in the UK who have the skills needed to netted sticks of rock, almost all of them are in Blackpool.”
One business which has already suffered as a result of the cut-price competition is McAdams Confectionery. The firm has been in business for almost 30 years but has faced growing threats in recent years. According to owner Anita McAleese, Chinese rock could be the fatal blow.
She told The Blackpool Lead: “The Chinese rock is coming in and it’s affecting all our businesses. At the seaside, whether it’s Blackpool or Brighton, it’s traditional. People associate rock as a traditional British product.
“People are importing it from China. I’ve gone from 14 staff to six. Normally at this time of year, I would have 14 staff, now I’ve got six.”
“I just feel if we could protect the wording, it would make it a little harder for them to take it away from us. We know we can’t stop them from making it, but we can make it harder for them.”
“It’s about making the public aware that when they think they’re buying granny a stick of British mint rock, it’s nothing like it. It’s rubbish. We aerate the rock to make the holes in the middle, theirs isn’t aerated. It’s solid. It’s nowhere near as good.”
Anita says the impact of the imports will not fully be seen until after the summer is finished but the firm is already reeling from the loss of its biggest customer. The company, based in the South East, supplies various shops with rock products and previously accounted for around 50% of McAdams’ sales but is now importing a cheaper version.
Sign our petition to Save Blackpool Rock below or via our petition site
The wave of Chinese imports has already had an impact on other products but Anita fears cheap imitations of rock could be the final blow for the industry.
“They wiped me out with the dummies. I used to do dummy lanyards and they wiped me out. I don’t even make them anymore. Lollipops have slowed down for us and now they’ve gone for the rock. This is what’s going to wipe out the factories.”
Anita fears that without intervention, an industry which is already struggling against rising energy bills and higher wage costs could be driven out within four years. She added: “It’s electricity, it’s gas, it’s minimum wage going up. We’ve had to put up our prices and this is why they’ve gone to China. They get them for 9p landed, Blackpool rock cannot make that product for less than 13p.”
When the letter was published, it led to publicity which included David appearing on BBC Breakfast, businessman Dave Fishwick rallying for the cause on ITV, and articles published in publications ranging from Mail Online to the Guardian to CNN.
What hadn’t followed was public support from any of the MPs who were called upon by the confectioners. Chris Webb was elected as Blackpool South’s new MP this month, replacing the disgraced Scott Benton, and he has pledged to support the rock makers.
He joined them when TV cameras visited Blackpool pre-election and, one week after winning a landslide victory, told The Lead that he will continue to fight for them. The new MP has been in regular contact with David and plans to visit him this week, as well as having discussed the issue with Shadow Business Secretary Johnny Reynolds and Blackpool North and Cleveleys MP Paul Maynard.
He said: “I’ve said that I’ll raise it in Parliament to see what kind of support we can get. It’s important for local jobs, for the heritage.
“Blackpool rock is famous across the world for its quality. These imports have got nothing on it.”
A spokesperson for DEFRA told The Blackpool Lead: “We are committed to supporting our food producers so they can produce and sell more at home and across the world.
“Businesses can apply to protect a product name and add it to our UK Geographical Indicator scheme. All applications are carefully assessed to determine whether they meet the requirements of the scheme.”
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