(Photo credit: Birlinn. Image above shows the title of the book, Made in Scotland: household names that began in Scotland, surrounded by images of Scottish brands including Robertson’s Golden Shred Marmalade, Barr’s Iron Brew, Askit, Lee’s and Dennis the menace from The Beano)
Baxters, Drambuie, Highland Spring, McVitie’s, Mothers Pride, Penguin biscuits, Pringle, Tunnock’s.
What do all of these household names have in common? Well, they all originated in Scotland. In her book, Made in Scotland, Carol Foreman tells the stories behind these and many other household names.
From humble beginnings, Scottish entrepreneurs have gone on to found huge business empires.
When people around the world spread Robertson’s ‘Golden Shred’ marmalade on their toast, it is courtesy of Paisley man James Robertson and his wife, Marion. Life would be less sweet were it not for Abram Lyle from Greenock inventing Lyle’s Golden Syrup. The world’s best-selling malt whisky is produced by Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown and in 1901 in the Gallowgate in Glasgow, Scotland’s other national drink, Irn-Bru, was born. And of course, the UK’s number one comic, The Beano, was born in Dundee.
While, sadly, some of the brands featured in Made in Scotland have been taken over by multi-national companies and are no longer manufactured in Scotland, others are still being manufactured in the land of their birth.
Carol Foreman leads us on a fascinating and nostalgic journey into the past and the huge number of photographs gives readers the chance to see the old slogans, advertisments and trademarks of all forty of the products featured.
Further details of Made in Scotland can be found on the main catalogue, available in ‘Catalogues’ on the Library’s website.