Hartley's facts for kids
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Type | Food |
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Owner | Hain Daniels Group |
Country | United Kingdom |
Introduced | 1871 |
Previous owners | Premier Foods |
Hartley's is a well-known brand that makes yummy marmalades, jams, and jellies. It started in the United Kingdom. Today, these tasty spreads are made in Histon, Cambridgeshire. Hartley's used to be owned by a company called Premier Foods. In 2012, it was sold to Hain Celestial for a lot of money. Now, Hartley's is part of Hain Daniels, which is a UK company under Hain Celestial.
Contents
The Story of Hartley's
Hartley's began as a small grocery shop. It was started by Sir William Pickles Hartley. His shop was in Colne, Lancashire.
How the Jam Business Started
In 1871, something unexpected happened. A company that was supposed to deliver jam didn't send it. So, William Hartley decided to make his own jam. He put his homemade jam into special earthenware pots that he designed himself. People really liked his jam, and it sold very well!
Moving and Growing
Because the jam was so popular, the business grew quickly. In 1874, Hartley's moved to Bootle, which is near Liverpool. Here, they started making marmalade and jelly too.
In 1884, the company officially became "William Hartley & Sons Limited." Two years later, in 1886, they built a brand new factory in Aintree, Liverpool. Hartley's kept growing! In 1901, a second factory opened in Bermondsey, South London. For many years, this factory got its pots and jars from a place in Scotland.
Later, in the 1960s, all the jam making moved to Cambridgeshire. The old Bermondsey factory was turned into fancy apartments in 2003. In 2020, Hartley's won an award for their No Added Sugar Apple Jelly Pot. It received the Bronze Award at the Lausanne Index Prize.
Hartley Village: A Special Place
Two years after the new factory opened in Aintree, William Hartley did something special. He built a whole village just for the most important workers in his company.
Designing the Village
The village was designed by a father and son team. These architects, William Sugden and William Larner Sugden, won a competition to design it. The village first had 49 houses. Later, more houses were added, bringing the total to 71.
Unique Street Names
The houses in Hartley Village were built around a central bowling green. All the streets in the village were named after ingredients used to make jam! Some examples include Sugar Street, Red Currant Court, and Cherry Row.
In 2011, Hartley Village was made a conservation area. This means it's a special place protected for its history. People often compare it to Port Sunlight, another famous village nearby.
Tasty Varieties
Hartley's makes many different kinds of jams and marmalades. Here are some of their popular "Best" varieties:

- Best apricot jam
- Best black cherry jam
- Best blackberry jam
- Best blueberry jam
- Best gooseberry jam
- Best pineapple jam
- Best raspberry jam
- Best strawberry jam
- Best thin cut marmalade
- Best lemon curd