Mr Fitzpatrick's
Mr Fitzpatrick's, previously Fitzpatrick's Herbal Health, is a temperance bar based in Rawtenstall, Lancashire. It is the oldest surviving temperance bar in the United Kingdom.[1][2]
History
[edit]Mr Fitzpatrick's was established in the 1890s[a] by Irish immigrants from Dublin[3] during the peak of the temperance movement[4] and was formerly operated alongside 39 other branches.[1][5] It was owned by the Fitzpatrick family until it was given to Bob and Beryl Waddington in 1982 following Malachi Fitzpatrick's retirement.[6][7][8]
The bar was bought by John and Suzanne Spencer in 1994.[7] Commonly referred to as Fitzpatrick's,[9] it was renamed from Herbal Health to Fitzpatrick's Herbal Health in 1998.[10][11]
In 2003, sarsaparilla was briefly unavailable at Fitzpatrick's[12] due to the presence of sassafras, an ingredient traditionally present in the drink and a potential carcinogen. It was subsequently reintroduced with a modified formulation.[2]
On 15 July 2007, Fitzpatrick's was featured in How We Built Britain, a documentary about British architecture and social history.[13]
It briefly closed between January and March 2016.[14] Following a refurbishment, for which the bar was closed between July and August of that year, it started selling cake and milkshakes and incorporating their existing drinks into the recipes.[15]
On 18 November 2021, Mr Fitzpatrick's made an appearance in an episode of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.[16][17]
Products
[edit]Drinks produced by Mr Fitzpatrick's include sarsaparilla, dandelion and burdock,[3] cream soda and ginger beer,[18] along with more exclusive cordials such as blood tonic.[3]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Chris Moss (18 November 2022). "A moorland walk to a temperance bar: Mr Fitzpatrick's, Rawtenstall". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ a b c John Anson (10 March 2007). "Rawtenstall: Fitzpatrick's Temperance Bar". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ a b c Jenny Elliott (4 May 2021). "The Radical Roots of Britain's Last Temperance Bar". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
- ^ a b Margaret Eby (13 May 2019). "The rise of the sober bar". BBC Worklife. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
- ^ Joe Shute (20 February 2021). "Inside Britain's last temperance bar – the first of a new brand of boozer". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ "Cheers (perhaps)". Manchester Evening News Magazine. 18 May 1994. pp. 30–32. Retrieved 12 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b "Your secrets are safe with us". Rossendale Free Press. 11 November 1994. p. 24. Retrieved 12 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Family Notices". Rossendale Free Press. 26 November 1999. p. 8. Retrieved 12 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ David Harrison (7 February 1998). "Your good health!". Manchester Evening News. p. 20. Retrieved 14 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Ian Pilkington (29 May 1998). "Just the tonic for Malachi". Rossendale Free Press. p. 15. Retrieved 12 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Herbal ice cream is just the tonic for your taste buds". Rossendale Free Press. 4 December 1998. p. 15. Retrieved 12 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "'Safety' checks on sarsaparilla". BBC News. 24 March 2003. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ "History show's visit to temperance bar". Rossendale Free Press. 20 July 2007. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ a b Stephanie Brawn (25 March 2016). "In Pictures: Joy in East Lancashire as the UK's only remaining temperance bar re-opens". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ a b Francesca Winrow (13 August 2016). "Temperance Bar given modern twist". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ "Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, Series 10, Episode 7". BBC. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ Sarah McGee (22 November 2021). "Rawtenstall: Mr Fitzpatrick's temperance bar features on BBC show". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- ^ Amy Fenton (15 August 2021). "We tried the Lancashire bar that's the last of its kind in Britain". Lancs Live. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
