Some of the very first pieces of Grasmere Gingerbread were sold 170 years ago.
It was 1854 and Sarah Nelson – the creator of the sweet and spicy treat – had no idea she had created something that would eventually become world-famous.
Back then, the pioneering businesswoman humbly sold her gingerbread from her church cottage shop to villagers and Victorian tourists retracing the steps of the Lakes poets.
But today it’s sold to tourists from all corners of the world and it’s even shipped to fans in places as far away as Japan and America.
It’s a business that has survived two world wars, the introduction of technology, a global pandemic and more – all thanks to Sarah’s descendants who have fiercely protected it and her legacy.
Such is also true for current co-director and custodian Joanne Hunter, who has spent the past 23 years nurturing the business and broadening its horizons, all while protecting its heritage.
Grasmere Gingerbread has been in Joanne’s family for over 90 years and her involvement with the shop started early on in her life.
As a child, Joanne said she would eat, sleep and breathe gingerbread and would help serve customers when she was small enough to need a box to stand on to reach the counter.
She officially took over the business later in her life in the year 2000 with her husband Andrew and now manages the shop and marketing while her other half focuses on the legal and financial aspects of the business.
To anyone else running a business as well established and popular as Grasmere Gingerbread – it might seem like a no brainer to mass produce the product to earn big bucks, but for Sarah, that would only be a tragedy.
She said: “I think we’ve always got to remember that we are custodians of this business. Saying let’s mass produce it and put it on supermarket shelves would be like defamation of Sarah Nelson and everything she and this business stands for.
“We have a part to play in its history, so we have to recognise and acknowledge its founder, because she’s my inspiration.
“We’ve also got to be very mindful because you could bastardise this business, you could spoil it and milk it for all it’s worth and I think you’ve got to have scruples and transparency.
“So we do self impose restrictions on the business, which basically means we bake fresh every day, we hand wrap and we don’t mass produce or sell our soul – if we did, we’d lose the whole point of what people are buying into.
“Nowadays that kind of thing is becoming less and less – but our customer base keeps growing, which really tells you people still want a genuine product with transparency. They want to see it being made and wrapped by people behind counter who are chatty and enthusiastic and personal.
“I think in today’s world that’s what the big businesses are missing, they drive through profit, but our motto is passion before profit.”
Secret recipes, preserving heritage and protecting the brand
It goes without saying that the recipe for Grasmere Gingerbread has remained top secret.
Sarah Nelson herself was smart enough to trademark the name many years ago along with a logo and a picture of herself standing in front of her cottage – in true entrepreneurial fashion.
Comparable to the likes of Coca Cola and Lea & Perrins – Sarah’s original recipe is handwritten on piece of paper that is wax sealed and securely locked away in a bank vault.
Only a handful of trusted people know the real recipe and staff who help make the gingerbread sign secrecy clauses as another layer of brand protection.
While the gingerbread is still made on site in the original shop Sarah made it in, it’s now offered in a more forms than just a piece or a dozen.
It can now be purchased as a monthly subscription, wedding favours or in a commemorative tin and the shop also sells things like gingerbread crumbs and lip balm (not edible, of course) alongside other Lake District products that align with the brands ethos like Kendal Mint Cake and rum butter.
Anyone looking to get their hands on the gingerbread outside of Cumbria has only two ways of doing so – taking a trip to visit the shop or buying directly from the business online.
Joanne said: “We bake fresh every day and it ships worldwide. We dispatch it the same day and the FedEx man comes at 3pm to collect it. If it’s going to the states, it will be there within 48 hours.
“What’s really interesting is we have customers in the states who have never been to the shop, they’ve just read about it and said I want some of that because it’s quintessential, homemade and from Grasmere.”
Baking fresh and avoiding using preservatives to prolong the gingerbread’s shelf life is another way Joanne defends the brand’s authenticity and heritage.
She added: “It’s not just about the product – it’s about Sarah, the people who work here it, the fact it’s a family business, the fact it’s a secret recipe and still made on site in the same kitchen Sarah made it, it’s about Grasmere, the Victorian history and landscape and environment.
“There’s so much we’re connected to and the business has evolved with it all. It’s not about just saying ‘here’s a biscuit how are we going to promote it, it’s about looking at the whole package of different elements and how it all sits in the Cumbrian landscape.”
Moving with the times
Protecting the brand’s heritage while also moving it into the future has been a big focus for Joanne over the years.
Decisions to use social media platforms like TikTok have to be thought out carefully and most importantly, the content has to align with the brand’s overall ethos.
She said: “We have to move with the times but we have to do it within boundaries of our culture and our ethos and we have to appreciate and be sympathetic towards that.
“So yes we can use TikTok but it’s about thinking how do we do this in a way where we show who we are and what we’re about.
“We have to move into the modern world – but we have to do it sympathetically and we can’t exploit it. We could do so much more, but we would actually kill the brand if we’re not careful.
“It’s also about picking the right people for our team who understand the culture an ethos and love what the business is about.”
Joanne also recently made the decision to open a second store – making it the first new Grasmere Gingerbread shop in 169 years.
She said: “We’ve always wanted to open another store, so when the old National Trust listed building in Hawkshead became available it really fit with our brand and was easy and manageable to service because it was local and in the right environment.
“The new shop is lovely, quaint and old fashioned and so much bigger, so takes the pressure off the Grasmere shop and there’s more room for customers to walk around and we can display products better.
“I am proud of the way I’ve evolved the business and what I’ve put into it – I’m so passionate about it I’m probably too passionate about it – it’s really been blood sweat and tears for me and I’ve sacrificed a lot for it.”
Joanne’s commitment to the business over the last 23 years has seen it soar even higher in popularity – with celebrities including Tom Cruise even paying the Grasmere shop a visit.
She added: “It is humbling, I’ll be in places where I’m trying not to be in work mode and I try to avoid the questions of where are you from and what do you do because I get hundreds of questions about it! But at the end of the day it’s great because it means I’ve done my job well.
“When Andrew and I took over in 2000 we only had three full time members of staff and we now have 30 members of staff. That’s quite a good employer with a cross section of disciplines with full time permanent jobs for Grasmere and were really proud of that.
“I remember once sitting in London and seeing someone walk past with one of our tote bags, which was just lovely and it always makes me think wow what would Sarah think about that?”
Joanne has also grown the business while living with chronic illnesses including Ehlers–Danlos syndrome and Mast Cell Activation syndrome.
She added that in many ways she sees similarities between herself and Sarah Nelson – who faced several challenges and a lot of hard work throughout her life.
Joanne said: “I do feel there’s a lot of parallels with some of the things I’ve gone through, my genetic conditions and Sarah’s life.
“I feel like it’s my business, yes I’m a custodian, but in this latter phase we’ve grow it so much that everything really matters to me, whether it’s internally or externally.”
Celebrating highs and lows
Joanne has steered the business into winning a string of accolades over the years, which saw the team most recently scoop Large Independent Retailer of the year in 2023.
But every business has its highs and lows – and Grasmere Gingerbread has been no exception to the rule.
Joanne said: “The highs are just as high as when the lows have been low. There has been some low moments for me and the family and the business, but they’re just extremities.
“But for the highs, winning awards is great because when you work for yourself the recognition comes from the customers and the business community.
“But also when I receive an email from a customer who tells a story that resonates with me, those are quite high moments and when you read stories of memories of Grasmere or the product has given people, that can be really lovely.
“It’s not just about a transaction, this business has got real soul to it.”
Joanne also recalled Prince Charles’ visit to the shop in 2016 as a big moment for the business.
She said: “It was a big highlight. We had private time with him and I remember standing outside and waiting for him and just welling up inside.
“I really wanted to cry because it was just so personal and lovely and I remember thinking if only Sarah knew the future King of England was visiting her little shop. You’ve just got to put things into perspective when these amazing things happen.”
Big plans are also afoot to expand the business even further with a new team member and another new shop on the horizon.
She said: “It’s important to me to find someone to put their arms around the marketing team so I can move forward and we’re keen to celebrate 170 years of business this year.
“We would also like to see the roll out of another shop in Northern Cumbria, that will be our next big goal.”
As the business continues to grow – what is it that keeps Grasmere Gingerbread so popular with locals and tourists alike?
For Joanne, it’s all in the individual experience of getting your first piece of gingerbread and the memories that people attach to it.
She said: “It fulfils every sense, and if you fulfil every sense in the being, you get great satisfaction and you get that happiness.
“Even if it’s a typical day of rain in the Lake District, you hear the bakers, touch the gingerbread, taste and smell it, it’s a very emotive product.
“It’s all about the people – it’s people going on holiday and visiting the shop, or children visiting on the rainy geography trip or couples visiting on a romantic trip to the Lakes.
“It sticks in your memory and it’s something modern day marketing tries to recreate, but for us it’s been natural and it’s our job to keep evolving it.
“But it all started with Sarah in poverty trying to make a life for herself. I love history anyway, but If I could do one thing it would be to travel back in time to her and be with her.”
