From the bread on our breakfast tables to the trucks on Britain's roads, Lancashire's manufacturing heritage can be found in almost every corner of everyday life.
The county has produced pioneering businesses, household names and internationally recognised products. Some have remained in the hands of the families who founded them, while others have become part of multinational companies. And although the factories, owners and products may have changed over the decades, their Lancashire connections remain an important part of their histories.
In Part 1 of our celebration of famous Lancashire brands, we explored the stories behind some of the county's best-loved food and drink names. Here, we broaden our horizons to include engineering, sportswear, paints and household products, alongside more familiar names from the food industry, and discover how Lancashire businesses have made their mark around the world.
21. Leyland Trucks
All quiet on the assembly line at Leyland Trucks with just a skeleton staff on duty during Wakes Weeks | Staff
22. Warburtons
Warburtons has appointed Graeme Stephenson as new general manager at its Burnley bakery. Warburtons was established in Bolton in 1876 by Thomas and Ellen Warburton. The couple had opened a grocery shop in the town in 1870, but during a downturn in trade Ellen began baking bread. According to the company, her first batch of four loaves and six cakes sold out in less than an hour. Within two weeks, the grocery shop had been renamed Warburtons the Bakers, marking the beginning of what would become one of Britain’s most recognisable bakery businesses. The company subsequently expanded across the country while remaining under family ownership. Its headquarters are still in Bolton, where its Lancashire roots remain an important part of its identity. Warburtons now operates 13 bakeries and produces more than two million bakery products every day, including bread, rolls, crumpets and other baked goods | Staff
23. Heinz
The exterior of Heinz factor, Kitt Green, Wigan in 2021. Heinz is an American food company founded by Henry J Heinz in Pennsylvania in 1869. Its major Lancashire connection began in 1959, when Heinz opened its Kitt Green factory. The factory developed into one of the largest food manufacturing facilities in Europe, producing baked beans and other familiar Heinz products. The factory celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2009 | Staff
24. Heinz
This photo from the new Nostalgic Wigan book features the glamorous young ladies who showed visitors around Heinz at Kitt Green. From left to right: Judith Rainford, Ann Mason, Rosaline and Maureen Prescott, Janet Golding, Kathleen Silcock and Patricia Wade | Contributed