Cheshire Archives celebrate Cheshire Day with some ‘Made in Cheshire’ discoveries

The annual Cheshire Day celebrations on 30 March are an opportunity appreciate and celebrate the county's contributions to history, industry, and culture and everything ‘Made in Cheshire’.

The date commemorates the day in 1300 when King Edward I granted the county its Charter of Liberties - in effect its own Magna Carta.

The county’s Archive Service have chosen a selection of items from its collection that show the variety of products historically manufactured across the county, some well-known, others more unexpected. From spices to silver, more was 'Made in Cheshire' than people might realise.

Ellesmere Port - Advert for McCormick Foods

A flavourful reminder of something you might not expect to be connected to Ellesmere Port: spices. The late‑1970s advert from McCormick Foods highlights the company’s plant on Rossmore Road, described at the time as ‘Europe’s most modern spice processing and packaging facility.’ While the spices themselves weren’t grown locally, they were processed and packed right here in Cheshire before making their way onto shelves across the UK.

As part of one of the world’s largest spice companies, the Ellesmere Port site played a key role in producing herbs, spices, and seasoning blends familiar to many kitchen cupboards.

Winsford - Bryte Wear, a Winsford company founded in 1946 by Colin Stewart.

The business began in a former military depot behind the Red Lion Hotel and was created to meet the growing post‑war demand for electroplated goods in the UK.

Bryte Wear produced everyday household items, including spoons, knives, and forks, which were sold under the brand name Winsford Plate. In 1954, the company was sold to Unsworth and Sons of Sandbach, a firm that later closed.

Colin Stewart’s links to Winsford continued through Colin Stewart Ltd, the town’s chemical company that went on to become part of AMCOL International Corporation, a US‑based manufacturer specialising in minerals and chemicals.

Neston - Leighton Court, the home of the Whineray family.

William Whineray, who had built his fortune in the cotton industry, became a local philanthropist during the First World War. As part of his contribution to the war effort, he converted a workshop in the grounds of Leighton Court into a small munitions facility, likely producing shell cases or bullets.

This photograph shows the site connected with his work, offering an insight into how local households and private estates across Cheshire adapted to support national needs during the war years.

Chester - Silver Assay Office

Chester, a city once renowned for its gold and silversmithing, led to Chester being granted its own Assay Office in 1700. Before this, the nearest place to officially test and hallmark precious metals was Goldsmiths’ Hall in London, requiring local makers to send their work hundreds of miles for approval.

The Chester Assay Office changed that, providing a regional centre where gold and silver could be tested, verified, and hallmarked to national standards; for over 250 years, from 1700 to 1962, the Chester Assay Office served craftspeople across the region, and its distinctive hallmark can still be found on historic silver pieces today.

Frodsham – Basket Making

The traditional craft of basket making was once an important part of Frodsham life. The photograph shows Bibby’s basket works, which operated behind Church Street, backing onto Alvanley Terrace. The baskets shown here are potato hampers, the mainstay of their production, although Bibbys also made many other types of baskets over the years and several generations worked in the family business.

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council said: “Cheshire has such a rich manufacturing tradition, so it’s so fascinating to discover new stories of Cheshire’s past and how our Archive service has been able to collate such a diverse collection of historic images and stories of our past.”

Two new Archive Centres will open in Chester and Crewe in the autumn to provide new state of the art facilities for the public to find their story and discover untold stories of Cheshire’s people and places.

Construction of the two new Archive Centres has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players through The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Wolfson Foundation, an independent charity with a focus on research and education.