This popular gallery tells the story of Huntley & Palmers, Reading's world famous biscuit makers. Discover how Huntley & Palmers pioneered the mass production of biscuits and why Reading became known as the 'Biscuit Town'.
You can see and hear what factory life was like for Huntley & Palmers' thousands of workers, through oral history, photographs and historic film, including the earliest surviving film of a British factory.
Gallery highlights
- Almost 300 decorative biscuit tins as well as advertising and artefacts
- An African thumb piano made from a recycled H&P biscuit tin
- A biscuit supplied to Captain Scott's ill-fated Antarctic expedition
- The rude ‘Kate Greenaway’ biscuit tin that embarrassed the biscuit company!
Explore online
- Explore hundreds of Huntley & Palmers tins and objects on Reading Museum's Online Collections
- Discover a selection of ornate biscuit tins in 3D on Reading Museum's Sketchfab
Biscuit Town 200
2022 marks 200 years since Joseph Huntley opened his first baker’s shop at 72 London Street, Reading. This family business would soon grow into Huntley & Palmers, becoming the largest biscuit-making company in the world.
Find out more about how we're celebrating 200 years of Reading being 'the Biscuit Town'.
Lovely Museum. Memories of Huntley & Palmers biscuits.
Reading Museum visitor
