# Anyone know about Yorkshire Relish??



## geminisnake (Sep 1, 2006)

Was digging in the front garden earlier and found a Goodall Backhouse & Co yorkshire relish bottle.
Considering it must have been in the garden for a long time it's in fairly good condition.

We've googled it but not come up with much cept it was made in Leeds and sold for 6d, 1s and 2s!!  Also it was the cheapest, best and most delicious relish in the world  

So what happened to it? And has anyone ever had it? Apparently they even sold 8 million bottles of it in one year.

I'm intrigues and want to know more


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## Roadkill (Sep 1, 2006)

I've never seen that, but Henderson's Relish is a kind of superior version of Worcester Sauce, made in Sheffield.


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## geminisnake (Sep 1, 2006)

Damn Roadie, I was hoping you would be on of the folk that could maybe tell me more.

I think it ws not in production by the time you were born tbh though.


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## lang rabbie (Sep 2, 2006)

Yorkshire Relish was sufficienctly lucrative in late Victorian England to be the subject of a court case that went on four three years and eventually reached the House of Lords.   It is still cited in Trade Mark cases today!   

(Mr Powell was the owner of Goodall Backhouse & Co) 




			
				Australian Tax Office legal database! said:
			
		

> The case of Powell v Birmingham Vinegar Brewery Co ((1894) A.C., 8) does not advance the plaintiffs' case. What was established there both in the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords, and formed the basis of the judgments, was this: that *"Yorkshire Relish"* was the name of the article itself, and no trader can validly assert an exclusive right to call articles of merchandise by their true names, for that would amount to a virtual monopoly in the sale of the things themselves.













			
				original caption on Guy Lorries of Wolverhampton site said:
			
		

> With an 8 tonner Guy Warrior, Goodall Backhouse of Leeds obviously intended to shift a lot of Yorkshire Relish. Vehicle registration XUB268



I think they were still in business until the 1960s.   

I suspect the kick from the relish was the only thing that made cottage pie produced from four day old cooked mutton palatable!


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## Bingo (Sep 3, 2006)

Had me first taste of Henderson's Relish t'other day, me mate Mark's one of Sheffield's finest sons and swears by it, especially when accompanied by his mam's homemade chicken pie! Can't fault it!


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## geminisnake (Sep 3, 2006)

lang rabbie said:
			
		

> I think they were still in business until the 1960s.



Cheers rabbie. The house was built just over 50 yrs ago and I was wondering if the bottle was here before that, but maybe not.


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## yorky morton (Apr 7, 2011)

goodall and backhouse &co ltd established in leeds 1837 according to the bottle i have in front of me. i had a spiecal interest in this firm because my mother who is long since dead told me it was our family company she was a backhouse i have been doing a family tree for years and can find no evidence of it yet but i have got till 1837 to find a link .they produced yorkshire relish thick and thin the bottle i have is for yorkshire relish thick we used to have it into the 1970s it was in the same or very simler bottle as h.p.sauce but although it  was a brown sauce it tasted more like daddys than h.p. yorkshire relish thin was a relish in the same vain as hendersons of sheffield it was available in a twin pack with the thick or sold seperately if you have never tasted hendersons then you havent lived and yorkshire relish thin was the same i could not tell them apart hendersons relish flavour crisps by yorkshire crisp co are great .worcester sauce is nothing like,goodall and backhouse were bought out by hammonds sauces and continued to produce yorkshire relish thick not sure about thin  stating on the label brewed from an original recipe by goodall and backhouse hammonds im sure could tell you more


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## King Biscuit Time (Apr 7, 2011)

Bingo said:


> Had me first taste of Henderson's Relish t'other day, me mate Mark's one of Sheffield's finest sons and swears by it, especially when accompanied by his mam's homemade chicken pie! Can't fault it!


 
I'd never heard of it before I moved to Sheffield, but after 4 years of it being on every table in every pub/cafe - I can't do without it. When the wind is in the right direction I can smell the factory knocking up a new batch from Banner Cross.

Also doesn't contain anchovies (like Lea and Perrins etc), so it's suitable for veggies.


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## King Biscuit Time (Apr 7, 2011)

Whoa, just realised this is a mega-bump. At the time of the OP I'd never been to Sheffield, or tasted Hendo's


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## seeformiles (Apr 13, 2011)

I remember buying Yorkshire Relish (or "YR Sauce") in the 80s in N.Ireland. Oddly enough it was made in Dublin and googling seems to say that it still is:


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## King Biscuit Time (Apr 13, 2011)

Just this minute walked past the Henderson's factory. There's a batch on now, I can smell it.


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## seeformiles (Apr 13, 2011)

King Biscuit Time said:


> Just this minute walked past the Henderson's factory. There's a batch on now, I can smell it.


 
I've got both in my cupboard but (after trying a spoonful of each) the Worcester does have the edge over Henderson's - thanks to the anchovy


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## friedaweed (Apr 15, 2011)

It's just mushy peas or is that Yorkshire caviar


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## demo man (May 9, 2011)

hi , about ten years ago a man called john senior from leeds was pulling down an old mill when in the roof space he found the original hand written recipe for yorhshire relish... along with lots of other amazing documents conected to goodall backhouse & co leeds , dated 1872 0nwards , these items are now up for auction on the 24th of may at gary don auctions leeds


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## miss minnie (May 9, 2011)

demo man said:


> hi , about ten years ago a man called john senior from leeds was pulling down an old mill when in the roof space he found the original hand written recipe for yorhshire relish... along with lots of other amazing documents conected to goodall backhouse & co leeds , dated 1872 0nwards , these items are now up for auction on the 24th of may at gary don auctions leeds


What a great story!

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news...to_relish_as_saucy_secrets_revealed_1_3343050


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## demo man (May 11, 2011)

would have loved him to find the original recipe for spam ( always been a favorite in our house ) but alas no friedaweed , and thanks for the comment miss minnie , john is a close friend of mine and he is thrilled with his find ..


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## davesgcr (May 11, 2011)

I thought Spam was American  - "Special Processed American Meat" 

Have had Hendersons care of a Yorkhoire mate - good , but prefer Worcestershie Sauce.


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## stuff_it (May 12, 2011)

I spotted some hendersons in a shop the other day, i meant to buy it when i got some cash but now i've forgotten which shop


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## friedaweed (May 20, 2011)

demo man said:


> would have loved him to find the original recipe for spam ( always been a favorite in our house ) but alas no friedaweed , and thanks for the comment miss minnie , john is a close friend of mine and he is thrilled with his find ..


 
Cool are you going to stick around and join the community or just promote John's auction 
Have a hobnob BTW.

SPAM Selected Porcupine Arse Meat


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## Bingo (May 21, 2011)

SPEG


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## Manfredd (Oct 12, 2011)

After discovering an incomplete bottle of Goodall, Backhouse & Co, Yorkshire in a local river, i set about trying to find out as much as possible about it. I have trawled high & low and can conferm that unfortunately the orginal firm est. 1837 in Leeds, that started making Yorkshire Relish in 1853, went to the wall in 1995. The mills & factories were torn down in 2002. But the name lives on as YR produced in Ireland, and sold in Ireland.

Hope that is helpful to you.
Pre 1920's bottles are worth a fair bit of money if they are in good condition.


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## baldrick (Oct 23, 2011)

stuff_it said:


> I spotted some hendersons in a shop the other day, i meant to buy it when i got some cash but now i've forgotten which shop


you can buy it on t'internet.

one of the best things about sheffield imo.


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## stuff_it (Oct 23, 2011)

I can get it from a garden centre round the corner that sells it in the poncey food hall bit - it's meant to be like a veggie Worcester sauce, but I never get round to trying it.


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## pogofish (Oct 28, 2011)

Yorkshire relish ad from the excellent blog linked on seeformiles Leeds tramway thread:






http://www.myspace.com/phill.d/blog/370805665
http://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/leeds-underground-tramway.283247/#post-10585045


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## geminisnake (Oct 28, 2011)

The pub where Bee had her post wedding party had a framed ad on the wall


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## adiroquilter (May 2, 2012)

geminisnake said:


> Was digging in the front garden earlier and found a Goodall Backhouse & Co yorkshire relish bottle.
> Considering it must have been in the garden for a long time it's in fairly good condition.
> 
> We've googled it but not come up with much cept it was made in Leeds and sold for 6d, 1s and 2s!!  Also it was the cheapest, best and most delicious relish in the world
> ...


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## adiroquilter (May 2, 2012)

I worked at Goodalls from 1963 - 1966.  At that time it's parent company was Hammonds Chop in Bradford.  They made Yorkshire Relish Thick and Thin also spices and waterglass (preserved eggs).  They also sold "Goodalls of Ireland", same stuff, different label.  I found your site because I am trying t find the son of one of the managing directors - Chris Hawley.  I moved to America in 1966 and was still able to buy the sauce at "Foods of all Nations" but then those stores closed down .
The thick was my favourite.  I worked in the "works office" but spent a lot of time in the factory, I can still remember the smell of the vats and watching the girls at the labelling machine.  I hope this helps.


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## geminisnake (May 2, 2012)

Thanks  Good luck finding the son!


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## SpineyNorman (May 6, 2012)

I didn't realise Urban had a Northern forum, just found it by accident!

Henderson's relish is the sauce of the Gods. It works in literally anything - pies, stew, on your chips, and like (the clearly inferior) Worcester sauce can even be used in drinks. It would probably even work in puddings too.

The Hendo's factory in Sheffield is so popular that when some students nicked the sign there was a popular outcry. So long as Wednesday are losing, United are doing even worse and Hendo's is being manufactured, the good people of Sheffield know that the natural order of things is being maintained (in recent years the footballing order has been upset, but this will hopefully be put right now that Wednesday have been promoted to a division in which they will lose more than they win and united will, after failing in the playoffs, be a division below us).

Hendo's is so nice that whenever anyone in my family visits our Irish relatives they smuggle some over in their suitcase. This has become a (not particularly funny) family joke, where it's talked about as if we're smuggling cocaine over the border.


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## Martin P Swift (Jun 26, 2012)

I rember my mother and grandmother used to buy Yorkshire Relish but the name on the bottle was HAMMONDS, i used to live in Lanchire now i am downe soulth and i have never seen any of it on sale hear, if anybody know's where i could get some from or if Evedale Foods Ltd; New Mill St, Littleborough Llanchire, who used to make it I would be very gratefull.


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## geminisnake (Jun 26, 2012)

See Spiney's post just before yours Martin  Maybe the page before yours depending on your set up.


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## Orang Utan (Jun 26, 2012)

Spiney was talking about Henderson's. Mr Swift is asking about Hammonds. I wish I could help, but I have never heard of Llanchire. Is it in Wales?


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## geminisnake (Jun 26, 2012)

I just thought it might be similar enough to be of use


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## Mike Hitchcock (Oct 21, 2012)

Four generations (as far as I can make out) of my family were involved in this business. My great-great grandfather left 2/3 of Goodhall Backhouse and Co to my great-grandfather, who subsequently bought the remaining share from his cousin in 1916 for £36,000. My grandfather, George Bowman, worked his whole life in the company and my uncle, Bill Bowman, was involved in the sale to Hammonds when death duties meant the company had to pass out of family hands.

My aunt, Bill's widow, bought the box of documents found in the old Hammond building, and when I have time I will be trawling through for any useful information - it's mostly legal documents and accounts.

Hammonds I believe ended up as part of Grand Metropolitan, and I am trying to put together a storyline of YR's subsequent history. The Goodalls and YR brands passed from Premier Foods to Robert Roberts in 2010, since when they have been manufacturing YR sauce (it seems to have lost the full Yorkshire Relish designation along the way) in Donegal, Ireland.

I have written to the company asking for any more information and as to whether they have an English distributor, as I have been unable to get hold of any YR since the Co-op in Hazlemere ceased stocking it, and a butcher in Kilburn where I used to be able to buy it, went out of business.

I'll post any thing else I find out, and would be grateful if anyone can provide any solid information about the history of the best brown sauce ever made. Not that I'm in any way partisan...


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## Mike Hitchcock (Oct 21, 2012)

demo man said:


> hi , about ten years ago a man called john senior from leeds was pulling down an old mill when in the roof space he found the original hand written recipe for yorhshire relish... along with lots of other amazing documents conected to goodall backhouse & co leeds , dated 1872 0nwards , these items are now up for auction on the 24th of may at gary don auctions leeds


I have access to this box...


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## King Biscuit Time (Oct 21, 2012)

I am absolutely loving that this site is now the second result when you Google 'Yorkshire Relish' and as such is attracting so much interest from Relish enthusiasts! 
Fascinating story Mike - Hope you find some YR soon.


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## Mike Hitchcock (Oct 22, 2012)

I have just had a lovely reply from Roisin O'Shea at Robert Roberts. She is putting together a history of Goodall's and seemed very interested in the family perspective I was able to provide (and the contents of the Hammond's box, which will now require some serious examination.)

She also tells me that the larger Tesco stores have YR, both thick and thin, in their Irish Foods sections, so worth checking those out. What is more, a box of each is on their way over - whoopee!


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## quicker (Feb 13, 2013)

I was just looking at the 1911 census for North Grange Road, Headingley, and was intrigued to find a Mr William Powell Bowman, age 48, born Howden, Yorks.  Intrigued because where most people give their occupation as e.g. Weaver, Labourer, Doctor or Whatever, he turned it into an advertisement and wrote with a flourish: 
"Wholesale Druggist & Manufacturer of the Celebrated Yorkshire Relish"
So I looked it up, and found my way here.  Yorkshire Relish and mushy peas.  Who'd have thought it.
For anyone interested, the rest of the household is:
his wife Mary 43, son George 10, Daughter Mary 7, son Herbert 3, and three servants.
16 North Grange Road looks like it's still there.  Probably student flats now.  And I bet they don't eat Yorkshire Relish neither.  Ee.


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## kevkaos (Mar 1, 2013)

if your leeds ya can get Hendersons in jack fultons in Armley for £1.49 a bottle.


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## Orang Utan (Mar 1, 2013)

You can also get it in Waitrose in Meanwood


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## Orang Utan (Mar 1, 2013)

And North Grange Road is just round the corner from where I grew up


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## free spirit (Mar 1, 2013)

best Yorkshire Relish I've had is from a little sandwich shop in Beverley who do a sideline in family recipee yorkshire erm hold on, it's Yorkshire Chutney, is that the same thing?

absolutely amazing stuff it is.


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## Daj (Sep 21, 2013)

Hi All ... Just been walking today in the shibden valley near halifax .. Whilst crossing a stream came across a Yorkshire relish bottle .. Half buried but fully intact... Good find I thought but even better now I know some history.. Thanks all.,


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## Mr.Wysiwyg (Jan 19, 2014)

I am very interested in this topic as it is a story in my family that my Great, Great Grandfather actually invented the Yorkshire Relish recipe and sold it to Goodall and Backhouse.  This would be in the 1850/60/70 timescale.  If the recently found documents could shed any light on this it would be great for our family history.  The man in question was a herbalist/chemist/dentist in the Hunslet


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## BraderZz (Feb 9, 2014)

Hi, does any body know the price of the Yorkshire relish thick because I was metal detecting and found over 100 old bottle including the Yorkshire relish, thanks


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Feb 9, 2014)

BraderZz said:


> Hi, does any body know the price of the Yorkshire relish thick because I was metal detecting and found over 100 old bottle including the Yorkshire relish, thanks



Probably past it's sell by date.


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## Oppertimist (Sep 29, 2014)

I have often thought of Yorkshire Relish This as I was sure I had used it in 19 50 something when I stayed with my aunt in Banbridge Co.Down. I can never rember it since but Googleing it brought me to tnis page. Interesting! I thjink of it as like Wosyerskire Sause but not the same>


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## Orang Utan (Sep 29, 2014)

.


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## Pingu (Oct 1, 2014)

is it like gentlemans relish but more common?


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## Zsa Zsa (Oct 3, 2014)

Hello everyone. About six months ago I found this book at Newark market, published in 1891 by Goodall, Backhouse and co.





It contains a lot of interesting old recipes (united by one _extremely_ important common ingredient), patent medicine advertisements - including one for phosphorous colloid, which claimed to be capable of giving twenty extra years of life, each page bordered by decorative aphorisms. I scanned every page, you can look at it all here.

I posted this a while back on a forum I prat about on, and it has kind of become a meme among us. And now I find that the recipe has been discovered! I'd really like to see a scanned picture of this recipe, it's a treasure and some of my internet pals are into brewing up insane booze and jams and would fall over themselves to try and make it. I'll try and message Mike Hitchcock but it's been a long time since he posted, so I'm not holding out too much hope. If anyone knows how to get in touch with him I'd be eternally grateful.


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## David G Organ (Dec 6, 2014)

Whilst walking the Water of Leith in Edinburgh I too have found a complete but empty bottle of "Yorkshire Relish" . Now thanks to this post, you gotta love the internet for sad dads like me, I know more about Goodall Backhouse & Co. Regards DGO


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## wtfftw (Dec 6, 2014)

Do we ever get to keep any of the noobs this thread tempts in?


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## gentlegreen (Dec 6, 2014)

What an amazing number of unique posters !


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## maomao (Dec 6, 2014)

gentlegreen said:


> What an amazing number of unique posters !


It's one of Urban75's biggest contributions to the internet. It's the first result on Google where there's actually a conversation on the subject.


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## farmerbarleymow (Dec 7, 2014)

Zsa Zsa said:


> Hello everyone. About six months ago I found this book at Newark market, published in 1891 by Goodall, Backhouse and co.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That's a lovely old book, with some stuff I've never heard of in it like Wharfedale Pudding.   

And the site lets you download all the images in a zip file which makes it a damn site easier.


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## dynamiteninja (Jul 30, 2015)

I have written a short history of Goodall, Backhouse & Co at my blog: http://letslookagain.com/2015/02/goodall-backhouse-co-yorkshire-relish/


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## Sprocket. (Jul 30, 2015)

My mum, who worked for years as a cook always swore by Goodall's gravy browning. 
As far as relish, I'm an Hendo's fan.


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## Sprocket. (Jul 30, 2015)

Warning strong language throughout!


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## pogofish (Jul 30, 2015)

Sprocket. said:


> My mum, who worked for years as a cook always swore by Goodall's gravy browning.
> As far as relish, I'm an Hendo's fan.



Same here - Mother and professional cook grandmother!


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## blossom (Oct 26, 2015)

geminisnake said:


> Was digging in the front garden earlier and found a Goodall Backhouse & Co yorkshire relish bottle.
> Considering it must have been in the garden for a long time it's in fairly good condition.
> 
> We've googled it but not come up with much cept it was made in Leeds and sold for 6d, 1s and 2s!!  Also it was the cheapest, best and most delicious relish in the world
> ...


Realise this question is almost as historic as the original Yorkshire Relish bottle your found! We used to have it as a staple condiment at home when I was growing up in 1960s Belfast. The bottle was as iconic as HP brown sauce. Have tried very hard to find it but most times without success.  Got it once in Harrod's some years ago but last time I was there it was absent from their shelves. The source may have been Goodall's of Dublin, they have their own website, don't know how up-to-date it is but their address is 79 Broomhill Rd, Kilmanagh, phone: 01 4047300 email: info@goodalls.ie


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## moose (Oct 30, 2015)

Sprocket. said:


> Warning strong language throughout!



Ha! And double bonus for being filmed at Whitby!


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## clive johnson (Mar 12, 2016)

geminisnake said:


> Was digging in the front garden earlier and found a Goodall Backhouse & Co yorkshire relish bottle.
> Considering it must have been in the garden for a long time it's in fairly good condition.
> 
> We've googled it but not come up with much cept it was made in Leeds and sold for 6d, 1s and 2s!!  Also it was the cheapest, best and most delicious relish in the world
> ...


I worked at goodall backhouse back in 1968 1972 they were on sovereign street leeds it was one of the best sauces on the market


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## Orang Utan (Jan 5, 2017)

I was just leafing through Laura Mason and Catherine Brown's The Taste Of Britain and found this:
Yorkshire Relish
Description:
 Each variety of Yorkshire Relish has its own appearance: 'thin' is dark brown; 'spicy' and 'fruity' are thicker and reddish-brown. The flavour is fruity (dates, tamarind) and acidic
History:


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## seeformiles (Jun 26, 2018)

‘Home of Yorkshire Relish’ put up for sale in Leeds


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