Our story

1851

Not a year many people know much about...

In London, the Great Exhibition was displaying the achievements of the British Empire. Science, technology and natural wonders were on display in what was seen as theut in one small corner of the realm, a chap called John Whittaker was starting a business that would eventually outlast the imperial dream. Yes, in 1851, John Whittaker started a confectionary shop in Haslingden and employed one Mr. Richard Holland.

1869

In 1869, Richard Holland was married to John Whittaker’s daughter, Sarah and they took over the family business, re-naming it Holland’s.

1907

1907 was another important landmark, when Baxenden was established as the home of Holland’s Pies. From here, Holland’s continued to grow in popularity, making daily deliveries by horse and cart to the local area.

1927

In 1927, the first of Holland’s vans hit the roads, complete with the green, red and gold livery that remains as iconic today as it did then. A further fleet of vans arrived in 1938 to keep up with Lancashire’s appetite for Holland’s products.

Up until the Second World War, Holland’s had still been making cakes and other confectionary products. Sugar rationing during the war put an end to cake production, and meat pies became the fastest growing line.

1946

After the war, in 1946, Holland’s was sold to provisions firm R Gummer Ltd., before being sold again in 1972 to Pork Farms Ltd.

1979

In 1979, Pork Farms was itself bought by Northern Foods, making Holland’s Pies part of one of the biggest names in British food manufacturing.

1981

Tesco and Asda became the first supermarkets to stock Holland's Pies in 1981 - making Lancashire's favourite pies more widely available than ever before.

2008

2008 saw the latest incarnation of Holland’s distinctive vans, with £1m being invested in a new fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles.

2009

Holland's introduce Best Ever Pies & Puds Range. The New Best Ever recipes have even more of our famous fillings, improved ingredients and more chunks of meat, without compromising the authentic traditional Holland's taste.

Holland's launched their first ever online shop, delivering anywhere in UK mainland on a next day delivery basis direct to customers. 

2010

Holland's are selected as a Best Of British Brands partner to Coronation Street to celebrate their 50th birthday.  We launched a chippy and online promotion to encourage consumers to vote for their favourite Corrie themed pie.