We do love a biscuit and if you think there's something missing in life, it's almost always a biscuit!
Did you even know there was a National Biscuit Day? We did, and steam engines were a vital part of the history of this British staple, transporting most of the output by rail.
The biscuit came from the need for something nutritious and long-lasting and over time this eventually led to the baking of foods for a more reliable longer lasting source of food, which were vital for the military.
Doctors also recommended that biscuits be eaten daily for sustenance to avoid illness.
Bakers tried to create the hardest biscuits possible because over time they naturally go soft. When baked hard, biscuits could be stored for years without spoiling as long as they were kept dry.
It was Huntley & Palmers who, in 1831, invented the decorative biscuit tin and this meant biscuits could be distributed all over the world. By 1900, Huntley & Palmers biscuits had been sold in 172 countries, demonstrating their global reach. They really led the way and now each country has its own national biscuit treasures.
With our friends from Reading Museum, we have a display of many rare and interesting artefacts from their vast collection for you to see, including two of the rare surviving hard biscuits that would have been taken to the front line. As you'll be able to see, these were actually quite inedible and often used to hold photographs of loved ones!
See a beautiful replica headboard on our excursion train and take our biscuit trail, discovering fascinating facts about Huntley and Palmers along the way.
Plus - free biscuits for all!
Travel back in time to the golden age of the Great Western Railway and savour the sights, sounds and smells of steam as you explore this 21-acre living museum with trains dating from Victorian times to the 1960s.
Book now
https://didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/product.php/1409/national-biscuit-day#jumpbook
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