Elm Lodge resident Millie worked for Huntley & Palmers for more than 43 years, progressing from biscuit packer to team manager. During her time with the company, she developed a passion for collecting Huntley & Palmers tins and memorabilia, much of which she has since donated to Reading Museum. The museum also holds an interview in which she reflects on her experiences working for the company in her younger years.
Throughout her career, Millie travelled extensively with Huntley & Palmers and loved sharing stories about the company’s remarkable history. Founded in Reading in 1822, Huntley & Palmers grew to become the world’s largest biscuit manufacturer by 1900, exporting its products across the globe.
One of Millie’s favourite stories concerned the company’s connection to Antarctic exploration. Huntley & Palmers supplied biscuits for several famous polar expeditions, including those led by Captain Scott. Among the biscuits taken on the expedition were Digestives, Rich Tea and Petit Beurre varieties, along with a specially produced high-energy biscuit. Remarkably, some of these products remain at the expedition’s base camp on Ross Island, Antarctica, where they have survived for more than a century in the extreme conditions. The site is now strictly protected by conservation groups, and more information about these discoveries can be found on the Reading Museum website.
“The items in this collection were promotional gifts given to me by various marketing teams over the years,” comments Millie.
Millie’s donation of novelty biscuit tins in a variety of unusual shapes has helped preserve an important part of Reading’s industrial heritage. Her favourite biscuit was Huntley & Palmers’ Chocolate Olivers, a much-loved traditional biscuit that remains fondly remembered today.
Huntley & Palmers traces its origins back to 1822, when Joseph Huntley founded a small bakery in London Street, Reading. The business later grew under the leadership of his son, Thomas Huntley, and in 1841 George Palmer joined as a partner, creating the famous Huntley & Palmer name, which later became Huntley & Palmers.
