Mr Fitzpatrick's

Mr Fitzpatrick's, previously Fitzpatrick's Herbal Health, is a temperance bar based in Rawtenstall, Lancashire. It is the oldest surviving temperance bar in the United Kingdom.^[1][2]

Mr Fitzpatrick's in 2017

History

Mr Fitzpatrick's was established in the 1890s^[a] by Irish immigrants from Dublin^[3] during the peak of the temperance movement^[4] and was formerly operated alongside 39 other branches.^[1][5] It was owned by the Fitzpatrick family until it was given to Bob and Beryl Waddington in 1982 following Malachi Fitzpatrick's retirement.^[6][7][8]

The bar was bought by John and Suzanne Spencer in 1994.^[7] Commonly referred to as Fitzpatrick's,^[9] it was renamed from Herbal Health to Fitzpatrick's Herbal Health in 1998.^[10][11]

In 2003, sarsaparilla was briefly unavailable at Fitzpatrick's^[12] due to the presence of sassafras, an ingredient traditionally present in the drink and a potential carcinogen. It was subsequently reintroduced with a modified formulation.^[2]

On 15 July 2007, Fitzpatrick's was featured in How We Built Britain, a documentary about British architecture and social history.^[13]

It briefly closed between January and March 2016.^[14] Following a refurbishment, for which the bar was closed between July and August of that year, it started selling cake and milkshakes and incorporating their existing drinks into the recipes.^[15]

On 18 November 2021, Mr Fitzpatrick's made an appearance in an episode of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.^[16][17]

Products

Drinks produced by Mr Fitzpatrick's include sarsaparilla, dandelion and burdock,^[3] cream soda and ginger beer,^[18] along with more exclusive cordials such as blood tonic.^[3]

See also

• Temperance movement in the United Kingdom

Notes

1. There are contradictory reports on when it was established:

   • 1890^[2][14][4]
   • 1899^[1][15]