Invention Of Liquorice Allsorts

Roman soldiers were issued liquorice root to chew, and it has been used in confectionery since the 17th century, but Liquorice Allsorts were not invented until 1899, when liquorice salesman Charlie Thompson dropped his tray of samples.

Liquorice itself is not an invention, but a plant (Glycyrrhiza glabra) whose roots contain glycyrrhizin, a substance that in its pure form is 50 times sweeter than sugar. Liquorice, whose name is a corruption of the original Greek glycorrhiza, meaning 'sweet root', has been noted for its sweet taste and healing properties since ancient times, and cultivation began on a large scale in Europe during the 16th century, not least in Pontefract, England. Used as a flavoring and coloring for foodstuffs ranging from gingerbread to beer and stout, liquorice is most commonly known for its use in confectionery, although 90% of the world crop is now used for flavoring tobacco.

The oldest known liquorice sweet is the Pontefract Cake, also known as the Pomfret Cake or Yorkshire Penny, which is known to have been made as early as 1614 and is still made in Yorkshire town to this day. In 1760 Pontefract confectioner George Dunhill (England) took the first step towards the invention of Liquorice Allsorts when he had the idea of mixing sugar and flour with liquorice to make the familiar, colorful 'liquorice and paste' sweets. Then, in 1899, salesman Charlie Thompson (England), of sweet manufacturer Bassett's accidentally invented Liquorice Allsorts when he dropped his tray of individual samples in front of a prospective customer and they scattered all over the counter; seeing the colorful assortment they made when mixed together, the customer immediately placed an order for a mixed bag, and 'allsorts' were born.

Traditionally, Liquorice Allsorts comprised Chips, Rocks, Buttons, Cubes, Nuggets, Plugs and Twists. Then in 1999, Bassett's introduced two new Liquorice Allsorts to mark the centenary of Thompson's invention. One was a chequered oblong Liquorice Allsorts made from two strips of liquorice with two strips of strawberry paste in a chequered pattern, and the other was a replica of Bassett's mascot, Bertie Bassett, made from aniseed and blueberry.

Source - The Book Of Inventions by Ian Harrison