Mr Fitzpatrick's, previously Fitzpatrick's Herbal Health, is a temperance bar in Rawtenstall, Lancashire. It is the oldest surviving temperance bar in the United Kingdom.12
History
Mr Fitzpatrick's was established in the 1890sa by Irish immigrants from Dublin6 during the peak of the temperance movement4 and was formerly operated alongside 39 other branches.17 It was owned by the Fitzpatrick family until it was given to Bob and Beryl Waddington in 1982 following Malachi Fitzpatrick's retirement.8910
The bar was bought by John and Suzanne Spencer in 1994.9 Commonly referred to as Fitzpatrick's,11 it was renamed from Herbal Health to Fitzpatrick's Herbal Health in 1998.1213
In 2003, sarsaparilla was briefly unavailable at Fitzpatrick's14 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.15
It briefly closed between January and March 2016.3 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.5
On 18 November 2021, Mr Fitzpatrick's made an appearance in an episode of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.1617
Products
Drinks produced by Mr Fitzpatrick's include sarsaparilla, dandelion and burdock,6 cream soda and ginger beer,18 along with more exclusive cordials such as blood tonic.6
References
References
- Chris Moss (18 November 2022). "A moorland walk to a temperance bar: Mr Fitzpatrick's, Rawtenstall". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- John Anson (10 March 2007). "Rawtenstall: Fitzpatrick's Temperance Bar". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- Stephanie Brawn (25 March 2016). "In Pictures: Joy in East Lancashire as the UK's only remaining temperance bar re-opens". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- Margaret Eby (13 May 2019). "The rise of the sober bar". BBC Worklife. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
- Francesca Winrow (13 August 2016). "Temperance Bar given modern twist". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- Jenny Elliott (4 May 2021). "The Radical Roots of Britain's Last Temperance Bar". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
- Joe Shute (20 February 2021). "Inside Britain's last temperance bar – the first of a new brand of boozer". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- "Cheers (perhaps)". Manchester Evening News Magazine. 18 May 1994. pp. 30–32. Retrieved 12 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "Your secrets are safe with us". Rossendale Free Press. 11 November 1994. p. 24. Retrieved 12 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "Family Notices". Rossendale Free Press. 26 November 1999. p. 8. Retrieved 12 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- David Harrison (7 February 1998). "Your good health!". Manchester Evening News. p. 20. Retrieved 14 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- Ian Pilkington (29 May 1998). "Just the tonic for Malachi". Rossendale Free Press. p. 15. Retrieved 12 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "Herbal ice cream is just the tonic for your taste buds". Rossendale Free Press. 4 December 1998. p. 15. Retrieved 12 June 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- "'Safety' checks on sarsaparilla". BBC News. 24 March 2003. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- "History show's visit to temperance bar". Rossendale Free Press. 20 July 2007. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- "Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, Series 10, Episode 7". BBC. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- Sarah McGee (22 November 2021). "Rawtenstall: Mr Fitzpatrick's temperance bar features on BBC show". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
- Amy Fenton (15 August 2021). "We tried the Lancashire bar that's the last of its kind in Britain". Lancs Live. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
