About Fisherman's Friend

1865 Pharmacist James Lofthouse opens a Pharmacy shop in Fleetwood, North West England and invents Fisherman’s Friend®.Fleetwood is the center of the English fishing industry. The recent iron and steel revolution allows boats to be built that can go deeper into the arduous and unwelcoming conditions of the deep North Sea fishing grounds of Norway and Iceland, often for weeks at a time.
The conditions cause fisherman to return complaining of colds, flu and bronchial ailments. James Lofthouse devises a remedy.
The first Fisherman's Friend® is a liquid which is stored in glass bottles. The glass bottles were hardly suitable for the inclement conditions of the North Sea.
Undeterred, James creates the now world famous lozenge. The fishermen come into his shop asking for an ounce of their ‘Friends.’ The trade name Fisherman’s Friend® is born!
Fisherman's Friend® continues to be made by hand in the shop in Fleetwood. The shop is passed to the next generation of Lofthouses.

At this time Fisherman’s Friend® is only sold in Fleetwood and the surrounding area. Product popularity spreads to travellers frequenting the nearby British holiday resort of Blackpool.

1960's: Mrs. Doreen Lofthouse, grand-daughter in-law of James, realizes the wider appeal of Fisherman’s Friend®. She visits shops in surrounding towns where she sells Fisherman’s Friend® Original Extra Strong Lozenges to local shopkeepers.
1970: Fisherman’s Friend® is available throughout the United Kingdom. Lofthouse of Fleetwood Ltd. builds a factory to keep up with the demand.
1972: The first shipment of Fisherman’s Friend® is exported to Norway. Today, Norway is one of Lofthouse's most successful European markets.
1975: The first new flavor of Fisherman's Friend® is launched in 110 years!

1980: This is a time of great expansion for the company. New export markets are added, and new flavors launched including the first sugar-free varieties.
1982: Fisherman’s Friend® is sold for the first time in the United States of America.

Fisherman's Friend® is today produced to the highest possible standards in a state of the art factory, located in Fleetwood, England. The company is 100% owned by the direct descendents of James Lofthouse.Fisherman’s Friend® Original Extra Strong Lozenges are made to the same formulation as in 1865.Although a long way from the original pharmacy in Fleetwood, the products are still made with the same care and attention as they were 141 years ago.

The commitment to quality is unshakeable. Only the finest raw materials are used, using natural ingredients whenever possible. The factory operates to strict pharmaceutical standards and no compromise will be tolerated in the manufacturing process.
The company takes seriously its commitment employees. A dynamic management ensures that employees achieve their personal goals and development within the organization, and that the factory operates to the strictest health and safety standards.
The commitment to the community in which the factory operates is also paramount. The Lofthouse family fund and run a charitable foundation (The Lofthouse Foundation) to support projects that are deemed beneficial to the community in Fleetwood as a whole such as civic regeneration.
And finally, a commitment to the environment – the factory uses materials that have as little detrimental effect on nature as possible.