Fisherman's Friend

Fisherman's Friend is a brand of strong menthol lozenges manufactured by the Lofthouse company in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England.

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History

Fisherman's Friend was originally developed by pharmacist James Lofthouse in 1865 to relieve various respiratory problems suffered by fishermen working in the extreme conditions of the northern deep-sea fishing grounds. Though he developed it as an extremely strong liquid remedy containing menthol and eucalyptus oil, Lofthouse later made the liquid into small lozenges, which were easier to transport and administer.^[2] According to the manufacturer, the fishermen began to refer to the lozenges as "friends", hence the name.

The company expanded its reach after the 1963 marriage of Doreen and Tony Lofthouse, a grandson of the founder, following which Doreen became a director;^[3] it transitioned from direct sales to stocking by retailers and subsequently spread abroad, initially to Norway in 1974, and different flavours were added to appeal to regional tastes.^[4] The shape of the lozenges was reportedly based on the buttons of a dress worn by Mrs Lofthouse.^[3]

British prime minister Margaret Thatcher is said to have used the product when her throat became strained from public speaking.^[2] French president Emmanuel Macron uses them too: "He finds his energy in les Fisherman's, those lozenges which rip your throat out. He keeps them in his pockets and in the car-seats. When speaking publicly, he needs water, some slices of lemon and a small dish of Fisherman's. During the Presidential campaign, he was reported to have devoured crates of them, delivered to his campaign headquarters."^[5]

The lozenges are relatively unchanged since their creation. The original paper packets later became foil-lined and packaged in a cardboard carton.

Lofthouse of Fleetwood has won the Queen's Award to Industry for Export Achievement on three occasions.

Availability

Fisherman's Friends are available in a variety of flavours. Some flavours are sugar-free, for which the bags are striped.

Containing sugar

Original Extra Strong (called Eucalyptus in Germany) – White pack^[a]
Aniseed – Gold pack
Mint – Green pack

Sugar-free

Original Extra Strong (called Eucalyptus in Germany) – White and blue pack
Lemon – White and yellow pack
Blackcurrant – White and dark purple pack
Mint – White and light green pack^[a]
Apple – White, green and orange pack (only in Indonesia)
Apple and Cinnamon – White and mid-green, or white and moss green, or white, green and orange pack
Salmiak – White and black pack
Cherry – White and dark red pack^[a]
Mandarin and Ginger, or Spicy Mandarin, or Mandarin and Grapefruit, or Mandarin, or Orange Spice – White and dark orange pack
Grapefruit – White and coral pack
Sweet Liquorice – White and brown pack
Tropical – White and amber pack
Spearmint – White and teal pack
Citrus – White and lime green pack
Honey and Lemon – White and beige pack
Sweet Lime – White and yellow to light green pack
Raspberry – White and dark pink pack
Mixed Berries – White, red and purple pack^[6]
Sage – White and light purple pack (only in Germany)
Salmiak and Raspberry – White, dark pink and black pack (only in Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway)

Chocolate Mint

Chocolate Mint flavours:^[b]^[7]

Chocolate Mint
Chocolate Mint Cherry
Chocolate Mint Orange
Chocolate Mint Salted Caramel

Other flavours of sweets

Pro Fresh from Fisherman's Friend
- Vanilla Mint
- Peppermint
- Strawberry
- Blueberry
- Lemon And Lime
- Melon
- Orange

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Flavours available in the United States
^ Currently only available in Norway, Germany, Thailand, Singapore & Switzerland

References

^ "M.T. Cevic – FD241". www.fleetwood-fishing-industry.co.uk. Fleetwood Motor Trawlers. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Fisherman's Friend-Still Very Sales Friendly!". Grocery Trader Magazine (interview). December 2006. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Fisherman's Friend tycoon Doreen Lofthouse dies aged 91". BBC News. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
^ "Fisherman's Friend couple's extra strong marriage". BBC News Lancashire. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
^ Corinne Lhaïk (2020). Président Cambrioleur (in French). Fayard. pp. 202–03.
^ "Flavour | Fishermans Friend". 6 May 2019. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
^ "Fishermans Friend launches chocolate in Germany". www.wuv.de. Verlag Werben & Verkaufen GmbH. 15 January 2020. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2020.