London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Leeds city council probes slave trade roots of ‘parkin cake’ due to traditional treat being made with SUGAR

Leeds city council probes slave trade roots of ‘parkin cake’ due to traditional treat being made with SUGAR

Parkin is said to be facing scrutiny in Leeds after a city council document reportedly flagged the centuries-old Yorkshire delicacy for containing sugar – apparently exposing the cake’s slave-trade origins.
The gingerbread cake, which dates back to the 18th century, was flagged along with other local favourites, including Yorkshire Tea, over their potentially problematic ingredients, the Telegraph reported, citing a city council document.

“Historically, some of the ingredients used to make these ‘local’ products were gained through the triangular slave trade (for example, sugar),” the eye-opening internal report observed. To be fair, 18th-century parkin likely used sugar imported from Britain’s sugar plantations in the Caribbean.

Leeds’ city council purportedly hopes to dig into parkin’s sweet but colonial origins as part of activity “in relation to Black Lives Matter.” The proposed anti-racist sleuthing aims to reveal “how local products such as Yorkshire Parkin and Yorkshire tea are, in fact, reliant on global trade.” Eventually the council’s findings may be used to create teaching material for primary school pupils in the city, the Telegraph said.

The council’s planned curriculum changes will highlight how, while Yorkshire delicacies put the county “on the map,” some ingredients for these items “would have been sourced from around the empire and would have involved the labour of enslaved people as well as exploitation of resources and communities around the world.” The document stressed that its criticisms of parkin reflect a “contemporary perspective” on the cake and its sugary cohorts.

The report is part of a study launched by the Labour-controlled council which seeks to identify “examples of how racism continues to be prevalent in everyday life.” It’s possible that the city’s leaders may have taken aim at cake after determining that there was a lack of problematic statues in the city ripe for removal. Unlike in cities such as Bristol – where a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was toppled – Leeds is without memorials that honour individuals linked to the slave trade, the report concluded. However, “themes of empire and colonialism are still prominent within the city’s heritage” and much can be done to promote greater “diversity” in the municipality.

The BLM-inspired culinary research could mark a turning point in parkin’s history. As the Telegraph noted, the cake’s origins are very much in dispute, with Lancashire also claiming ownership of the treat. Notably, the county has not yet launched its own probe into the cake’s allegedly racist past.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×