Bermondsey: London’s Larder · 3
Biscuit Town: the district a factory baked
Ep. 3 · Peek Freans’ 126 years
FitTrip Editor · 2026.07.16
From the 1860s, the Peek Freans works on Clements Road gave Bermondsey its nickname, Biscuit Town. After 126 years of baking, the factory closed on 26 May 1989; the site is now being redeveloped, and a small biscuit museum run by former workers and locals keeps the memory. Where leather survived as street names, biscuits survive as a nickname and living memory.
Bermondsey’s second layer of production was sweet. Older residents still call the district “Biscuit Town” — a name from the days when, depending on the wind, the whole neighbourhood smelled of fresh biscuits.
The 126-year factory
In the 1860s the biscuit maker Peek Freans built a large integrated works around Clements Road, and the factory gave Bermondsey its nickname Fact. Garibaldi and Bourbon biscuits were born here and exported worldwide Fact. The factory closed on 26 May 1989, after 126 years Fact.
Those who bake memory
The old works is being redeveloped as “The Biscuit Factory” Fact, and in one corner a biscuit museum run by former workers and locals preserves machines, photographs and wrappers Fact. Check opening days before you go Unconfirmed. Where leather (Ep. 2) survived as street names, biscuits survive as a nickname and living memory — two ways of preserving the same loss.
FAQ
- What was Peek Freans?
- A British biscuit maker founded in 1857, which built a large integrated factory around Clements Road, Bermondsey, in the 1860s. Garibaldi and Bourbon biscuits were made here.
- When did the factory close?
- On 26 May 1989, after 126 years. Local filmmakers documented its final days.
- What can I see today?
- The redevelopment of the old works (The Biscuit Factory) and a small biscuit museum run by former workers and locals — check opening days before visiting.
Checklist
- Walk the old works on Clements Road from outside
- Check the biscuit museum’s opening days first
- Look for Biscuit Town murals and markers
- Continue to Episode 4’s wharf layer
See the full course on FitTrip →