Eccles cakes are named for the town of Eccles in Lancashire, England, now classified as a town in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester. Though their origin long predates him, it was James Birch who became the first person to sell Eccles cakes commercially in 1793 in the Eccles town centre.

Are Eccles cakes made in Eccles?

You see, contrary to popular believe, Eccles Cakes are no longer actually even made in Eccles, the ones that you see in the supermarket made by Lancashire Eccles Cakes Limited are actually produced in a factory just outside the city centre in Ardwick.

When was the Eccles cake invented?

Named after the town of Eccles in Lancashire, the cake was first sold commercially by James Birch at his shop in the town center in 1793. But the origins of the pastry stretch back much further, to festivals known as “Eccles wakes,” which celebrated the feast of St. Mary and the construction of the town church.