SNUFF

Gawiths and Kendal are synonymous with snuff manufacture. 

For a more in-depth look at Kendal's snuff heritage please see here.

In 1790 Thomas Harrison from Kendal, grandfather of Samuel Gawith the first, travelled to Scotland to learn how to make snuff and a couple of years later arrived back in Kendal with the famed ‘Kendal Brown’ recipe and equipment and knowledge to make snuff. This was the start of the Gawith snuff enterprise. 

Gawith Hoggarth Snuff

Not longer after being formed Gawith Hoggarth & Co purchased a watermill on the edge of Kendal, where snuff was ground until 1991. 

Once carrying an exceptional range of over 40 snuffs, today Gawith Hoggarth & Co still produce a small selection of their most famed and traditional snuffs. These are available in 25g round tins or in 10g plastic tap dispensers and include CM snuff, one of the long time market leaders in mentholated snuffs. 

Samuel Gawith Snuff

The House of Samuel Gawith was founded in 1792 when the snuff-making machinery was brought back from Scotland and installed in the old water powered mill, just outside of Kendal. The first snuff produced was the famous “Kendal Brown”, which remains one of the most popular 230 years later. The term ‘original’ was put on the label after many other companies started to try and copy the famous blend, but Samuel Gawith created and produced the first and original Kendal Brown snuff. 

Later on when brothers, Samuel and John Edward Gawith dissolved their tobacco manufacturing partnership in 1878 and Samuel opted to retain the snuff grinding mill, he built the Kendal Brown House, named after the famous Kendal Brown snuff. 

The company prospered and saw an increase in demand during World War 1, particularly for snuff, meaning that by 1918 Samuel Gawith was ready to expand building new factories and taking over another snuff mill. 

But the late 1930's were difficult times for smaller tobacco firms as cigarettes became more popular. As a consequence, Samuel Gawith decided to concentrate only on snuff production and to bring all the production under one roof. The Kendal Brown House was expanded and in 1937, Samuel Gawith closed down all other operations and snuff manufacture was moved solely to the Kendal Brown House. 

In the 1920’s Samuel Gawith made some 65 different brands of snuff including Doctor Verey’s, Golden Glow, After Glow, Mastiff and of course variations of the Kendal Brown. 

Whilst Samuel Gawith did branch out into pipe tobacco production again, making some loose tobacco and twist, snuff remained the pride of the company and in the 1980’s they were still making 57 different varieties. A number of their more popular snuffs are now also produced as pipe tobaccos, topped with the same flavourings such as FireDance and Celtic Talisman. 

Now after Gawith Hoggarth took over Samuel Gawith in 2015, there still remains 18 different snuff blends, available in 10g dispensers or 25g vacuum sealed round tins.