Parkin probed by council for links between the cake and colonialism

It has been enjoyed as a Yorkshire delicacy since the 18th century. Connections between the cake and colonialism will be probed in research by Leeds City Council prompted by the Black Lives Matter protests, according to a report seen by The Telegraph. A council document claims: “Historically, some of the ingredients used to make these ‘local’ products were gained through the triangular slave trade.” The document states under the heading “activity in relation to Black Lives Matter” that research into these treats will explore “how local products such as Yorkshire Parkin and Yorkshire tea are, in fact, reliant on global trade”. The Key Stage 2 materials will be added to the local Leeds Curriculum set of teacher resources which already includes an “Empire and Colonialism” section covering Windrush, slavery, gender bias, and decolonisation. Children will learn how while the production of Yorkshire products put the county “on the map”, the council said, some ingredients “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.” Leeds City Council advised that: “Our work will aim to reflect these issues, looking at them from a contemporary perspective in an effort to tell their whole stories.”