Victory V

Victory V

A packet and a roll of lozenges

Victory V is a British brand of liquorice-flavoured lozenges.^[1] Originally manufactured in Nelson, Lancashire, they were devised by Thomas Fryer and Edward Smith MD in the mid-19th century and were initially made by hand to ensure that each sweet contained the correct amount of therapeutic ingredients; ether, liquorice and chloroform.

In 1959, a film was produced by Red Rose Films called The Story of Victory-V, documenting the production of Victory V lozenges and other products of the Nelson Victory V factory.^[2]

In the 1960s they acquired the Alverthorpe firm of A.Talbot and Son. Victory V lozenges are available in specialist shops and online, but no longer contain chloroform or ether. However, their scent and flavour is still vividly reminiscent of diethyl ether - presumably recreated via artificial means, in order to preserve the original flavour. Today they are manufactured by Ernest Jackson & Co. Ltd. in Devon.