Packet of Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles

A packet of Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles represents a Quaker tradition of responsible business and the Rowntree family's enduring commitment to social reform.

Innocent Trades

During the 19th century, three Quaker families helped shape British confectionery: Fry, Cadbury and Rowntree. Their businesses belonged to a tradition of Innocent Trades — occupations through which Friends could earn a living without profiting from activities they believed caused harm.

For Quaker business owners, commercial success brought responsibilities. Fair wages, humane working conditions and concern for surrounding communities reflected the belief that business should benefit more than its owners. Profits could also improve the lives of others.

Henry Isaac Rowntree founded Rowntree & Co. in York in 1862. Fruit Pastilles appeared in the 1880s and became one of the company's best-known products. As the business expanded, the family's involvement in social reform grew alongside its commercial success.

Joseph Rowntree's wider purpose

Joseph Rowntree believed that helping people in hardship meant more than handing out charity. Poverty had causes that needed to be understood and addressed, and he wanted his wealth to support lasting improvements.

In 1904, he established three separate organisations, each with a distinct purpose. Their successors continue to address poverty, injustice and political reform.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) seeks to understand the causes of poverty and influence the policies that affect people's lives.

One early expression of Rowntree's social ambitions was New Earswick, a garden village near York. Its houses and planned surroundings offered an alternative to overcrowded urban housing, reflecting his belief that decent living conditions could improve people's opportunities.

Today, JRF addresses poverty through research, public policy and practical initiatives, examining how income, housing and social conditions affect families and communities throughout the UK.

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) retains an explicitly Quaker identity, guided by testimonies including Peace, Equality, Simplicity and Integrity.

Rather than providing direct services, JRCT funds organisations and campaigners seeking change. Its support has included work on conscientious objection, nuclear disarmament, human rights and environmental responsibility.

Through these grants, the trust continues a Quaker tradition of putting religious convictions into practical action.

The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust

The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust (JRRT) supports political and democratic reform. Rowntree established it as a company rather than a charity, allowing it to support political causes that charitable trusts could not fund.

Its work has included support for civil liberties organisations and campaigns for fairer democratic processes. The distinction mattered to Rowntree: changing the conditions that caused hardship sometimes meant changing laws and political institutions.

A sweet success continues

The Rowntree confectionery business has long since passed out of Quaker ownership, but the family's legacy continues through organisations addressing poverty, injustice and the conditions in which people live.

The name on a packet of Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles therefore connects an everyday sweet to a Quaker belief that making money and using it responsibly are inseparable parts of an trustworthy business.