Celebrating the best of the Black Country: Explore the rich heritage!

02 Jun 2025

Published in: Black Country Chamber of Commerce News

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You may have seen our recent post marking the countdown to Black Country Day on 14th July.

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In the lead up to the big day, we’ve decided to launch our celebration over the coming weeks, it’s a real privilege to support such a diverse range of businesses across the Black Country region. It’s truly inspiring to see so many successful enterprises proudly representing this historic area.

Follow along as we take you through

• The history of the Black Country.
• What makes the Black Country unique?
• How you can join in the celebrations.

So, grab a tea, settle in and discover how the Black Country came to be!

The history of the Black Country

The Black Country is a region in England within the West Midlands. There are four main boroughs that make up the Black Country:

• Dudley: The historical capital of the Black Country known for its strong links to the iron, coal, and limestone industries.
• Sandwell: A key player in the Industrial Revolution with a strong manufacturing base.
• Walsall: Known as the Leather Capital of the World particularly for saddle and leather good manufacturing.
• Wolverhampton: Historically known as a major centre for coal mining, steel production, lock making and automotive manufacturing.

Fun Fact: The region is said to have inspired Tolkien’s depiction of Mordor in The Lord of the Rings.

Historically, the area was home to thousands of ironworking factories, the build-up of soot and smoke pollution covered buildings and turned them black.

Queen Victoria crossed through the Black Country in 1832, aged at 13, before the region got their name she wrote in her diary that “The men woemen (sic), children, country and houses are all black.”

The term “Black Country” became more widely recognised following the 1868 publication of Walks in the Black Country and its Green Border Land, which described the region as “black by day and red by night”. This prompt came from the furnaces that lit up the night sky and the black smoke covering the air during the day.

This metaphor shaped the colours red, white and black as the region’s primary colours which was announced on Black Country Day in 2013.

While the exact boundaries of the region remain open to interpretation, the Black Country played a crucial role in the Industrial Revolution. Their abundant amounts of coal and iron production propelled Great Britain in the highest position of the global industrial progress.

What makes the Black Country unique?

Industrial Heritage

The Black Country’s industrial past is central to its identity, especially during the Victorian era. Local railways and coal mines started to grow, forming the foundation of the region’s heritage.

The Dialect

The dialect of the Black Country is instantly recognisable and known for its unique vocabulary, pronunciation, and retention of archaic features such as; “Yam” (you are), “Saft” (silly) and “Bostin’” (great/ excellent).

The Food

The region boasts several traditional dishes that reflect its heritage, using locally sourced ingredients that have become staples to different parts of the Black Country. These include:

• Pork scratchings – manufactured in the heart of the region and perfect with a pint at the pub.
• Faggots and peas - A classic Black Country dish, featuring faggots (made with meat, herbs, and spices) served with peas.
• Grey peas ‘gray pays’ and bacon – peas and bacon are typically cooked together in a pot, along with other ingredients like onions, pearl barley, and sometimes bacon fat.
• Battered chips (Orange Chips) – These chips are a Black Country staple and are known to be the best in the West Midlands. Sometimes turmeric is used to create a more vivid orange colour!
• Groaty pudding – described as a ‘hearty stew’ including soaked groats, beef, leeks, onion, and beef stock which are baked together for around 16 hours.

How you can join in the celebrations

This year, we’re inviting businesses to join us in celebrating everything that makes the Black Country great. Stay connected with us on social media, where we’ll be sharing our favourite things about the region, from its food to its famous dialect.

To start, we want to hear from you! Film a video sharing what your business favours from the Black Country, don’t forget to use the hashtag #BCCCBlackCountryBest and tag us in your posts! We want to see as many businesses showcase the best of our region and be proud of our history.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this informative blog about the Black Country and its incredible story. Our work to highlight and boost the economy of the region will never stop. From giving you a voice on our platforms to hosting events for more businesses to connect, let’s continue to be the best place to do business!

Wanting to know more about the Black Country? Get to know the best places of the region from last year’s blog post discussing the best and iconic landmarks you should visit!

We can’t wait to see what you love about the Black Country!

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