A HARROGATE toffee firm which won a worldwide reputation for its lemony sweets originally bought to take away the pungent taste of the town's spa waters, is branching out with a more chewy rival.

Three years ago father and son Gary and Peter Marston rescued Farrah's Harrogate Toffee from obscurity after it briefly closed down, amid scenes of panic buying for final supplies in its blue and silver embossed tins.

Now the firm has moved to a new factory at Starbeck and is marking its 160th anniversary by creating a new line currently undergoing testing. It will be launched in red and silver tins, but still bearing the distinctive Farrah's lettering.

Gary Marston, who along with son Peter, masterminded the move from cramped conditions off King's Road to the £250,000 factory in Camwal Road, Starbeck, said no date had yet been set for launch of the new toffee.

But the sweets will continue to be made using copper bowls and wooden paddles, producing a taste which has seen supplies spread around the world and to some of the country's top stores.

The firm is proud of its old-fashioned production methods which it believes gives the products the edge on mass produced toffee.

Originally Mr Marston and his son bought the firm so their specialist sweet shop overlooking the Crown roundabout in the town's Montpellier quarter could maintain its supplies. But it has turned into a booming business. Latest sales figures reveal a 37.5 per cent increase on last year and the outlook seems even rosier.

Initially the pair hit a snag in getting enough tins. They now have more than 130,000 at the ready to meet surges in orders and are official merchandisers for television soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

The ultimate accolade for the firm came in 1998 when The Queen, known to have a sweet tooth for the toffee herself, visited the old factory and was presented with a specially packaged tin after being fascinated with the old production methods. She enjoyed her visit so much it overran by more than 20 minutes.

It is 160 years since the first toffee was made, ahead of the Farrah company's formation. Originally a Mr Swan introduced the sweet as the perfect way to clear the palate.