The Berdoulat shop is "the home of the Bath Oliver Biscuit".
Dating from the mid 18th century, the biscuit takes its name from its inventor William Oliver of Bath. When Oliver died, he bequeathed the recipe to his coachman, Mr. Atkins, together with £100 and ten sacks of the finest wheat flour. Atkins promptly set up his biscuit-baking business and became rich.
During the nineteenth century the recipe passed to James Fortt of Cater, Soffell and Fortt. Between 1890 and 1980, this shop was the flagship store of Cater, Stoffell and Fortt Ltd., a high end grocers with several outlets, known as "The Fortnums of the West". They had a factory on Manvers Street (where the police station used to be), which manufactured Bath Olivers on a large scale. The biscuits grew in popularity and became famous as the perfect accompaniment for wine and cheese.
