Biscuit manufacturer Pladis is today unveiling a ‘Cracker Packers’ statue in Carlisle, Cumbria, to mark International Women’s Day (8 March).

The 1.5-metre statue commemorates Cracker Packers, the name used for women who used to pack Carr’s Table Water Biscuits. The statue, which depicts on Carr’s factory woman from the 1910s and one from modern times, is located opposite the Pladis factory on Church Street.

The two Cracker Packers stand on a bronze Carr’s Table Water biscuit, with the distinctive Carr’s signature logo embossed into it.

The statue was created by the Royal Society of Sculptors member and award-winning artist Hazel Reeves in collaboration with Carlisle City Council, Pladis and Cumbria County Council archives.

“The statue conveys the humour, warmth and camaraderie of the Cracker Packers, past and present,” said Reeves. “This was only made possible by the generosity of the Carr’s workers who shared their vibrant stories with me. This statue formally marks the importance of these women workers to the factory, to Carlisle and to each other.”

The sculpture is privately funded and has included a contribution from Pladis and Biscuit Girls author Hunter Davies, as well as Sainsbury’s as part of its development of a Carlisle superstore.

Pladis factory general manager Mike Heaney said this public artwork stood to honour those who have helped shape the town’s history.

“This commission reflects and celebrates a key element of Carlisle’s distinctive social and industrial history,” he said.