HP Sauce Takeover
From the collection of
From the collection of
An iconic Midlands brand crosses the English Channel.
HP Sauce is the embodiment of Britishness, named after the 'H' and 'P' of the Houses of Parliament - prime minister Harold Wilson was reportedly a big fan. This vinegar-based condiment was for many years a proud product of Aston in Birmingham, but had in fact originated at New Basford in Nottingham. It made the move west when its creator, Frederick Garton, had a debt called in by the Midland Vinegar Company and was forced to part with his secret recipe.
We join the story in 1988 when HP was taken over again, this time by French food giant BSN. John Mitchell finds out what this might mean for the popular sauce (jokes about the French and garlic were still the norm back then).
Little did they realise that HP would be on the move again a few years later, when a takeover by Heinz would lead to this most British of products being made in the Netherlands.
The takeover of the Birmingham based HP Foods by a French firm.