Our British Heritage

 Our Power Brands

Ambrosia
Ambrosia was founded in 1917 as an infant nutrition company by Albert Morris and in the 1930's the Creamery began producing canned rice pudding.  

The Creamery supplied dried milk to our troops in the First World War. 

Ambrosia products are registered with The Red Tractor Scheme. The range carries the Red Tractor logo and these can be seen on our cans and cartoons. This means that all our milk can be traced back to the farm it comes from, those with the highest quality milk and the highest standards for the welfare of their cows. 

All of our milk for Ambrosia is still sourced from only the South West of England. 

Batchelors
William Batchelor began the company in 1895, selling packets of peas. He soon adopted the breakthrough canning technology, supplying soup and vegetables to busy British homes. In a short space of time, it became one of the most successful canning companies in the UK and later, a household name.

Throughout its history, it has been known for leasing the way in packaging and product innovation.

In 1949, Batchelors began making dried soups; by 1972 these became known as the famous 'Cup a Soup'.

In 2012, the Batchelors brand continued to innovate and launched its Deli Box – a light lunch.

Bisto
The Bisto story began in 1908, when two employees at the Cerebos salt company, Mr. Roberts and Mr. Patterson developed the recipe that was to become Bisto original gravy powder.

Its name is derived from the fact that it "Browns Instantly, Seasons and Thickens in One" and became a firm favourite in households across Britain for its ease and convenience and with guaranteed results every time, the perfect gravy was now within everybody’s capabilities.

In 1919, the first Bisto Kids adverts appeared, catching the scent of cooking on the breeze, and sighing. ‘Ahhh…Bisto’.  A catchphrase that lives on today.

Hovis
Hovis has a rich history that started in 1886 with a miller called Richard ‘Stoney’ Smith. He pioneered the use of wheatgerm in the baking process due to its nutritional value. This was then verified in 1924 by scientists who discovered the abundance of vitamin B in wheatgerm.

Since the discovery of wheatgrem, Hovis has continued to lead the way in innovation, continually searching for new ways to bring health benefits into bread. 

Hovis invented the half and half sector in 2001 with the launch of Hovis Best of Both. Hovis Seeds Sensations was launched in 2007 and Hovis Hearty Oats in 2010 which is uniquely approved by Heart UK – The Cholesterol Charity. More recently the premium Farmers Loaf has been launched to celebrate the work we have done with British framers. Hovis has now entered the breakfast biscuit category with a new range of Hovis Breakfast Bakes.  

From 2010, Hovis moved to flour milled from 100% British Wheat across its entire range – a first for a major bread brand.  We work with 600 farmers to grow the best quality wheat exclusively for Hovis, right here in Britain.

TV advertising has been a strong part of the Hovis history and the brand was one of the first to advertise on British TV in 1956 with the ‘Don’t say brown, say Hovis' campaign.

Hovis went on to launch one of the most famous TV ads of all time in 1973 – the classic ‘Boy on the bike’ directed by Ridley Scott and featuring the unforgettable music from Dvorak Symphony No.9. In 2008, Hovis launched the iconic ‘Go on lad’ TV ad. 

Loyd Grossman
Loyd has been making sauces for over 20 years and believes that great sauces are all about working with special ingredients to add depth and richness to the flavour.

Loyd’s experience and passion for food inspires his own original recipes to add a truly distinctive taste. His recipes combine fresh and fragrant ingredients to create delicious sauces.

LOYD GROSSMAN words and logo are registered trade marks of Loyd Grossman and are used under licence.

Mr. Kipling

Launched in 1967 to sell cakes of a local baker’s standards to supermarkets, the Mr. Kipling has held the ‘Number 1 Cake Brand’ title since 1976. brand

Mr. Kipling is always experimenting with new cake flavours and formats with an impeccable eye for detail. The range now includes instantly recognisable modern masterpieces from Cherry Bakewells to Angel Slices to Bramley Apple Pies.
In January 2011, Mr. Kipling moved to using 100% free range eggs in all its products containing egg as an ingredient.

OXO
OXO was launched in 1847 and accompanied Captain Scott to the South Pole and John Hunt to the Everest summit.  It has even helped sustain troops during two World Wars. 

The OXO brand was one of the first to advertise on TV with icons such s Sooty, housewife ‘Katie’, Denis Waterman and Lynda Bellingham.

While original ‘Beef’ remains the best seller, OXO has developed over the years to suit changing tastes with the new addition of new flavours and the new OXO Squeezy Stock.

Sharwood’s
Since its establishment in 1889, the Sharwood’s founder James Allen Sharwood, and more recently the Sharwood’s chefs, have been discovering the very best in Asian cuisine for you to enjoy at home.

In August 2010, Sharwood’s teamed up with Joanna Lumley to develop a limited edition Mango Chutney with Kashmiri Chilli – an ingredient from her birthplace. In 2012, Sharwood’s launched a new range of tikka massala sauces and the innovative Wraps Kits in 8 flavours.

Our Other Brands

Angel Delight
Launched back in the 1960's, the Angel Delight product promised the ‘taste of strawberries and cream' and doubled the market for instant desserts.

In 2011, the Angel Delight brand became the first Premier Foods new product development to be exclusively launched on Facebook with its ice cream mixes gaining 49,000 Facebook likes and 142,000 Twitter mentions.

Atora
Gabriel Hugon, a Frenchman living in Manchester, founded Atora in 1983.

Captain Scott took it too the Antarctic in the early 1900’s. 

Be-Ro
Be-Ro flour was originally sold from Thomas Bell's grocery business near the Tyne Quays under the brand 'Bells Royal'.

Following the death of Edward VII, it became illegal to use the royal name, so 'Be-Ro' was born. The Be-Ro recipe book, first produced in 1923, has sold over 38 million copies since its launch.

Bird’s
The Bird’s brand is best known for its original homemade custard powder, invented by Alfred Bird in 1837.

Bird’s custard was supplied to British troops in World War One.  

The famous ‘Three Bird’ logo was introduced in 1929.

Cadbury
Cadbury* Mini Rolls are the No 1 brand in the 'snacking' cakes market and have been produced in Britain since 1962.

In 1994, Cadbury Cake Bars were introduced and, in 2008, Cake Bites were also introduced.

*The Cadbury Brand is owned by Cadbury UK Limited and used under licence by Premier Foods for Cadbury cakes and Cadbury spreads.

Homepride
In the 1920’s, Spillers Millars began milling their first bags of Homepride flour.

The famous Fred character made his first appearance on TV in 1964.  He quickly became a distinctive brand icon and national treasure.

The Cook in Sauce range was launched in 1974, pioneering pre-prepared cooking sauces.

In 1999, Homepride sauces launched Pasta Bake and in 2001 and in 2008, respectively, Pasta Stir Sauce and Pasta Bakes were launched.

Lyons
Lyons opened its first teashop in 1894 in Piccadilly, and by 1940 there were 250 throughout the country.
 
In the 1950s, Lyons began marketing attractively packaged cakes for sale through grocery outlets.

In 2002, the Lyons brand launched its first range of cakes to be eaten hot. Flavours included Sticky Caramel and Coconut Cakes. The same year, it joined the Golden Jubilee celebrations with a special edition 'Elizabeth Sandwich' Cake.

McDougall’s
When the McDougall brothers launched their 'yeast substitute' in 1864 and, later, a product called 'self-raising' flour, they revolutionised home baking. But the innovations didn't stop there and in 1972, the company created another new market with the UK's first-ever baking mixes for easy shortcrust and flaky pastry.

Today, the McDougall brand is the UK leader in retail flour and is helping to make baking as convenient and as deliciously rewarding as possible. The brand spans a number of sectors, including mainstream flour, basic baking mixes (crumble, sponge, pastry), yeast, thickening granules and frozen pies.

Mother’s Pride
Mothers Pride made its first appearance in 1936 and became a national brand in 1956.

The Mothers Pride brand began baking 'Plain Bread' in Scotland in 1958 and until 1970's, it was the only type of bread readily available in Scotland.

The familiar tartan wrapping of the much-loved Mothers Pride Plain loaf is an officially recognised tartan. Mothers Pride tartan was registered with the Tartan Society on June 1st 1996 and is used on the packaging of the range of Mothers Pride Scottish bread and bakery products.
 

Ormo 
Ormo breads have been baked in Belfast since 1875.

During World War Two when many quality ingredients traditionally imported were not available, Ormo decided to stop baking rather than use inferior ingredients.

Ormo is a trademark of A H Foods Limited and is used under licence.

Paxo
Paxo was invented in 1901 by John Crampton, a butcher from Eccles in Manchester, who wanted to make Sunday lunches more exciting.

Parsley & Thyme was the firm favourite for many years, but the growth of chicken roasts in the 60’s changed all that.  Nowadays Sage and Onion is the firm favourite.

Saxa
The Cerebos salt company was founded in 1884 in Newcastle. Their core brand ‘Saxa’ was launched in 1907.

Smash
Synonymous with its '70s catchphrase "For Mash Get Smash" the Smash Martian advertising campaign was voted Campaign Magazine's TV ad of the 20th century.

2008 saw a re-launch of the brand, featuring a new, healthier recipe and improved packaging.