Aunt Bessie's facts for kids
 |
|
 |
|
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Food |
| Predecessor | Tryton Foods Ltd |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Hull Leeds |
|
Area served
|
United Kingdom |
|
Key people
|
Paul Heritage (Managing director) |
| Products | Frozen food |
|
Number of employees
|
350 |
| Parent | Nomad Foods |
Aunt Bessie's Limited is a company in the UK that makes frozen food products. You might know them for their frozen Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, and other tasty side dishes. The company has factories in Hull and employs over 350 people.
Until 2008, the company was known as Tryton Foods Ltd. Since 2010, another food company called Symington's in Leeds has helped make some of Aunt Bessie's mixes and stuffings.
Contents
The Story of Aunt Bessie's
Aunt Bessie's Limited used to be part of a bigger company. This was the William Jackson Food Group. This food business started way back in 1851 in Hull. The person in charge today, Nicholas Oughtred, is the great-great-grandson of the founder, William Jackson.
How Yorkshire Puddings Started
The William Jackson Group first made frozen Yorkshire puddings in 1974. These were made for Butlins Holiday Camps. In 1995, the company started selling its Yorkshire puddings to supermarkets. They used the name Aunt Bessie's for these products.
To do this, a special food company was set up. It was first called Tryton Foods. But people thought the name "Triton" sounded like bathrooms or missiles. So, the name was changed to Aunt Bessie's. This was a clever marketing idea.
New Products and Growth
Aunt Bessie's frozen roast potatoes were first sold in 1999. Other products like chips and croquettes were also made. These were produced by Heinz at their factory until 2015.
Growing the Business
By 2001, the Aunt Bessie's brand was worth over £50 million. It became one of the top 100 brands in Britain. It was the fastest-growing frozen food brand. By 2014, its value had grown to £110 million. Also, 70% of people knew the brand.
In 2004, the William Jackson company sold its supermarket stores. These were called Jacksons Stores. They were sold to Sainsbury's for £100 million. After this, the company focused more on making food.
In 2008, something exciting happened. Sales of Aunt Bessie's mashed potato doubled! This was because a famous chef, Delia Smith, showed how to use it. She used it in a shepherd's pie on her TV show. In the same year, the company's name officially changed to Aunt Bessie's Ltd.
The Grocer magazine lists Britain's biggest brands. Aunt Bessie's was ranked 50th in 2016 and 55th in 2017. In June 2018, another company called Nomad Foods bought Aunt Bessie's. They paid £210 million for the business.
