Aunt Bessie's facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Food |
| Predecessor | Tryton Foods Ltd |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Headquarters | Hull Leeds |
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Area served
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United Kingdom |
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Key people
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Paul Heritage (Managing director) |
| Products | Frozen food |
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Number of employees
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350 |
| Parent | Nomad Foods |
Aunt Bessie's Limited is a company in the UK that makes many different frozen food products. You might know them for their famous frozen Yorkshire puddings. They also make potato products, side dishes for meals, ready meals, vegetables, and desserts. The company has its main factories in Hull and has more than 350 people working there.
History of Aunt Bessie's
Aunt Bessie's Limited was once part of a bigger company called the William Jackson Food Group. This group started way back in 1851 in Hull. The William Jackson Food Group made and sold food for many years.
The idea for Aunt Bessie's frozen Yorkshire puddings began in 1974. They were first made for Butlins Holiday Camps. In 1995, the company decided to sell these Yorkshire puddings to supermarkets across Britain. They created a special brand called Aunt Bessie's for this.
At first, the company that made these products was called Tryton Foods. But people sometimes confused the name "Triton" with things like bathroom showers or missiles. So, the name was changed to Aunt Bessie's to make it more friendly and memorable.
Aunt Bessie's started selling frozen roast potatoes in 1999. They also made other potato products like chips and croquettes. For a while, another company called Heinz helped make these products. This agreement ended in 2015.
How the Business Grew
By 2001, the Aunt Bessie's brand was very popular. Its products were worth over £50 million in stores. It became one of the top 100 food brands in Britain.
The brand kept growing fast. By 2014, its value had reached £110 million. Many people recognized the brand, with about 70% of consumers knowing it.
In 2004, the William Jackson company sold its supermarket stores, called Jacksons Stores, to Sainsbury's. This sale was for £100 million. After this, the company focused more on making food products instead of running stores.
In early 2008, sales of Aunt Bessie's mashed potato doubled. This happened after a famous chef, Delia Smith, showed how to use it in a shepherd's pie on her TV show. In the same year, the company officially changed its name to Aunt Bessie's Ltd.
Aunt Bessie's continued to be a big brand in the UK. A magazine called The Grocer listed Aunt Bessie's as one of Britain's biggest brands. In 2016, it was ranked 50th, and in 2017, it was 55th.
In June 2018, a company called Nomad Foods bought Aunt Bessie's. They paid £210 million for the business. Nomad Foods now owns Aunt Bessie's.
