Batchelors facts for kids

Batchelors is a well-known brand that makes mostly dried food products. Think of things like instant soups, pasta, and noodle dishes! The company started way back in 1895 in Sheffield, England. It was founded by William Batchelor, and at first, they focused on canning vegetables.

Later, Batchelors started making dried soups in 1949. Then, in 1972, they launched their super popular Cup-a-Soup range. Today, they sell many different foods, including Pasta 'n' Sauce, Super Rice, Cup-a-Soup, and Super Noodles. Batchelors is actually the top seller of dried soups in the UK!

Since 2008, the Batchelors name has also been used for condensed soups made by Premier Foods. These soups were previously sold under the Campbell's brand. The Campbell's brand returned to the UK in 2011.

The Story of Batchelors

How It All Began

William Batchelor was born in 1860 in a place called Habrough, in Lincolnshire, England. His father was a farmworker. William found a clever way to can vegetables, like processed peas. Because of this discovery, he started his company, Batchelors Foods, in 1895.

William passed away in 1913 when he was 53 years old. His daughter, Ella, who was 22 at the time, took over the business. She helped the company grow even more. Batchelors soon became a very famous name in households across the country.

A New Factory and War Efforts

Ella Hudson Gasking (1891–1966), often known as Mrs. E. H. Gasking, was a very important leader for Batchelors. In 1937, she opened a brand new factory in Wadsley Bridge, Sheffield. This factory cost a lot of money to build, about £100,000!

It was the biggest canning factory in Britain at the time. It covered a huge area, even having playing fields for the staff. During World War II, Ella Gasking helped the country's war efforts by providing food. In 1943, she received an award called an OBE for her hard work.

Changes in Ownership

During World War II, it became difficult to find enough staff and food was rationed. Because of these challenges, the company was bought by Unilever in 1943. Batchelors became part of Unilever's food division.

In 1948, Ella Gasking retired, and her younger brother, Maurice Batchelor, took over. The company also bought another soup company called Poulton and Noel. A year later, in 1949, Batchelors sold its very first dried soup, which was chicken noodle flavor. Then, in 1972, the famous Cup-a-Soup was launched!

In 2001, Unilever bought another company called Bestfoods. To make sure there wasn't a monopoly (where one company controls too much), Unilever had to sell some of its brands. So, they sold Batchelors and Oxo to the UK part of the Campbell Soup Company.

However, Unilever kept the Cup-a-Soup brand in America and Australia. They changed its name to Lipton in America and Continental in Australia.

Batchelors Today

In 2006, Campbell's soup decided to leave the UK market. They sold their brands, including Batchelors, to Premier Foods. Premier Foods was allowed to use the Campbell's name until 2008. After that, Campbell's Soup products were rebranded and sold as Batchelors.

In 2008, Batchelors also got a new look with a fresh logo. Today, Batchelors continues to be a popular brand for quick and easy meals in the UK and Australia.