Batchelors facts for kids

Batchelors is a well-known brand that makes mostly dried food products. The company started in 1895 in Sheffield, England. It was founded by William Batchelor.

At first, Batchelors focused on canning vegetables. Later, they started making dried soups. Their first dried soup came out in 1949. In 1972, they launched their popular Cup-a-Soup range. This made it easy for people to have a quick soup.

Today, Batchelors also makes pasta and rice dishes. These include "Pasta 'n' Sauce" and "Super Rice." They are also famous for their instant soups and noodle products like Super Noodles. Batchelors is the top seller of dried soups in the UK.

Since 2008, the Batchelors name has also been used for condensed soups. These soups were once sold under the Campbell's brand. Campbell's soups returned to the UK in 2011.

The Story of Batchelors

How It All Started

William Batchelor was born in 1860. He found a way to can vegetables, like processed peas. In 1895, he started his own company, Batchelors Foods.

William passed away in 1913 when he was 53. His daughter, Ella, took over the company. She was only 22 years old. Ella helped the company grow a lot. Batchelors became a very famous name in many homes.

Ella Gasking's Leadership

Ella Hudson Gasking (1891–1966) was a strong leader. She was often known as Mrs. E. H. Gasking. She opened a new factory in Wadsley Bridge, Sheffield in 1937. This factory cost £100,000 to build. It was the biggest canning factory in Britain at the time. It covered a large area, including playing fields for staff.

During World War II, Ella Gasking helped a lot with the war effort. In 1943, she received an award called the OBE. This was to thank her for her work in the grocery industry.

Changes in Ownership

Because of problems with staff and rationing during the war, the company was sold. In 1943, Unilever bought Batchelors. It became part of Unilever's food business.

In 1948, Ella Gasking retired. Her younger brother, Maurice Batchelor, took over. The company then bought another soup company called Poulton and Noel.

In 1949, Batchelors sold its first dried soup. It was a chicken noodle flavor. Then, in 1972, they launched the very popular Cup-a-Soup.

New Owners and Brands

In 2001, Unilever bought another company called Bestfoods. To make sure there was fair competition, Unilever had to sell some of its brands. So, they sold Batchelors and Oxo to the Campbell Soup Company.

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

In 2006, Campbell's soup left 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 soups were renamed Batchelors.

In 2008, Batchelors also got a new logo.