Colman's facts for kids
An old Colman's advert at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
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| Product type | Mustard |
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| Owner | Unilever |
| Country | Norfolk, East Anglia, England |
| Introduced | 1814 |
| Previous owners | Reckitt & Colman (now Reckitt Benckiser) |
Colman's is a famous English company that makes mustard and other sauces. It is known for its bright yellow packaging and bull's-head logo. For 160 years, Colman's mustard was made in Norwich, England. Today, the company is owned by Unilever and is one of the oldest food brands still around.
Contents
The Story of Colman's Mustard
How Colman's Began
In the early 1800s, a man named Jeremiah Colman started making mustard. He worked at a water mill near Norwich, in a village called Bawburgh. To make a special tangy flavor, he mixed two types of mustard seeds: brown mustard and white mustard.
Jeremiah Colman officially started his company, "Colman's of Norwich," in 1814. He set up his business at the Stoke Holy Cross mill, which was about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Norwich. In 1823, his adopted nephew, James, joined the company. After that, the business became known as "J. & J. Colman."
Growing the Business
In 1851, J. J. Colman took over the company. By 1865, the mustard production moved to a much larger factory. This new factory was located at Carrow Road in Norwich. The company stayed at this big factory for many years.
In 1855, Colman's introduced its famous bright yellow packaging. They also added their well-known bull's-head logo. In 1866, Queen Victoria gave Colman's a special honor called a Royal Warrant. This meant that Colman's was officially a supplier of mustard to the Queen. Even today, the royal household still uses Colman's products.
Helping Employees and Merging with Others
The Colman family was also known for helping their employees. In 1857, they opened a school for the children of their workers. In 1864, the company hired a nurse to help sick staff members. This was a very new and helpful idea at the time.
In 1896, Jeremiah Colman became the chairman of the company. In 1903, Colman's bought a rival mustard maker called Keen Robinson & Company. This purchase also included the Robinsons barley water and baby food business. Colman's bought Keen's to reduce competition in the mustard market.
By 1909, the company had grown a lot and employed 2,300 people. In 1925, Keen's production moved from London to Norwich. In 1938, Colman's joined with another company called Reckitt and Sons to form a larger company called Reckitt & Colman.
From 1997 to 2001, Colman's was the main sponsor of the Norwich City Football Club. In 1995, the Colman's part of the business became part of Unilever UK Ltd. Unilever now owns the Colman's brand.
Colman's still has strong connections to Norwich. Streets like Colman Road are named after the family. There are also Colman First and Middle Schools, and a building at the University of East Anglia called Colman House.
Moving Production
In January 2018, it was announced that Colman's would leave its Norwich factory. The factory had made mustard for 160 years. Production moved to Burton upon Trent in England and also to Germany.
In 2019, the last jar of mustard rolled off the production line at the Norwich factory. The "best before" date on that last jar was changed to "Norwich's Last. By Its Finest. July 24th 2019." Colman's continued to make other sauces at the Norwich site until it closed completely in early 2020.
Colman's Mustard Shop and Museum
The Colman's Mustard Shop and Museum was a popular place in Norwich. It operated from 1973 until April 2017. The shop first opened in Bridewell Alley. In 1999, it moved to Norwich's Royal Arcade. For a while, it was run as both a shop and a tourist attraction. The shop finally closed its doors in April 2017.
Advertising Colman's
In the 1920s, a famous writer named Dorothy L. Sayers worked on advertising for Colman's. She helped create "The Mustard Club" campaign, which was very popular. Later, in the late 20th century, slogans like "Come on Colman's, light my fire" were used in advertisements.
When the mustard was still made in Norfolk, Colman's was also the main shirt sponsor for the Norwich City Football Club.
What Colman's Makes
Colman's makes a variety of products, mostly centered around mustard and other sauces.
- Colman's English Mustard
- Colman's Condiments
- Bramley Apple Sauce
- Mint Sauce
- Cranberry Sauce
- Horseradish Sauce
- Seafood Sauce
- Tartare Sauce
- Colman's recipe mixes
- Beef bourguignon
- Sausage and onion casserole
- Coq au vin
- Chicken pie
- Fish pie
- Beef casserole
- Chilli con carne
- Sausage casserole
- Chicken casserole
- Cottage pie
- Spaghetti bolognese
- Tuna pasta bake
- Chicken chasseur
- Shepherd's pie
- Hot chilli con carne
- Chicken supreme
- Beef stroganoff
- Lamb hotpot
- Colman's sauce mixes
- Pepper sauce
- Onion sauce
- Parsley sauce
- Cheddar cheese sauce
- White sauce
- Bread sauce
- Colman's Big Night In
- Salt and pepper chicken
- Mexican burritos
- Korean barbecue
- Argentinian steak
- Chicken kebab
- Ultimate burger
- Doner kebab
- Colman's Season and Shake
- Mediterranean chicken
- Garlic and herb roast chicken
- Piri piri chicken
- Sweet chilli chicken
- Cajun chicken
See also
