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Crosse & Blackwell facts for kids
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Formerly
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West and Wyatt |
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| Private (1706–1960) | |
| Industry | Food |
| Fate | Acquired by Nestlé, becoming a brand |
| Founded | 1706 |
| Products | Condiments, marmalades, meat sauces, seafood sauces, mincemeats, mustard, pickles, pickled onions |
| Brands |
List
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| Owner |
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Crosse & Blackwell is a well-known British food brand. It started as a company in London way back in 1706. Later, in 1830, two apprentices named Edmund Crosse and Thomas Blackwell bought the business.
The company became very successful on its own. Then, in 1960, a big Swiss company called Nestlé bought it. Today, Crosse & Blackwell makes many different food items. These include condiments like sauces, marmalades, mustard, and pickles.
Contents
The Story of Crosse & Blackwell
How it All Began
The company's story started in London in 1706. It was first a business called Jackson's, which sold goods from other countries. Over time, it became West & Wyatt. This company focused on making pickles, sauces, and other tasty condiments.
They even supplied food to British kings like George III and William IV. In 1818, West & Wyatt had a factory in Soho, London. They packaged sweet oils, preserved foods, and fruit preserves there.
New Owners and Royal Approval
In 1819, two young apprentices joined the company: Edmund Crosse and Thomas Blackwell. In 1830, they borrowed money from their families. They used it to buy the business, and that's when it became "Crosse & Blackwell."
The company quickly became famous. In 1837, they received a special honor from Queen Victoria. It was called a Royal Warrant. This meant the Queen approved of their products.
Piccalilli label used by Crosse & Blackwell around 1867
By 1839, the company grew bigger. They moved their main offices and shop to a new location in Soho Square. In the 1850s, they started working with famous chefs. One chef, Alexis Soyer, helped them create new sauces like Soyer's Sauce. Crosse & Blackwell also sold Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce.
Growing the Business
Crosse & Blackwell opened a factory to make vinegar. They also started packing pickles at their Soho Square site. The company even bought a small canning firm called Gamble & Company. This firm made preserved fruits, vegetables, and meat for long sea voyages. In 1849, they opened another factory in Cork, Ireland, to can salmon.
Towards the end of the 1800s, Crosse & Blackwell built several new buildings in London. These included warehouses and offices. One warehouse later became a famous music venue called the London Astoria. When it was torn down, workers found thousands of old jam jars and pickle pots from the company!
Crosse & Blackwell in the 1900s
Before World War I, Crosse & Blackwell became a limited company in 1892. They opened their first factory in Europe, located in Hamburg, Germany. After the war, they bought other food companies. These included E Lazenby & Son Ltd, which made sauces and pickles, and James Keiller & Son Ltd, a marmalade maker.
They also bought other companies like Cosmelli Packing Company. After World War I, Crosse & Blackwell opened more factories around the world. By 1930, they had plants in places like Baltimore, Brussels, and Paris.
The Story of Branston Pickle
In 1920, Crosse & Blackwell bought a factory site in Branston, England. They planned to make it the biggest food preserving plant in the British Empire. This allowed them to leave their old Soho properties.
In 1922, they started making Branston Pickle at this new factory. The recipe is said to have come from Mrs. Caroline Graham and her daughters. However, the Branston factory was too expensive to run. So, production moved to another site in Bermondsey in 1925. This move caused many people in Branston to lose their jobs. Because of this, some local people stopped buying Crosse & Blackwell products.
The Bermondsey factory was made bigger in 1924 and 1926. It continued to be used until 1969.
The Keiller Marmalade Factory
The Keiller factory in Silvertown had been destroyed by a fire in 1889. It was rebuilt and continued to make preserves and chocolates. But then, it was bombed during an air raid in 1940. Chocolate making moved to Dundee, Scotland. Preserve making eventually restarted, but then also moved to Dundee in 1956.
Joining Nestlé
In 1960, a huge food company called Nestlé bought the Crosse & Blackwell Group. This deal helped Nestlé grow a lot. It added 11 factories to Nestlé's business. It also included the largest fish-canning factory in the UK. At the time, Crosse & Blackwell had thousands of workers. For a while, their main office was in Morden, London. Later, the brand was owned by another company called Premier Foods.
Interestingly, Chris Blackwell, who started the famous music company Island Records, is related to the founder's family.
Crosse & Blackwell Today
Nestlé sold off most of the Crosse & Blackwell operations in 2002. Today, different companies own the Crosse & Blackwell brand in different parts of the world. The J.M. Smucker Company owns it in North America. Princes Group owns it in Europe. And Tiger Brands owns it in South Africa. In Japan, Nestlé still makes Crosse & Blackwell curry powder for food businesses.