HP Foods facts for kids
 |
|
| Private | |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 1875 in Aston, Birmingham |
| Founder | Edwin Samson Moore |
| Headquarters |
,
United Kingdom
|
|
Area served
|
Europe |
| Products | HP Sauce, Daddies sauces, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce |
| Owner | The Kraft Heinz Company |
| Parent | H. J. Heinz Company |
| Divisions | HP Foods, Amoy Food UK, Lea & Perrins |
HP Foods Limited was a company in England. It was well-known for making popular sauces. These included HP Sauce, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, and Daddies sauce. The company also helped bring the Chinese food brand Amoy Food to the UK.
How HP Foods Started
The company began in 1875 in a place called Aston, Birmingham. It was first known as the Midland Vinegar Company. Edward Eastwood and his nephew, Edwin Samson Moore, were the founders.
Over time, the company grew and changed its name. It was also called Smedley HP Foods Limited for a while. By 1939, HP Sauce Ltd. made more than just HP Sauce. They also produced HP Tomato Ketchup, HP Salad Cream, and HP Mayonnaise. They even made a sweet pickle called Pickante. The company owned other smaller businesses too, like Lea and Perrins.
Changes in Ownership
HP Foods changed owners several times throughout its history.
- In 1988, a company called Hanson plc sold HP Foods to Groupe Danone SA. This sale was for about £199 million.
- Then, in June 2005, Danone sold HP Foods to Heinz for £470 million.
- However, the UK's Office of Fair Trading looked into this takeover. They sent it to the Competition Commission for a review.
- After their review, the Competition Commission approved the takeover. Heinz then started to bring HP Foods into its own business.
Moving Production
In 2007, the original factory in Aston was taken down. The making of HP and Daddies sauces moved to the Netherlands. The bottling of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce returned to Worcester. It had been moved to the Aston factory in 2005. Even when it was at the Aston factory, the sauce itself was still made at the Midlands Road site.
Related Sauces
