Hellmann's and Best Foods facts for kids
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| Type | Mayonnaise, condiments, ketchup, sauce, mustard, salad dressings |
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| Owner | Unilever |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1913 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | Richard Hellmann, Inc. Best Foods CPC International Bestfoods Corporation |
| Tagline | "Bring out the best" |
| Website | |
Hellmann's and Best Foods are two famous American food brands. They sell many of the same tasty products, like mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard. Even though they have different names, they are actually part of the same company! Since the year 2000, a big company called Unilever has owned both brands.
You might see Hellmann's in places like the eastern United States, Europe, Canada, and Australia. Best Foods is usually found in the western United States, parts of Asia, and New Zealand. Both brands use similar logos and have the same slogan: "Bring out the best."
These brands were once owned by a company called Bestfoods Corporation. This company sold many different food items, not just mayonnaise. Bestfoods was bought by Unilever in 2000.
Contents
The Story of Hellmann's Mayonnaise
Starting a Deli in New York
The story of Hellmann's began in 1903. A man named Richard Hellmann moved from Germany to New York City. In 1905, he opened his own deli, which is a type of food shop. At his deli, he started making his own special mayonnaise.
His mayonnaise was so popular that customers kept asking for more! He began selling it in larger amounts to other stores. Richard worked hard to make his recipe even better, so it would stay fresh for longer.
From Deli to Factory
By 1913, Richard Hellmann's mayonnaise was a huge hit. He built a factory to make even more of it. He started selling it in clear glass jars, which customers could reuse at home. This idea helped sales grow even faster.
In 1914, he simplified the label on his jars to a single blue ribbon. He also made the name "Blue Ribbon Mayonnaise" a registered trademark. A year later, he sold his deli and opened a bigger mayonnaise factory in Manhattan.
Growing Across the Country
Richard Hellmann's company, Richard Hellmann, Inc., was officially started in 1916. He tried selling other foods for a short time, but decided to focus on mayonnaise. He wanted to sell his mayonnaise beyond New York. In 1919, he allowed another person, John Behrmann, to make the mayonnaise in Chicago.
In 1920, a newspaper called the New York Tribune asked chefs to test different salad dressings. They said Hellmann's mayonnaise was the best! They noted it had more oil than other brands. This news helped Hellmann's sales grow even more.
In 1922, Hellmann's mayonnaise started selling in Canada. Richard Hellmann also built a much larger factory in New York. While on a trip to San Francisco, California, he decided to open a factory there too.
Two Brands, One Company
While Hellmann's mayonnaise was very popular on the East Coast, another company called Postum Foods (later known as Best Foods) created its own mayonnaise. This Best Foods Mayonnaise became very popular on the West Coast.
In 1927, Postum Foods bought the Hellmann's brand. By this time, both Hellmann's and Best Foods mayonnaises were so popular in their own parts of the country that the company decided to keep both brands and their recipes.
Today, this is still true:
- Best Foods Mayonnaise is sold west of the Rocky Mountains. This includes states like Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.
- Hellmann's is sold east of the Rockies. This includes states like North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
Changes Over the Years
In 1955, Best Foods bought the company that made Skippy peanut butter. A few years later, in 1958, Best Foods was bought by Corn Products Refining Company. This company later changed its name to CPC International Inc.
Hellmann's mayonnaise arrived in the United Kingdom in 1961. By the late 1980s, it was the most popular mayonnaise there.
Since 1960, Hellmann's and Best Foods have been advertised together. The ads used to say, "Hellmann's in the East, Best Foods in the West." Around 1968, the Best Foods brand added the blue ribbon design from Hellmann's. This made them look more like sister products. Since 2007, both brands have exactly the same design.
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In 1997, CPC International changed its name to Bestfoods. It focused on packaged food products, including the Hellmann's brand. Bestfoods was then bought by Unilever in 2000.
In February 2023, Hellmann's stopped being sold in South Africa.
Mayonnaise Recipes and Marketing
Are the Recipes Different?
When Best Foods bought Hellmann's, they decided to keep both mayonnaise recipes. However, the recipes are very similar. The company has said that the products are basically the same. Some people might find Best Foods mayonnaise a little more tangy.
Today, both products are made in the same factory. The ingredients listed on both labels are the same. These include soybean oil, water, eggs, vinegar, salt, sugar, and lemon juice. Best Foods might have a bit more lemon juice, but the main ingredients are the same. The company's marketing often says that "Hellmann's is known as Best Foods west of the Rockies" and vice versa.
The recipe can be different in other countries. For example, in the UK, they use rapeseed oil instead of soybean oil.
Advertising Challenges
Keeping the two brands separate in the USA creates some interesting challenges for advertising. The marketing campaigns for both products are identical. However, when ads are shown on national TV, Hellmann's ads are shown in the eastern and central parts of the country. Best Foods ads are shown in the mountain and Pacific regions.
Since 2022, Hellmann's and Unilever have advertised during the Super Bowl. These ads often highlight Unilever's work with the charity Feeding America, which helps fight hunger.
See also
In Spanish: Hellmann's para niños
- German inventors and discoverers
- List of mayonnaises
