Hellmann's and Best Foods facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hellmann's
Best Foods

Type	Mayonnaise, condiments, ketchup, sauce, mustard, salad dressings
Owner	Unilever
Country	United States
Introduced	1913; 112 years ago (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 brand names. They are used for the same types of food products, like mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, and salad dressings. These brands are owned by a big British company called Unilever since the year 2000.

You might see Hellmann's in the eastern part of the United States, Latin America, Europe, and other places. Best Foods is sold in the western U.S., East Asia, and New Zealand. Even though they have different names, their logos and websites look very similar. They also share the same catchy slogan: "Bring out the best."

Both brands were once sold by a U.S. company called Bestfoods Corporation. This company was known as CPC International before 1997. Unilever bought Bestfoods in 2000.

The Story of Hellmann's and Best Foods

How It All Began

The story of Hellmann's mayonnaise started with a man named Richard Hellmann. He came to New York City from Germany in 1903. In 1905, he opened his own deli (a type of food store).

At his deli, Richard Hellmann made his own mayonnaise. It became so popular that he started selling it in larger amounts to other stores. He kept working on his recipe to make sure the mayonnaise stayed fresh for longer.

Growing the Business

By 1913, his mayonnaise was a big success. Richard Hellmann built a factory to make even more of it. He started selling it in clear glass jars under the name Hellmann's Blue Ribbon Mayonnaise. People loved that they could reuse the jars at home.

In 1914, he simplified the label to just one blue ribbon. He also made this design and the name "Blue Ribbon Mayonnaise" official. In 1915, he sold his deli and opened a small mayonnaise factory in Manhattan. Soon after, he opened an even bigger factory in Long Island City.

In 1916, his company became "Richard Hellmann, Inc." He decided to focus only on mayonnaise and sell it outside of New York. In 1920, the New York Tribune newspaper asked chefs to rate different salad dressings. They said Hellmann's mayonnaise was the best! This helped sales grow even more.

Hellmann's Blue Ribbon ad from 1922.

East Meets West

In 1922, Hellmann's mayonnaise started selling in Canada. Richard Hellmann also built a larger factory in Long Island City. While on a trip to San Francisco, California, he decided to open a factory there too.

While Hellmann's mayonnaise was very popular on the East Coast, another company called Postum Foods (later known as Best Foods) created their own mayonnaise. This mayonnaise, called Best Foods Mayonnaise, became very popular on the West Coast.

In 1927, Postum Foods bought the Hellmann's brand. By then, 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.

Where They Are Sold Today

To this day, the two brands are sold in different areas:

• 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 Rocky Mountains. This includes states like North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and parts of Texas.

Later Changes

In 1955, Best Foods bought Rosefield Packing Co., which made Skippy peanut butter. In 1958, Best Foods was bought by Corn Products Refining Company. This company later became CPC International Inc.

Hellmann's mayonnaise arrived in the United Kingdom in 1961. By the late 1980s, it was the most popular mayonnaise there.

Before 1960, Hellmann's and Best Foods were advertised together. The ads explained that it was called Hellmann's in the East and Best Foods in the West. Around 1968, the Best Foods brand added the blue ribbon design from Hellmann's. This made them look even more like sister products. Since 2007, both brands have exactly the same design.

Logo of Bestfoods Corporation from 1998 to 2000.

In 1997, CPC International changed its name to Bestfoods. It focused on packaged food products, including the Hellmann's brand. The part of the business that refined corn became a new company called Corn Product International (now Ingredion). Finally, Unilever bought Bestfoods in 2000.

What's Inside and How They Are Marketed

Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise

When Best Foods bought the Hellmann's brand, they decided to keep the recipes for both mayonnaises. However, the recipes are actually 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 labels list the same ingredients in the same order. 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 states that "Hellmann's is known as Best Foods west of the Rockies" and "Best Foods is known as Hellmann's east of the Rockies."

The recipe can be different in other countries. For example, in the UK, rapeseed oil is used instead of soybean oil. The ingredients list there also includes paprika extract.

It can be tricky to market two brands that are so similar but sold in different areas. The marketing campaigns for both products are almost identical. However, Hellmann's and Best Foods have to make separate TV commercials for each product. This means they can't use one national ad for both. Instead, a Hellmann's ad might air in the eastern U.S., while a Best Foods ad airs in the western U.S.

See also

• German inventors and discoverers
• List of mayonnaises