Henderson's Relish facts for kids
Henderson's Relish is a special sauce made in Sheffield, England. It looks a lot like Worcestershire sauce, but it has a secret: it doesn't contain anchovies! This makes it different and special.
The sauce is made from water, sugar, and vinegar, mixed with different spices and coloring. It's also great because it's gluten-free and good for vegans. The Vegetarian Society has even given it their approval.
Henry Henderson started making this sauce a long time ago, in the late 1800s. It was first made at 35 Broad Lane in Sheffield. The company moved to a new factory in 2013, but before that, it was always made very close to its original spot. In 1910, a company called Shaws of Huddersfield bought Henderson's. They still provide the vinegar for the sauce today. Later, in 1940, Charles Hinksman started the current company, Hendersons (Sheffield) Ltd., and his family still runs it.
In Sheffield, many people lovingly call it "Hendo's."
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What's in Henderson's Relish?
Just like many other sauces, Henderson's Relish uses spirit vinegar and a type of acid called acetic acid as its base. It gets its color from caramel and is sweetened with sugar and a sweetener called saccharin.
The special taste comes from ingredients like tamarind, cayenne pepper, and garlic oil. One spice that really makes Henderson's stand out from other English sauces is cloves. A key difference is that it does not use anchovies, unlike some other sauces.
Famous Fans and Local Pride
Many famous people from Sheffield love Henderson's Relish. These include actor Sean Bean, Def Leppard's Rick Savage, and footballer Millie Bright. Even politician David Blunkett, who is also from Sheffield, used it when he cooked on chef Gordon Ramsay's TV show, The F Word.
In 1993, special bottles were made to celebrate a big football match. Sheffield's two main football teams, Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday, played each other in the FA Cup semi-final. Bottles were made with labels in both teams' colors: red and white for United, and blue and white for Wednesday. You can still find these special labels in the clubs' shops!
Musicians have also shown their love for Hendo's. Singer Richard Hawley used special bottles to promote his albums Coles Corner (2005) and Lady's Bridge (2007). The Sheffield band The Everly Pregnant Brothers even have a song called "Hendos," which is a funny version of the Coldplay song "Yellow."
Comedian Tom Wrigglesworth once joked that people from outside Sheffield might think Henderson's Relish is just like Worcestershire sauce. But, he said, people in Sheffield think it's the answer to everything!
Many artists from Sheffield, like Rick Savage, Pete McKee, Kid Acne, and Jim Connolly, have created art inspired by the relish. It even appeared in a story on the BBC Radio 4 comedy show Tom Wrigglesworth's Hang-Ups in 2016.
A special gold-label version of the sauce was made to celebrate Jessica Ennis winning a gold medal in the Heptathlon at the 2012 Olympics.
The "Hendogate" Story
In 2014, something funny happened in the British Parliament. A politician named Jim Dowd, who was not from Yorkshire, saw Henderson's Relish and thought it was trying to copy another sauce, Lea and Perrins, which uses anchovies. He called it "parasitic packaging" during a debate.
He had seen the sauce in a pub far from Sheffield. Soon after, politicians from Sheffield, Paul Blomfield and Nick Clegg, explained to him that Henderson's Relish is unique and very popular in Sheffield. To make peace, Jim Dowd later visited the Henderson's factory.
The Henderson's Factory
For over a hundred years, Henderson's Relish was made very close to where it first started in Sheffield. The old factory was near the University of Sheffield and a tram stop. In 2008, the famous sign on the side of the old building was stolen, but it was later found.
In 2013, the company moved to a new, modern factory at Sheffield Parkway Business Park. The University of Sheffield plans to keep and improve the old factory building as part of its campus.
