Robertson's facts for kids
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| Type | Food |
|---|---|
| Owner | Hain Celestial Group |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Introduced | 1864 |
| Previous owners | |
Robertson's is a British company famous for its delicious marmalades and fruit preserves. It was started by James Robertson in 1864. The company makes "Golden Shred" marmalade, a special recipe created in 1874. They also make "Silver Shred" lemon marmalade, which came out in 1909. Other popular products include "Mincemeat," a traditional Scottish mix for pies, and "Bramble Jelly," a tasty jam without seeds. Robertson's even received a special award from King George V in 1933, called a Royal Warrant.
Contents
The Story of Robertson's
James Robertson was born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1832. He started working in thread factories when he was only eight years old. Later, at age 15, he became an apprentice at a local grocery store. This helped him learn to read and write by going to night classes. In 1856, he married Marion McFadyen.
In 1859, James opened his own grocery store in Paisley. In 1864, he bought a barrel of Seville oranges, which are quite bitter. They didn't sell well. To avoid wasting them, Mrs. Robertson used the oranges to make a sweet-tasting marmalade. They perfected this recipe in 1874. This clear, tangy marmalade was named "Golden Shred" and quickly became very popular.
In 1880, James bought land in Paisley and built a special three-story factory just for making marmalade. The Robertsons had found a way to remove the bitterness from the oranges while keeping their good flavor. This special process is still used today! Soon, they added jam and mincemeat to their product line.
As the company grew, they built more factories. In 1891, a second factory opened in Droylsden, Manchester. James's second son, William, managed it. In 1900, a third factory was built in Catford, London, run by James's youngest son, David. A fourth factory opened in Brislington near Bristol in 1914.
In 1903, the business officially became a limited company called "James Robertson & Sons, Preserve Manufacturers, Limited."
James Robertson passed away in 1914 at 83 years old. He was a respected member of his community, involved in many local groups. His eldest son, John, took over the company. Robertson's continued to grow and received more royal warrants from King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.
In the 1920s, the Bristol factory expanded and became the largest jam factory in Europe. It even had its own railway line! The Catford factory closed in 1970, and the Paisley factory closed in 1974.
In 1981, another company called Avana Foods bought Robertson's. They closed the Bristol factory and moved all production to Droylsden. Later, in 1987, Rank Hovis McDougall owned the brand, and then Premier Foods bought it in 2007.
After the takeover, Premier Foods decided to close the Droylsden factory in 2007. All jam production moved to the Hartley's plant in Histon. In 2008, Premier Foods stopped making jam under the Robertson's brand in the UK. This was to focus Robertson's on its famous marmalades, Golden Shred and Silver Shred, while Hartley's focused on jams.
In 2012, Hain Celestial Group, a US company, bought Robertson's sweet spreads business.
Main Products
Robertson's is known for several key products:
- "Golden Shred" – This is their classic orange marmalade, made from bitter Seville oranges. It comes in thick cut, thin cut, and even a shredless version called "Golden Shredless."
- "Silver Shred" – A delicious lemon marmalade that first came out in 1909.
- "Mincemeat" – A traditional Scottish mix for pies, made with raisins, fruit peel, sugar, and beef suet.
- "Bramble Jelly" – A traditional Scottish jam made from blackberries, with all the seeds strained out.
Marketing and Mascots
Golly Character
Just before World War I, John Robertson, James's son, visited the United States. He saw children playing with little black rag dolls called "Gollys." He thought this character would make a great mascot for Robertson's products. The Golly character first appeared on Robertson's labels and price lists in 1910.
Collectable Badges
In the mid-1920s, a craftsman named H. Miller suggested making small enamel badges of the Golly. The first design, a Golly golfer, was made in 1928. People could collect these brooches by sending in labels from jars of jam.
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These badges became very popular collector's items. In the 1930s, Golly appeared in fruit designs and even as sports figures like cricketers and footballers. In 1937, a special Coronation Golly badge was made with a Union Jack flag on its chest.
The badge scheme stopped during World War II because metal was needed for the war. But it came back in 1946. In the 1970s, the Golly's design changed a bit, with new eyes and a wider smile.
The Robertson Golly wasn't just on badges. There were also Golly dolls, ceramic figures, games, and even a storybook called Here Comes Golly by Gyles Brandreth. In the 1980s, the badges changed from enamel to cheaper acrylic, but they were still very popular. By 2001, when production stopped, over 20 million Golly badges had been given out!
Why the Golly was Retired
In 2002, Robertson's officially stopped using the Golly character. The company explained that the Golly was no longer as well-known or popular with families and children. They wanted to update their brand and move with the times. The company said they were not forced to retire the Golly but made the decision for business reasons.
Sponsorships
In the 1970s, Robertson's sponsored a sailor named Clare Francis. She sailed her yacht, named Robertson's Golly, in a big race across the Atlantic Ocean. She finished well and set a new record for women sailing alone across the Atlantic.
Roald Dahl Characters
In 2001, Robertson's replaced the Golly collectables with characters from the famous author Roald Dahl. These included the Big Friendly Giant, Matilda, and Willy Wonka, all drawn by Quentin Blake. This collectables scheme ended in 2006.
Paddington Bear
In 2010, Robertson's started featuring the fictional Paddington Bear on its Golden Shred marmalade jars. Paddington Bear is famous for loving marmalade! They teamed up again in 2014 for the Paddington movie and continued the partnership for the sequel, Paddington 2.
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