Wall's (meat) facts for kids
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| Product type | Sausages, meat pies |
|---|---|
| Owner | Pilgrim's Food Masters |
| Country | England |
| Introduced | 1786 |
| Related brands | Wall's (ice cream) |
| Previous owners | Unilever |
| Tagline | The Finest Cuts |
Wall's is a well-known brand in the United Kingdom that makes tasty meat products, especially sausages. It started a long time ago in London in 1786. A butcher named Richard Wall created the company. Over the years, Wall's became part of bigger companies. In 1922, it joined Lever Brothers, which later became Unilever. Then, in 1994, the meat part of the business was sold to Kerry Group. More recently, in 2021, it was bought by Pilgrim's Food Masters.
Contents
The Story of Wall's Meat Products
How It All Began in London
The Wall's story started in 1786. Richard Wall, a skilled butcher, opened his shop in St James's Market in London. He became famous for his excellent pork and other meat products. People knew him as a top pork butcher.
Serving Royalty: A Special Honor
In 1812, Richard Wall received a very special honor. He was given a Royal Appointment. This meant he was chosen to supply meat to Prince George, who later became King George IV. It was a big deal for his business!
A Family Business Grows
Richard Wall's son, Thomas Wall, was born in 1817. When Richard passed away in 1834, Thomas, who was only 17, took over the family business with his mother, Ann. They called the company "Ann Wall and Son." Two years later, Ann also died, and Thomas ran the business by himself.
The business kept doing well. Thomas Wall's sons, Thomas Wall II and Frederick, later joined the company. By then, it was known as "Thomas Wall and Sons Ltd." The company continued to receive Royal Appointments from other kings and queens, like Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, and King George V. This showed how much they were trusted for their quality.
From Sausages to Ice Cream (and Back!)
For a long time, Wall's faced a problem: sales of meat products like meat pies and sausages would drop in the summer. This meant they sometimes had to let staff go. To fix this, in 1913, Thomas Wall II had a clever idea: they could make ice cream! This would keep their staff busy all year.
However, World War I started, causing shortages, so the ice cream plan was put on hold. It finally happened in 1922. Before that, Thomas Wall II retired and sold the business to Mac Fisheries in 1920. Mac Fisheries then became part of Lever Brothers in 1922.
Helping Others: The Thomas Wall Trust
In 1920, Thomas Wall II also set up something special called his Trust. This Trust was created to help with education and social work. Even today, the Trust continues to give money to people and groups who are doing good things in these areas.
Wall's Joins Other Food Brands
Over the years, Wall's meat business changed hands a few times. In 1965, another company called Mattessons, which made sausages and pâté, was bought by Unilever. Unilever then ran both Wall's and Mattessons together. Eventually, in 1986, the two companies officially merged to become Mattessons Wall's.
In 1994, Unilever decided to sell the Mattessons Wall's business. It was bought by Kerry Foods. More recently, in 2021, Pilgrim's Food Masters bought the Kerry business. This company also owns other big food brands in the UK, like Moy Park and Pilgrim's UK.
