HP Foods
Encyclopedia
HP Foods Limited, formerly based in Birmingham
, United Kingdom
was best known as the producer of HP
, Lea & Perrins
and Daddies
sauce brands. It was also the UK licensee of Chinese food and condiment brand, Amoy Food
.
Formerly the Midlands Vinegar Company and Smedley HP Foods Limited, it was acquired by Imperial Foods, a division of Imperial Group
. HP Foods Ltd was retained by Imperial's parent company Hanson plc
even after the demerger of the Imperial Group. It was sold to Groupe Danone SA in 1988 for £199 million. It was sold by Danone to Heinz
in June 2005 for £470 million. However, in October of that year the takeover was referred by the UK's Office of Fair Trading
to the Competition Commission
. After a review the Competition Commission approved the takeover and Heinz started integrating this new company into the business.
In 2007, the iconic Aston
, Birmingham factory was demolished, and production of HP and Daddies sauce brands was moved to the Netherlands
. Bottling of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce was returned to Worcester, having been moved in 2005 to the Aston factory. During this time, the sauce continued to be manufactured but not bottled at the Midlands Road site.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
was best known as the producer of HP
HP Sauce
HP Sauce is a popular brown sauce originally produced by HP Foods in the UK, now produced by H.J. Heinz in the Netherlands.It is the best-known brand of brown sauce in the United Kingdom and Canada as well as the best selling, with 71% of the UK market....
, Lea & Perrins
Lea & Perrins
Lea & Perrins is a United Kingdom based food division of the H.J. Heinz Company, originating in Worcester, England, with a subsidiary in the United States which manufactures Lea & Perrins in New Jersey...
and Daddies
Daddies
Daddies is a brand of ketchup and brown sauce in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The brown sauce is similar to HP Sauce, but without tamarind, without tomatoes and with less malt vinegar but more spirit vinegar.-History:...
sauce brands. It was also the UK licensee of Chinese food and condiment brand, Amoy Food
Amoy Food
Amoy Food Limited is a cooking sauce and condiments manufacturer in Hong Kong, China. Its products, which now includes foodstuffs such as frozen foods and instant foods for heating in a microwave oven, are sold around the world...
.
Formerly the Midlands Vinegar Company and Smedley HP Foods Limited, it was acquired by Imperial Foods, a division of Imperial Group
Imperial Tobacco
Imperial Tobacco is a global tobacco company headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom. It is the world’s fourth-largest cigarette company measured by market share , and the world's largest producer of cigars, fine-cut tobacco and tobacco papers...
. HP Foods Ltd was retained by Imperial's parent company Hanson plc
Hanson plc
Hanson plc is a British based international building materials company, headquartered in Maidenhead. Traded on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index for many years, the company was acquired by a division of German rival Heidelberg Cement in August 2007.-History:Hanson...
even after the demerger of the Imperial Group. It was sold to Groupe Danone SA in 1988 for £199 million. It was sold by Danone to Heinz
H. J. Heinz Company
The H. J. Heinz Company , commonly known as Heinz and famous for its "57 Varieties" slogan and its ketchup, is an American food company with world headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Perhaps best known for its ketchup, the H.J...
in June 2005 for £470 million. However, in October of that year the takeover was referred by the UK's Office of Fair Trading
Office of Fair Trading
The Office of Fair Trading is a not-for-profit and non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforces both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the UK's economic regulator...
to the Competition Commission
Competition Commission
The Competition Commission is a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers, markets and other enquiries related to regulated industries under competition law in the United Kingdom...
. After a review the Competition Commission approved the takeover and Heinz started integrating this new company into the business.
In 2007, the iconic Aston
Aston
Aston is an area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Lying to the north-east of the Birmingham city centre, Aston constitutes an electoral ward within the council constituency of Ladywood.-History:...
, Birmingham factory was demolished, and production of HP and Daddies sauce brands was moved to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Bottling of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce was returned to Worcester, having been moved in 2005 to the Aston factory. During this time, the sauce continued to be manufactured but not bottled at the Midlands Road site.