Batchelors
Encyclopedia
For unrelated subjects with similar spelling see Bachelor
.
Batchelors is a brand of predominantly dried food products. It was formerly a Company founded in 1895 in Sheffield
, England. The company now makes instant soup, in particular Cup A Soup
and noodle products such as Super Noodles
. The company is the UK market leader in dried soups. The most popular flavour Cup A Soup is Chicken
.
Since early 2008, the Batchelors name has also been applied to Premier Foods
' condensed soup range, previously sold as Campbell's
.
Also, Batchelors is a manufacturer & distributor of ambient food and drinks in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The UK Batchelors brand (above) has no relation to Batchelors Ireland which is Irish owned and based in Cabra, Dublin. Batchelors in Ireland holds the portfolio of some of the leading consumer brands in Ireland, such as Batchelors Canned Foods, Sqeez Ambient Fruit Juices and the Erin portfolio of products.
and formed Batchelors Foods in 1895. He died in August 1913 whilst on holiday in Bridlington
. He was 53. His daughter Ella (who became Ella Gasking), aged 22, took over leadership of the company and developed it to include processed peas, eventually becoming a household name.
Due to staff difficulties and rationing
in the war
, the company was bought by James Van den Bergh of Unilever
in 1943, where it became part of Van den Bergh Foods (later based in Crawley
). In 1948, Ella Gaskin retired and her younger brother Maurice Batchelor took over. The company took over Poulton and Noel, another soup company. In 1949, the first dried soup, chicken noodle flavour, was sold. In 1972, Cup A Soup was launched.
In January 2001, Unilever took over Bestfoods. To be allowed to take over the American company, Unilever had to sell off some brands for monopoly regulation. It sold off Batchelors and Oxo
to the UK subsidiary of the Campbell Soup Company
.
Unilever retained ownership of the 'cup-a-soup' brand in America and Australia, rebranding them under Lipton and Continental respectively.
In 2006, Campbell's soup withdrew from the UK market, and sold its assets, including Batchelors, to Premier Foods
. The Campbell's name was licensed to Premier Foods until 2008, following which Campbell's Soup was rebranded as Batchelors.
In 2008, Batchelors was rebranded with a new logo.
Bachelor
A bachelor is a man above the age of majority who has never been married . Unlike his female counterpart, the spinster, a bachelor may have had children...
.
Batchelors is a brand of predominantly dried food products. It was formerly a Company founded in 1895 in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England. The company now makes instant soup, in particular Cup A Soup
Cup-a-soup
Cup-a-Soup is an instant soup product sold under various brands worldwide. In the United States and Canada the product is manufactured and marketed by Unilever's Lipton brand, and in Australia under the Continental brand. In the United Kingdom the product is sold as Batchelors Cup-a-Soup, a brand...
and noodle products such as Super Noodles
Super Noodles
Super Noodles are a dehydrated instant noodle snack, made by Batchelors in the UK and sold under the McDonnells brand in the Republic of Ireland. They are prepared by being placed in a saucepan of boiling water, adding the sachet of flavouring, and stirring...
. The company is the UK market leader in dried soups. The most popular flavour Cup A Soup is Chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
.
Since early 2008, the Batchelors name has also been applied to Premier Foods
Premier Foods
Premier Foods plc is a British food manufacturer headquartered in St Albans, Hertfordshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
' condensed soup range, previously sold as Campbell's
Campbell Soup Company
Campbell Soup Company , also known as Campbell's, is an American producer of canned soups and related products. Campbell's products are sold in 120 countries around the world. It is headquartered in Camden, New Jersey...
.
Also, Batchelors is a manufacturer & distributor of ambient food and drinks in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The UK Batchelors brand (above) has no relation to Batchelors Ireland which is Irish owned and based in Cabra, Dublin. Batchelors in Ireland holds the portfolio of some of the leading consumer brands in Ireland, such as Batchelors Canned Foods, Sqeez Ambient Fruit Juices and the Erin portfolio of products.
History
William Batchelor was born in Habrough, Lincolnshire to James Batchelor, who was a farmer. William discovered a way to can vegetables such as mushy peasMushy peas
Mushy peas are dried marrowfat peas which are first soaked overnight in water and then simmered with a little sugar and salt until they form a thick green lumpy soup. They are a traditional British accompaniment to fish and chips and sometimes mint is used as a flavouring...
and formed Batchelors Foods in 1895. He died in August 1913 whilst on holiday in Bridlington
Bridlington
Bridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...
. He was 53. His daughter Ella (who became Ella Gasking), aged 22, took over leadership of the company and developed it to include processed peas, eventually becoming a household name.
Due to staff difficulties and rationing
Rationing
Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services. Rationing controls the size of the ration, one's allotted portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time.- In economics :...
in the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the company was bought by James Van den Bergh of Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
in 1943, where it became part of Van den Bergh Foods (later based in Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
). In 1948, Ella Gaskin retired and her younger brother Maurice Batchelor took over. The company took over Poulton and Noel, another soup company. In 1949, the first dried soup, chicken noodle flavour, was sold. In 1972, Cup A Soup was launched.
In January 2001, Unilever took over Bestfoods. To be allowed to take over the American company, Unilever had to sell off some brands for monopoly regulation. It sold off Batchelors and Oxo
Oxo (food)
Oxo is a range of food products, consisting of stock cubes, herbs and spices, dried gravy, and yeast extract. In the United Kingdom, Oxo products are manufactured by Premier Foods...
to the UK subsidiary of the Campbell Soup Company
Campbell Soup Company
Campbell Soup Company , also known as Campbell's, is an American producer of canned soups and related products. Campbell's products are sold in 120 countries around the world. It is headquartered in Camden, New Jersey...
.
Unilever retained ownership of the 'cup-a-soup' brand in America and Australia, rebranding them under Lipton and Continental respectively.
In 2006, Campbell's soup withdrew from the UK market, and sold its assets, including Batchelors, to Premier Foods
Premier Foods
Premier Foods plc is a British food manufacturer headquartered in St Albans, Hertfordshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
. The Campbell's name was licensed to Premier Foods until 2008, following which Campbell's Soup was rebranded as Batchelors.
In 2008, Batchelors was rebranded with a new logo.