Breville
Encyclopedia
Breville is a maker of small kitchen appliances
, founded in Sydney
, Australia
, in 1932. They created the original sandwich toaster
, a small household appliance that makes toasted sandwiches. The product was a huge success upon its launch in Australia in 1974, selling 400,000 units in its first year and making the Breville brand a household name in Australia. Soon after, the Breville toasted sandwich maker was launched in New Zealand
and Great Britain
where it met with similar success. The name became synonymous with such devices - to the point where "Breville" has become the generic word for a sandwich toaster, and often the toasted sandwich itself, in much the same way that "Hoover" is associated with the vacuum cleaner
.
was created. They started off making radio
s, then mine detectors
for the war.
After World War II
and the commencement of television transmission in Australia in 1956, Breville turned its attention to small appliances.
It also commenced manufacturing television sets under the Precedent brand name. The television business was sold to Electronic Industries Limited in 1968.
The O'Brien family continued developing the Breville business for three generations, with Bill's son John O'Brien setting up the Breville Research and Development centre in the late 1960s, and his daughter Barbara, running the Marketing
department throughout the 1990s. John continued to passionately steer many product development initiatives for the Breville brand up until his passing in December 2004. The research and development centre continues to design dozens of small appliance products today and has helped Breville become a world leader in many small appliance categories. What started with one designer and an engineer in 1968, is today one of Australia's largest and most innovative industrial design centres, and one of the largest worldwide in the small electrical appliance industry. Today, Breville's R&D team has over 100 active patent
s and has been awarded more than 40 international design awards. In 1974, it completed development of the toastie maker. In 1977, Breville launched Australia's first food processor, the Breville Kitchen Wizz. Other firsts include the world's first high wall heating electric wok, the adjustable height sandwich press, the active arm citrus press, the world's first juice extractor to juice whole fruit, and in 2010, the Tea Maker, a variable temperature kettle with a self-lowering basket that brews tea automatically. Breville's Centre of Design Excellence is now located in Botany
in Sydney
.
, which today is owned by Pulse Home Products. The European business is based in England and trades almost exclusively in the United Kingdom and has collaborated with Antony Worrall Thompson
. Pulse manages its own product development and is no longer affiliated with Breville's Centre of Design Excellence in Australia.
Outside of Europe, the Breville brand is a division of the Australia
n ASX
listed Breville Group, which also has bases in the U.S.
, Canada
, Hong Kong
and New Zealand
.
. North Americans have embraced the brand and products and today Breville is considered one of the most premium and innovative small kitchen appliance brands in these markets. It is available for sale in premium retailers such as Williams Sonoma, Sur La Table
, Bloomingdales, Bed Bath & Beyond
and Macys. Breville's Australian run brand continues to expand overseas and trades in over 30 countries including China
, Brazil
, South Africa
, Mexico
and Israel
.
The company makes contact grills, kettle
s, espresso machines
, toaster
s, microwave oven
s, pressure cookers, coffeemaker
s, breadmakers, juicer
s, deep fryers, blender
s, Keurig
single serve coffeemaker
s, and food processor
s.
Home appliance
Home appliances are electrical/mechanical machines which accomplish some household functions, such as cooking or cleaning. Home appliances can be classified into:*Major appliances, or White goods*Small appliances, or Brown goods...
, founded in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, in 1932. They created the original sandwich toaster
Sandwich toaster
A sandwich toaster is used to make toasted sandwiches. It can be either a cooking utensil designed to be used over hot coals, or an electrical appliance....
, a small household appliance that makes toasted sandwiches. The product was a huge success upon its launch in Australia in 1974, selling 400,000 units in its first year and making the Breville brand a household name in Australia. Soon after, the Breville toasted sandwich maker was launched in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
where it met with similar success. The name became synonymous with such devices - to the point where "Breville" has become the generic word for a sandwich toaster, and often the toasted sandwich itself, in much the same way that "Hoover" is associated with the vacuum cleaner
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
.
A brief history
In 1932, Bill O'Brien and Harry Norville mixed their last names together and the Breville brandBrand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
was created. They started off making radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
s, then mine detectors
Demining
Demining or mine clearance is the process of removing either land mines, or naval mines, from an area, while minesweeping describes the act of detecting of mines. There are two distinct types of mine detection and removal: military and humanitarian.Minesweepers use many tools in order to accomplish...
for the war.
After World War II
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...
and the commencement of television transmission in Australia in 1956, Breville turned its attention to small appliances.
It also commenced manufacturing television sets under the Precedent brand name. The television business was sold to Electronic Industries Limited in 1968.
The O'Brien family continued developing the Breville business for three generations, with Bill's son John O'Brien setting up the Breville Research and Development centre in the late 1960s, and his daughter Barbara, running the Marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
department throughout the 1990s. John continued to passionately steer many product development initiatives for the Breville brand up until his passing in December 2004. The research and development centre continues to design dozens of small appliance products today and has helped Breville become a world leader in many small appliance categories. What started with one designer and an engineer in 1968, is today one of Australia's largest and most innovative industrial design centres, and one of the largest worldwide in the small electrical appliance industry. Today, Breville's R&D team has over 100 active patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s and has been awarded more than 40 international design awards. In 1974, it completed development of the toastie maker. In 1977, Breville launched Australia's first food processor, the Breville Kitchen Wizz. Other firsts include the world's first high wall heating electric wok, the adjustable height sandwich press, the active arm citrus press, the world's first juice extractor to juice whole fruit, and in 2010, the Tea Maker, a variable temperature kettle with a self-lowering basket that brews tea automatically. Breville's Centre of Design Excellence is now located in Botany
Botany, New South Wales
Botany is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Botany is located 10 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the City of Botany Bay....
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
Dual ownership of the brand
In 1982, Breville Australia sold its ownership of the brand in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, which today is owned by Pulse Home Products. The European business is based in England and trades almost exclusively in the United Kingdom and has collaborated with Antony Worrall Thompson
Antony Worrall Thompson
Henry Antony Cardew Worrall Thompson is a British celebrity chef, television presenter and radio broadcaster.-Biography:...
. Pulse manages its own product development and is no longer affiliated with Breville's Centre of Design Excellence in Australia.
Outside of Europe, the Breville brand is a division of the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n ASX
Australian Securities Exchange
The Australian Securities Exchange was created by the merger of the Australian Stock Exchange and the Sydney Futures Exchange in July 2006. It is the primary stock exchange group in Australia....
listed Breville Group, which also has bases in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Taking on the world
In 2002, the Breville brand was launched into the USA and CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. North Americans have embraced the brand and products and today Breville is considered one of the most premium and innovative small kitchen appliance brands in these markets. It is available for sale in premium retailers such as Williams Sonoma, Sur La Table
Sur La Table
Sur La Table, Inc. is a privately held American retail company based in Seattle, Washington, that sells kitchenware products, including cookware, cutlery, cooks' tools, small electrics, tabletop and linens, bakeware, glassware and bar, housewares, food and outdoor...
, Bloomingdales, Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond
Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. was formed in 1971 and today operates a chain of domestic merchandise retail stores across United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. They feature mostly medium-ranged, but also a limited selection of high quality, domestic merchandise: items for the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen,...
and Macys. Breville's Australian run brand continues to expand overseas and trades in over 30 countries including China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
The company makes contact grills, kettle
Kettle
A kettle, sometimes called a tea kettle or teakettle, is a small kitchen appliance used for boiling water. Kettles can be heated either by placing on a stove, or by their own electric heating element.- Stovetop kettles :...
s, espresso machines
Espresso machine
An espresso machine is used to produce the traditional Italian coffee beverage called espresso.-History:The first machine for making espresso was built and patented by Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, who demonstrated a working example at the Turin General Exposition of 1884. He was granted patent no...
, toaster
Toaster
The toaster is typically a small electric kitchen appliance designed to toast multiple types of bread products. A typical modern two-slice toaster draws anywhere between 600 and 1200 W and makes toast in 1 to 3 minutes...
s, microwave oven
Microwave oven
A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance that heats food by dielectric heating, using microwave radiation to heat polarized molecules within the food...
s, pressure cookers, coffeemaker
Coffeemaker
Coffeemakers or coffee machines are cooking appliances used to brew coffee without having to boil water in a separate container. While there are many different types of coffeemakers using a number of different brewing principles, in the most common devices, coffee grounds are placed in a paper or...
s, breadmakers, juicer
Juicer
A juicer is a tool for extracting juice from fruits, vegetables, or wheatgrass. This is known as juicing.-Citrus juicer:A citrus juicer is used for squeezing juice from soft-centered, citrus fruits . It has a conical ridged center...
s, deep fryers, blender
Blender
A blender is a kitchen appliance for chopping or liquefying food.Blender may also refer to:Media:* Blender , a music-themed magazine* Blender , a free and open-source software program for 3D modeling, animation, and rendering...
s, Keurig
Keurig
Keurig is a Reading, Massachusetts-based coffee machine manufacturing company, known for its K-Cup single-serving brewing system.- Company :Keurig was founded in 1992 by Olaf Keurig...
single serve coffeemaker
Coffeemaker
Coffeemakers or coffee machines are cooking appliances used to brew coffee without having to boil water in a separate container. While there are many different types of coffeemakers using a number of different brewing principles, in the most common devices, coffee grounds are placed in a paper or...
s, and food processor
Food processor
A food processor is a kitchen appliance used to facilitate various repetitive tasks in the process of preparation of food. Today, the term almost always refers to an electric-motor-driven appliance, although there are some manual devices also referred to as "food processors".Food processors are...
s.
Trivia
- Breville's Juice Fountain series of products is the world's best selling juicer technology with approximately 20% of the world's juicer sales.
- Ross NobleRoss NobleRoss Markham Noble is an English stand-up comedian, brought up in Cramlington, Northumberland, England.Noble rose to mainstream popularity through making appearances on British television, particularly interviews and on celebrity quiz shows such as Have I Got News for You...
referred to the Breville in a stand-up sketch, in which he described a monkeyMonkeyA monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
with a Breville attached to his leg, so when he fancied a cheese toasted sandwich, he would clap his hands and shout "Breville Monkey!". - In Shaun of the DeadShaun of the DeadShaun of the Dead is a 2004 British zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Pegg and Wright. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather...
, when Shaun is desperately trying to think up an impressively swank restaurant where he can take his girlfriend to, his slacker friend Ed suggests their regular pub because "They have a Breville out back, John will do you a Toastie!". - In 2007, Oprah listed Breville's Panini Press in her list: "Oprah's Favorite ThingsOprah's Favorite Things"Oprah's Favorite Things" was an annual segment that appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show from 2002 to 2010, with a one-year hiatus in 2009. In the segment, which was typically aired during the holiday season, Winfrey shared products with her audience that she felt were noteworthy or that would make...
2007." It was again given away in the "Oprah's Ultimate Favorite Things" held in 2010.