Gale's
Encyclopedia
Gale's is a UK
brand of honey
and lemon curd
, marketed by Premier Foods
.
as Rayner & Gale which was a partnership. The partnership was dissolved on 3 July 1926 and it became R.W. Gale & Co. Ltd, based in the SW9 district
of south London.
near Peterborough
, a subsidiary of Reckitt & Colman
that made canned foods (green peas, later marrowfat peas
), bought the company. In the early 1960s it introduced a peanut spread called Smooth'n Nutty. In 1962 it introduced mincemeat
. It was made in Carrow, Norwich.
For many years Gale's were the UK's biggest manufacturer of honey.
for £11m, and production moved to Hadfield, Derbyshire
. The Norwich site was later owned by Unilever Bestfoods
from 1995. The Hadfield Industrial Estate site, next to the River Etherow
, had been bought by Rowntree's in June 1967.
Rowntree Mackintosh was bought by Nestlé on 28 June 1988 in a hostile takeover.
brands for £132 million. The Hadfield site was closed in the first quarter of 2004, and production moved to the desserts and spreads plant in Cambridgeshire which also made Hartley's
jam.
It is now made at Premier Foods plant at Histon, north of Cambridge. It sells around 4 million jars a year. The plant is next to the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway
(former Cambridge & St. Ives Branch).
, or to help a sore throat by putting honey into hot water with some lemon juice. In the 1960s the account was handled by JWT
.
A jingle
used to advertise the honey was: Gale's, Gale's pass the honey please, think about the honey, think about the bees.
It sells strongly in the winter months from November to February each year.
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...
brand of honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
and lemon curd
Lemon curd
Fruit curd is a dessert spread and topping usually made with lemon, lime, orange or raspberry. The basic ingredients are beaten egg yolks, sugar, fruit juice and zest which are gently cooked together until thick and then allowed to cool, forming a soft, smooth, intensely-flavored spread...
, marketed by 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:...
.
History
The brand was first produced in 1919 in London. It had been started by Richard Westley Gale (born 1895 in Hendon) of Richmond and Sidney Thomas Rayner of MortlakeMortlake
Mortlake is a district of London, England and part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is on the south bank of the River Thames between Kew and Barnes with East Sheen inland to the south. Mortlake was part of Surrey until 1965.-History:...
as Rayner & Gale which was a partnership. The partnership was dissolved on 3 July 1926 and it became R.W. Gale & Co. Ltd, based in the SW9 district
SW postcode area
The SW postcode area, also known as the London SW postcode area, is a group of postcode districts covering part of southwest London, England. The area originates from the South Western and Battersea districts of the London post town.-Postal administration:The postcode area originated in 1857 as...
of south London.
Reckitt & Colman
In 1948 Joseph Farrow & Company of the Carlton Works, FlettonFletton
Fletton is a residential area and electoral ward of the city of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. For parliamentary purposes it falls within North West Cambridgeshire constituency...
near Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, a subsidiary of Reckitt & Colman
Colman's
Colman's is a UK manufacturer of mustard and various other sauces, based at Carrow, in Norwich, Norfolk. Presently an operational division of the multinational Unilever company, Colman's is one of the oldest existing food brands, famous for a limited range of products, almost all varieties of...
that made canned foods (green peas, later marrowfat peas
Marrowfat peas
Marrowfat peas are green mature peas that have been allowed to dry out naturally in the field, rather than be harvested in their prime of youth like the normal garden pea. They are used to make mushy peas and also the snack food wasabi peas....
), bought the company. In the early 1960s it introduced a peanut spread called Smooth'n Nutty. In 1962 it introduced mincemeat
Mincemeat
Mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices, and sometimes beef suet, beef, or venison. Originally, mincemeat always contained meat. Many modern recipes contain beef suet, though vegetable shortening is sometimes used in its place...
. It was made in Carrow, Norwich.
For many years Gale's were the UK's biggest manufacturer of honey.
Rowntree Mackintosh
On 28 November 1986 it was bought by Rowntree MackintoshRowntree's
Rowntree's was a confectionery business based in York, England. It is now a historic brand owned by Nestlé, used to market a range of fruit gums and pastilles formerly owned by Rowntree's. Following a merger with John Mackintosh & Co., the Company became known as Rowntree Mackintosh, was listed on...
for £11m, and production moved to Hadfield, Derbyshire
Hadfield, Derbyshire
Hadfield is a parish and small residential town in High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It lies very close to the River Etherow which forms the border between Derbyshire and Greater Manchester...
. The Norwich site was later owned by Unilever Bestfoods
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....
from 1995. The Hadfield Industrial Estate site, next to the River Etherow
River Etherow
The River Etherow is a river in northern England, and a tributary of the River Goyt. Although now passing through South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Greater Manchester, it historically formed the ancient county boundary between Cheshire and Derbyshire. The upper valley is known as Longdendale...
, had been bought by Rowntree's in June 1967.
Rowntree Mackintosh was bought by Nestlé on 28 June 1988 in a hostile takeover.
Premier Foods
In May 2002 it was acquired by Premier Foods, when it also bought Rowntree's Jelly and other NestléNestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
brands for £132 million. The Hadfield site was closed in the first quarter of 2004, and production moved to the desserts and spreads plant in Cambridgeshire which also made Hartley's
Hartley's
Hartley's is a UK brand of marmalades, jams and jellies, manufactured at Histon, Cambridgeshire, by Premier Foods.- History :Hartley's was a grocers founded by Sir William Pickles Hartley near Pendle, Lancashire. In 1871 a supplier failed to deliver a consignment of jam, so William made his own and...
jam.
It is now made at Premier Foods plant at Histon, north of Cambridge. It sells around 4 million jars a year. The plant is next to the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway
Cambridgeshire Guided Busway
The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway , branded the busway , is a public transport scheme connecting the population centres of Cambridge, Huntingdon and St Ives in the English county of Cambridgeshire...
(former Cambridge & St. Ives Branch).
Marketing
In 1964, when owned by Joseph Farrow, it promoted the idea of stirring some of its honey into hot milk for a nightcapNightcap (beverage)
A nightcap is an alcoholic beverage drunk right before going to bed. The alcohol content is higher than a wine or beer drink, usually a liqueur or spirit. Traditional nightcaps are brandy or a cream-based liqueur such as Irish cream or a bourbon....
, or to help a sore throat by putting honey into hot water with some lemon juice. In the 1960s the account was handled by JWT
JWT
JWT is one of the largest advertising agencies in the United States and the fourth-largest in the world. It is one of the key companies of Sir Martin Sorrell's WPP Group and is headquartered in New York. The global agency is led by Worldwide Chairman and Global CEO Bob Jeffrey who took over the...
.
A jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
used to advertise the honey was: Gale's, Gale's pass the honey please, think about the honey, think about the bees.
It sells strongly in the winter months from November to February each year.