Jacob's
Encyclopedia
Jacob's is a brand name
for several lines of biscuit
s and crackers
. The brand name in the Republic of Ireland
is owned by Jacob Fruitfield Food Group
and in the United Kingdom it is owned under license by United Biscuits
.
, Ireland by William Beale Jacob and his brother Robert. It later moved to Bishop Street in Dublin, Ireland, with a factory in Peter's Row. A factory in Liverpool
was opened in 1914. The Bishop Street premises was one of several prominent Dublin buildings occupied by rebels during the Easter Rising
of 1916. In the 1922 a separate English company was formed, W & R Jacob (L'pool) Ltd.
The two branches separated, with the Dublin branch retaining the W & R Jacob name while the Liverpool branch was renamed Jacob's Bakery Ltd. In the 1970s, W & R Jacob in Dublin merged with Boland's Biscuits to form Irish Biscuits Ltd. and moved to Tallaght
, Ireland. The Liverpool factory joined Associated Biscuits in 1960, which was purchased by Nabisco in 1982.
In 1990, the two companies once again came under common ownership and became Jacob's Biscuit Group when they were acquired by the French company Groupe Danone
. In July 2004, Groupe Danone and United Biscuits announced that they had made an agreement for the latter to acquire Jacob's Biscuit Group. With the acquisition of Groupe Danone's biscuit division by Kraft Foods
, the production and sales Jacob's biscuits in Malaysia are done through Kraft Foods
Malaysia.
However, days later Groupe Danone, United Biscuits, and Fruitfield Foods announced that Jacob's Biscuit Group would be split, with United Biscuits acquiring only the UK portion of the Group and Fruitfield Foods acquiring the Ireland portion.
Fruitfield Foods was subsequently renamed the Jacob Fruitfield Food Group.
Since their acquisitions, United Biscuits and Jacob Fruitfield Food Group have sparred in court over the use of the Jacob's brand name.
In 2009, however and after 156 years of making biscuits in Ireland, Jacob Fruitfield shut its Tallaght plant. 220 jobs were lost although the company retained around 100 staff in a variety of roles.
Brand
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."...
for several lines of biscuit
Biscuit
A biscuit is a baked, edible, and commonly flour-based product. The term is used to apply to two distinctly different products in North America and the Commonwealth Nations....
s and crackers
Cracker (food)
A cracker is a baked good commonly made from grain flour dough and typically made in quantity in various hand-sized or smaller shapes. Flavorings or seasonings, such as salt, herbs, seeds, and/or cheese, may be added to the dough or sprinkled on top before baking...
. The brand name in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
is owned by Jacob Fruitfield Food Group
Jacob Fruitfield Food Group
The Jacob Fruitfield Food Group is an Irish food company. It was formed by Fruitfield Foods' acquisition of the Irish portion of Jacob's Biscuit Group in 2004 from Groupe Danone. The CEO and part-owner is Michael Carey. Other major shareholders include Lioncourt with a 36% stake.It is the owner of...
and in the United Kingdom it is owned under license by United Biscuits
United Biscuits
__FORCETOC__United Biscuits is a British multinational food manufacturer, makers of the BN biscuits, McVitie's biscuits, KP Nuts, Hula Hoops, The Real McCoy's crisps, Phileas Fogg snacks, Jacob's Cream Crackers, and Twiglets...
.
History
The originator of the Jacob's brand name was the small biscuit bakery, W & R Jacob, founded in 1881 in Bridge Street, WaterfordWaterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
, Ireland by William Beale Jacob and his brother Robert. It later moved to Bishop Street in Dublin, Ireland, with a factory in Peter's Row. A factory in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
was opened in 1914. The Bishop Street premises was one of several prominent Dublin buildings occupied by rebels during the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
of 1916. In the 1922 a separate English company was formed, W & R Jacob (L'pool) Ltd.
The two branches separated, with the Dublin branch retaining the W & R Jacob name while the Liverpool branch was renamed Jacob's Bakery Ltd. In the 1970s, W & R Jacob in Dublin merged with Boland's Biscuits to form Irish Biscuits Ltd. and moved to Tallaght
Tallaght
Tallaght is the largest town, and county town, of South Dublin County, Ireland. The village area, dating from at least the 17th century, held one of the earliest settlements known in the southern part of the island, and one of medieval Ireland's more important monastic centres.Up to the 1960s...
, Ireland. The Liverpool factory joined Associated Biscuits in 1960, which was purchased by Nabisco in 1982.
In 1990, the two companies once again came under common ownership and became Jacob's Biscuit Group when they were acquired by the French company Groupe Danone
Groupe Danone
Groupe Danone is a French food-products multinational corporation based in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. It claims world leadership in fresh dairy products, marketed under the corporate name, and also in bottled water...
. In July 2004, Groupe Danone and United Biscuits announced that they had made an agreement for the latter to acquire Jacob's Biscuit Group. With the acquisition of Groupe Danone's biscuit division by Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
, the production and sales Jacob's biscuits in Malaysia are done through Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
Malaysia.
However, days later Groupe Danone, United Biscuits, and Fruitfield Foods announced that Jacob's Biscuit Group would be split, with United Biscuits acquiring only the UK portion of the Group and Fruitfield Foods acquiring the Ireland portion.
Fruitfield Foods was subsequently renamed the Jacob Fruitfield Food Group.
Since their acquisitions, United Biscuits and Jacob Fruitfield Food Group have sparred in court over the use of the Jacob's brand name.
In 2009, however and after 156 years of making biscuits in Ireland, Jacob Fruitfield shut its Tallaght plant. 220 jobs were lost although the company retained around 100 staff in a variety of roles.
United Biscuits brand lines
- Jacob’s Biscuits for Cheese
- Jacob's Cheddars
- Jacob's Cheeselets
- Jacob's Choice Grain
- Jacob's Cornish Wafer
- Jacob's Cream CrackersCream crackerA cream cracker is a flat, usually square savoury biscuit. It is similar to a matzo, but it contains yeast and is typically thicker and approximately 8 cm square...
- Jacob's Essentials Crackers
- Jacob's Happy FacesHappy FacesHappy Faces are a brand of biscuit made by United Biscuits' subsidiary Jacob's Bakery Ltd. Similar to Jammie Dodgers, they are composed of two pieces of shortcake filled in the middle with raspberry jam and cream. The shortcake pieces are imprinted with faces that have holes where the eyes and...
- Jacob's Mediterraneo
- Jacob's Thai Bites
- Jacob's TwigletsTwigletsTwiglets are a wheat-based crisp snack shaped like small twigs, originating in the United Kingdom. The taste of Twiglets has been compared to Marmite.- Manufacture and marketing :...
- Jacob's Water BiscuitsWater biscuitA water biscuit is a type of biscuit or cracker. Water biscuits are baked using only flour and water, without shortening or other fats usually used in biscuit production. They are thin, hard and brittle, and usually served with cheese or wine...
Jacob Fruitfield Food Group brand lines
- Jacob's Afternoon Tea
- Jacob's Chocolate Coated Biscuits
- Jacob's Club
- Jacob's Coconut Creams
- Jacob’s Cookies
- Jacob's Cream Crackers
- Jacob's Creams
- Jacob's Elite
- Jacob's Fig Rolls
- Jacob's Goldgrain
- Jacob's Kimberley
- Jacob's Mikado
- Jacob’s Oat Crumbles
- Jacob's Plain Biscuits
- Jacob's Teatime
- Jacob's USA
See also
- Burton's FoodsBurton's FoodsBurton's Foods is a United Kingdom biscuit manufacturer.The company was formed from the merger of Burton's Gold Medal Biscuits and Horizon Biscuit Company in October 2000...
- Fox's Biscuits
- Huntley & PalmersHuntley & PalmersHuntley & Palmers was a British firm of biscuit makers originally based in Reading, Berkshire. The company created one of the world's first global brands and ran what was once the world’s largest biscuit factory. Over the years, the company was also known as J...
- Tunnock'sTunnock'sThomas Tunnock Limited, commonly known as Tunnock's, is a family baker in Uddingston, Scotland.The company was formed by Thomas Tunnock as Tunnock's in 1890, when he purchased a baker's shop in Uddingston. The company expanded in the 1950s, and it was at this time that the core products were...
- Jacob's AwardsJacob's AwardsThe Jacob's Awards were instituted in December 1962 as the first Irish television awards. Later, they were expanded to include radio. The awards were named after their sponsor, W. & R. Jacob & Co. Ltd., a biscuit manufacturer, and recipients were selected by Ireland's national newspaper television...
External links
- Jacob's brand on United Biscuits official web site
- Jacob's brand on Jacob Fruitfield Food Group official web site
- Jacob's Crackers (United Biscuits) official web site
- Groupe Danone official web site
- National Archives of Ireland article "Jacob's Biscuit Factory, 1916"
- Early history of Jacob's brand
- "Rosie Hackett and the Union Women of Jacob's Biscuits"
- "Jacob's ends production after 156 years"