King Arthur Flour
Encyclopedia
The King Arthur Flour Company, formerly the Sands, Taylor & Wood Company, is an American
miller
and retailer of specialty flour
s, cookbook
s, and baked goods. The company was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1790, and is now based in Norwich, Vermont
.
The company's flagship product line, King Arthur Flour, includes a variety of wheat flours for home and commercial baking, marketed as "Never Bleached
—Never Bromated
."
-milled flour. The business grew quickly, and Wood took on a partner in the early 1790s, forming Henry Wood & Company. Benjamin Franklin Sands took over the company in 1870, renaming it to reflect his ownership interest. In 1895, the company was reorganized as a joint-stock company, named Sands, Taylor & Wood Company after its then owners: Orin Sands, Mark Taylor, and George Wood (no relation to Henry Wood).
In 1896, Sands, Taylor & Wood decided to introduce a new brand of premium flour. George Wood had attended a performance of the musical King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
, which inspired the name of the new product: King Arthur Flour. The brand was introduced at the Boston Food Fair on September 10, 1896, to substantial commercial success.
With Orin Sands's death in 1917, control of the company passed to his son, Frank E. Sands, grandfather of current chairman Frank E. Sands II. As the market for retail flour declined, the company expanded into the bakery market, first with wholesale flours and later (in the 1960s) into commercial baking equipment. Sands, Taylor & Wood also introduced other retail food products under the King Arthur name, including a line of coffee.
Sands, Taylor & Wood acquired Joseph Middleby, a maker of baking supplies such as prepared pie fillings, in 1973; three years later, that business was expanded with the purchase of H.A. Johnson. As interest rates rose through the 1970s, financial pressures forced the company to change strategy, and in 1978 then-president Frank E. Sands II sold off all but the core flour business and relocated the company from Brighton, Massachusetts to Norwich, Vermont
.
Sands, Taylor & Wood Company converted to an employee-owned structure in 1996, and also changed its name to The King Arthur Flour Co., Inc., in reflection of its principal brand.
In addition to its flour business, King Arthur Flour also sells baking equipment and ingredients through its catalog, The Baker's Catalogue, and at its flagship store, The Baker's Store, located in Norwich, Vermont
. It has also published four cookbooks, including the King Arthur 200th Anniversary Cookbook and the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, the latter of which was a James Beard Award winner for Cookbook of the Year in 2003.
In 2009, it was named one of the best five large companies to work for in Vermont.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
miller
Miller
A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...
and retailer of specialty flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
s, cookbook
Cookbook
A cookbook is a kitchen reference that typically contains a collection of recipes. Modern versions may also include colorful illustrations and advice on purchasing quality ingredients or making substitutions...
s, and baked goods. The company was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1790, and is now based in Norwich, Vermont
Norwich, Vermont
Norwich is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States, located along the Connecticut River opposite Hanover, New Hampshire. The population was 3,544 at the 2000 census....
.
The company's flagship product line, King Arthur Flour, includes a variety of wheat flours for home and commercial baking, marketed as "Never Bleached
Flour bleaching agent
Flour bleaching agent is a food additive added to flour in order to make it appear whiter and to oxidize the surfaces of the flour grains and help with developing of gluten.Usual bleaching agents are:...
—Never Bromated
Potassium bromate
Potassium bromate , is a bromate of potassium and takes the form of white crystals or powder.-Uses in baking:Potassium bromate is typically used as a flour improver , strengthening the dough and allowing higher rising. It is an oxidizing agent, and under the right conditions, will be completely...
."
History
The King Arthur Flour Company was founded in 1790 in Boston, Massachusetts, by Henry Wood. Wood was primarily an importer and distributor, originally of EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-milled flour. The business grew quickly, and Wood took on a partner in the early 1790s, forming Henry Wood & Company. Benjamin Franklin Sands took over the company in 1870, renaming it to reflect his ownership interest. In 1895, the company was reorganized as a joint-stock company, named Sands, Taylor & Wood Company after its then owners: Orin Sands, Mark Taylor, and George Wood (no relation to Henry Wood).
In 1896, Sands, Taylor & Wood decided to introduce a new brand of premium flour. George Wood had attended a performance of the musical King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table can refer to:*The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table*King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table , a 1979 Japanese anime series...
, which inspired the name of the new product: King Arthur Flour. The brand was introduced at the Boston Food Fair on September 10, 1896, to substantial commercial success.
With Orin Sands's death in 1917, control of the company passed to his son, Frank E. Sands, grandfather of current chairman Frank E. Sands II. As the market for retail flour declined, the company expanded into the bakery market, first with wholesale flours and later (in the 1960s) into commercial baking equipment. Sands, Taylor & Wood also introduced other retail food products under the King Arthur name, including a line of coffee.
Sands, Taylor & Wood acquired Joseph Middleby, a maker of baking supplies such as prepared pie fillings, in 1973; three years later, that business was expanded with the purchase of H.A. Johnson. As interest rates rose through the 1970s, financial pressures forced the company to change strategy, and in 1978 then-president Frank E. Sands II sold off all but the core flour business and relocated the company from Brighton, Massachusetts to Norwich, Vermont
Norwich, Vermont
Norwich is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States, located along the Connecticut River opposite Hanover, New Hampshire. The population was 3,544 at the 2000 census....
.
Sands, Taylor & Wood Company converted to an employee-owned structure in 1996, and also changed its name to The King Arthur Flour Co., Inc., in reflection of its principal brand.
In addition to its flour business, King Arthur Flour also sells baking equipment and ingredients through its catalog, The Baker's Catalogue, and at its flagship store, The Baker's Store, located in Norwich, Vermont
Norwich, Vermont
Norwich is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States, located along the Connecticut River opposite Hanover, New Hampshire. The population was 3,544 at the 2000 census....
. It has also published four cookbooks, including the King Arthur 200th Anniversary Cookbook and the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, the latter of which was a James Beard Award winner for Cookbook of the Year in 2003.
In 2009, it was named one of the best five large companies to work for in Vermont.