Mrs. Paul's
Encyclopedia
Mrs. Paul's is a brand of pre-packaged seafood products owned by Pinnacle Foods
. The brand began in the 1940s and was owned by Campbell Soup until 1996.
In 1946, power plant worker Edward Piszek
started selling devilled crab cake
s in a local Philadelphia bar to earn money while the plant was on strike. "One Friday, I prepared 172 and we only sold 50," he recalled later. "There was a freezer in the back of the bar, so we threw 'em in there. It was either that or the trash can." A week later the frozen crab cakes still tasted fine, so Piszek and a friend, John Paul
, each contributed $350 and started a frozen seafood business. Piszek's mother pressured her son to name the company after her...but instead, they named it Mrs. Paul's Kitchens after John Paul's mother.
Piszek bought out his partner in the 1950s but kept the Mrs. Paul's name. In 1982, he sold the company to Campbell Soup for a reported $70 million.
Pinnacle Foods
Pinnacle Foods Group LLC is a leading packaged foods company headquartered in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, owned by The Blackstone Group. Pinnacle Foods is a key player in the shelf stable and frozen food categories and their products can be found in more than 85% of American households.The company...
. The brand began in the 1940s and was owned by Campbell Soup until 1996.
In 1946, power plant worker Edward Piszek
Edward Piszek
Edward John Piszek co-founded the Mrs. Paul's frozen foods brand with John Paul, a bread salesman. Piszek bought out his partner in the 1950s....
started selling devilled crab cake
Crab cake
A crab cake is an American dish composed of crab meat and various other ingredients, such as bread crumbs, milk, mayonnaise, eggs, yellow onions, and seasonings. Occasionally other ingredients such as red or green peppers or pink radishes are added, at which point the cake is then sautéed, baked,...
s in a local Philadelphia bar to earn money while the plant was on strike. "One Friday, I prepared 172 and we only sold 50," he recalled later. "There was a freezer in the back of the bar, so we threw 'em in there. It was either that or the trash can." A week later the frozen crab cakes still tasted fine, so Piszek and a friend, John Paul
John Paul
-People with forenames John Paul and known only by forenames:* Pope John Paul I* Pope John Paul II* John Paul Puthusery Malayalam Screenwriter usually simply known as John Paul-People with surname Paul:* John Paul * John Paul...
, each contributed $350 and started a frozen seafood business. Piszek's mother pressured her son to name the company after her...but instead, they named it Mrs. Paul's Kitchens after John Paul's mother.
Piszek bought out his partner in the 1950s but kept the Mrs. Paul's name. In 1982, he sold the company to Campbell Soup for a reported $70 million.