FOOD - BRAINS BEHIND THE BRANDS

Do you know the stories behind the names on your food? Read on to get a who’s who of some of the biggest brands, from the religiously inspired corn flakes to the revolutionary fish finger.

1. JOHN CADBURY (British 1802- 89)

Born to a Quaker father, John Cadbury’s career options were seriously limited. Forbidden from university, he was unable to study medicine or law, and his pacifist roots meant he couldn’t consider a military position. In 1831, Cadbury began producing cocoa and drinking chocolate, later partnering up with his brother, Benjamin. They soon moved to London and received a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria as manufacturers of chocolate, though the company’s profits began to decline. When John’s sons, Richard and George, took over, however, profits increased, and by 1905, the Dairy Milk had been launched.

2. CLARENCE BIRDSEYE (American 1886- 1956)

The father of modern freezing techniques, Clarence Birdseye founded the Birds Eye frozen food giant, as well as discovering the technique itself. Birdseye began his career as a naturalist for the US government, and in 1912 he took on an assignment in the Arctic. Here, he saw how fishing in -40 degrees Celsius meant that fish froze almost as soon as the air hit it, yet tasted fresh when thawed. Birdseye saw a market for flashfrozen food in America, and experimented with techniques to achieve fresh frozen food in warmer climates. In 1925, he patented his new invention, and frozen food went on to revolutionise modern eating habits.

3. LAURA SCUDDER (American 1881- 1959)

Crisps weren’t new when Laura Scudder hit the scene, but this Philadelphia-born businesswoman is credited with pioneering the modern crisp packet using sheets of wax paper ironed together. As a female entrepreneur during the Great Depression, Scudder faced plenty of obstacles, not least sexism and financial strife. It’s said that once she attempted to get a delivery vehicle insured, and all but one insurance agent refused to cover her, claiming that a woman would be too unreliable. Scudder had a compassionate side too – she turned down a $9 million offer for her company as the buyer wouldn’t guarantee her employees’ positions, later selling it for $6 million to ensure job security for her staff.

4. JOSEPH ROWNTREE (British 1836 -1925)

Perhaps most renowned for championing social reform, Joseph Rowntree is also one of two brothers behind popular confectionary brand Rowntree’s. Henry Rowntree began creating chocolates in 1862, and in 1869 Joseph joined him. Upon Henry’s death in 1883, Joseph took over the company, taking it from profit to profit. Revolutionary at the time, he was one of the first employers to introduce a workplace pension scheme as his workforce grew to over 4,000 by the turn of the century. As his wealth grew, however, Rowntree became more and more uncomfortable with it, and in 1901 he founded the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust to help those in need.

5. HENRY HEINZ (American 1844-1919)

As the adverts claim, beans means Heinz, but in actuality one of the first products made by Heinz’s brand – the F & J Heinz company, founded in 1876 – was tomato ketchup, with baked beans marketed more than 20 years later in 1901. Named after the other two founders, Heinz’s cousin Frederick and brother John, Henry later bought them out and renamed the brand. Until his death, Heinz remained the company’s president, providing his employees with free medical care, education opportunities and access to gardens and swimming pools.

6. HENRI NESTLÉ (German 1814-90)

Originally born Heinrich Nestle in 1814 in Germany, between 1834 and 1839 he moved to Switzerland, where he legally changed his name to Henri Nestlé to ease into his new Frenchspeaking hometown. Working with rapeseed, Nestlé initially manufactured oils and alcohol, but his infant formula was to shape the future of his company. Having created a powdered milk, it proved ideal for newborn children who were allergic to breast milk and significantly improved their health. By 1870, the formula had made its way to the USA.


7. ROBERT McVITIE (Scottish 1809-80)

Scottish baker Robert McVitie was born in 1809, and even as a child his passion for cooking was evident. In 1830, he opened a shop with his father, William, but Robert’s baking proved so popular that the business had to expand, with plenty more shops opened up across Scotland. McVitie died in 1880, but his sons too had learned the trade, and Robert Junior took over the ever-expanding company. By 1888, McVitie’s was so in demand that a factory in the suburbs of Edinburgh was set up. In 1892, Alexander Grant joined McVitie’s, bringing with him his secret recipe for the digestive biscuit.

8. THOMAS TWINING (British 1675-1741)

Born to a family of weavers and fullers in 1675, Thomas Twining eschewed the family trade for a more lucrative position as a tea merchant while it was still in its early days. Learning the trade from Thomas D’Aeth, Twining’s knowledge soon surpassed his master, and in 1706 Twining went solo with Tom’s Coffee House. Specialising in tea – but also serving coffee – Twining’s tea expertise singled him out in such a competitive industry. By 1706, some of Twining’s tea sold for the modern equivalent of £160 per 100 grams.


9. GRANNY SMITH (British/Australian 1799-1870)

She may not have founded her own company, but Marie Ann Smith – more commonly known by ‘Granny Smith’ due to her large family – discovered the tart, green apple and cultivated an orchard full of the fruit until her death. Tragically, she never managed to market her find, as she died only two years after her discovery. Fellow planter Edward Gallard, however, was more than happy to share her secret, exhibiting her fruit as ‘Smith’s Seedling’.

10. JOHN HARVEY KELLOGG (American 1852-1943)

The story behind Kellogg’s is a fascinating one, and it begins with two ultra-religious brothers: John Harvey and Will Keith. A member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, John was an ardent believer in vegetarianism and abstinence. Together the brothers founded the Battle Creek Sanitarium, a health spa for various conditions, one of which included sexual desire. John experimented with cooking, soon discovering how to flake grains. He believed that these corn flakes would cleanse the body and repress sexual drives, but Will had other ideas. Frustrated with his feverous brother who refused to add sugar, Will bought the rights to make corn flakes in 1906 and it soon became a commercial success.

In "All About History" UK issue 35, 2016, excerpts pp 22-23. Adapted and illustrated do be posted by Leopoldo Costa.