Posted on 03/17/2007 3:34:20 AM PDT by Condor 63
LONDON (AP) More than 100 years of British tradition came to an end yesterday as the final bottle of HP brown sauce - a popular alternative to ketchup - rolled off a production line at a factory in central England.
HP's U.S. owner, H.J. Heinz, stuck by plans to switch production of the sauce to the Netherlands to save money, despite a high-profile campaign to keep it in Britain that saw protests outside the U.S. Embassy and lawmakers brandishing bottles of the condiment in the House of Commons.
A staple that is smothered over everything from fish and chips to the traditional English fry-up breakfast of sausages, bacon, baked beans and eggs, its advertising slogan proudly proclaims it is "The Official Sauce of Great Britain." Its distinctive tall bottle carries a picture of the Houses of Parliament on a blue and red label - an image that some protesters say is no longer appropriate.
The decision to close the Aston, Birmingham, plant in favor of a new factory in Elst, in the Netherlands, will also cost 120 jobs. There was immediate and strong opposition when Heinz announced its plan last August.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
Considering John -Claude Kerry's wife is the widow of Sen. Heinz, I'm surprised they didn't move the plant to France.
Two interesting little tidbits to be gleaned:
Heinz, which bought HP from French group Danone in June 2005
and...
"The plant has been a landmark for 108 years. You could always smell it from miles away," said Joe Clarke, a spokesman for the Transport and General Workers' Union.
"The implications for the workers are terrible," Mr. Clarke added. "Most of them were looking to spend the rest of their working lives at HP."
So where is Teresa H-K? I thought she cared so much about workers rights? I guess that only counts when it doesn't hit her family in the pocketbook. Inquiring minds want to know.
Those Limeys will eat anything!!! Brown ketchup = bad(as in rotten) ketchup.
Those Limeys will eat anything!!!
I'd have to say "No, that would be the Germans."
One of the only documented cases of personal culture shock I've ever experienced was in Germany after ordering a Schlachtplatte. Everything on the plate was pretty good, except for one thing I couldn't identify. I asked the waitress what it was, and she replied Blutwurst (blood sausage). I couldn't bring myself to taste it, or even touch it.
Actually- HP sauce is *really* good.
Apparently in Germany they just knock the horns off and use everything else from the rooter to the tooter.
Don't knock it until you have tried it. Brown sauce is a sauce for meats (chops, sausages, bacon sandwiches). It's lightly spiced.
It's far better than your BBQ sauce.
I'd be interested in trying some HP as I am curious what it tastes like.
I imagine it to be somewhat like American A-1 Sauce?
You use it where you'd use A-1- but I honestly much prefer HP.
HP is definitely an acquired taste. Its very big in Canada, too.
This is a dummer idea than 'New Coke'.
She doesn't even care that little brown children run around naked.
I remember visiting Aston in Birmingham in the late seventies, when the Ansells brewery used to be next door to the HP factory - I don't know if it was because of a light mist that morning, but the entire area was engulfed in a brown fug that made everything look like an early 1900s sepia photograph.
Daddies brown sauce is better anyway.
This ain't that brown sauce.
This ain't it, either!
Not really my area of expertise.
16 year old girls will run around naked after a few slugs off that purple passion jar.....
Or so I've been told.....
Every ship that I served on stocked HP on the messdecks. It wasn't a favorite of mine, someone must have liked it.
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