Those of you who have visited the site recently have undoubtedly arrived here after hearing of the petition to save the HP Sauce factory in Birmingham, England. From the comments I’ve received, it is a good likelihood that many of you are from the Birmingham area and may have ties with those who work at the HP Sauce factory - perhaps you work there yourself. It is quite understandable then, that the announced closure of the Aston plant is perceived as a both a Midlands labour issue and one that strikes at the local sense of pride as HP Foods has been a beloved employer of the local community for a number of generations. My own obvious fondness for HP Sauce has also lead some to believe that I too must be from the Birmingham area, for why else would I be so passionate about it as to create my own blog celebrating it?

I would like to dispel the notions that 1) I am from Birmingham, and 2) the closure of the Aston factory is a solely a Birmingham issue. It is much more than that, and here’s why.

I live and work far away from the HP Foods factory in Winnipeg, Canada, and although I have visited the UK I have never been to Birmingham. HP Sauce is however something Canadians have enjoyed for nearly as long as our British cousins. Canada was one of the first countries to which HP Sauce exported in the early 1900’s; other countries included Australia & New Zealand as well as some European countries. HP Foods even kept track of when the St. Lawrence River (Canada) was frozen in order to avoid disappointment as a result of late shipments! Then, much later during World War II, HP Sauce became a scarcity due to the hazards of transatlantic shipping. It was then that HP Foods enhanced their relationship with E.D. Smith of Ontario, who had already supplied HP Foods with shipments of tomato puree for many years. HP Foods made the monumental decision to license E.D. Smith with rights to produce the Sauce for the first time in Canada. It was still wartime however and the secret recipe was translated into code, halved into two parts and sent separately across the Atlantic! The method and description of the plant followed later in a third envelope. Canadians have benefited from this decision ever since.

Today, HP Sauce is very much entrenched in Canadian kitchens, but it’s usage, or dare I say cultural identity has evolved somewhat differently than how I perceive it to be in the UK. In Canada, it’s not known as “brown sauce”?, but rather as simply HP Sauce. Although it can be asked for in most restaurants, it is not as prominently used in place of ketchup (red sauce) but rather for meals of special occasion where say a roast might be served. In fact, it wasn’t until about a year ago when I was chatting with some British friends on MSN that I discovered just how differently we used HP Sauce. At first, I wasn’t even really aware of what “brown sauce”? was! Mention “brown sauce”? to a Canadian and they might think you’re talking about gravy. It was then that one of my friends sent me a recipe she’d found on-line for me to try. Over the next week, I gathered up the needed ingredients and made a batch of it one night while my wife was at work. It was ready by the time she arrived home, and when she stepped in the door, I rushed downstairs with a dollop of the sauce on a wooden spoon for her to taste. “It tastes just like HP Sauce!”? she said. It was then that I realised that it was in the fridge all the while yet upon further reflection it was probably the most anonymous item there! I knew nothing about it – it had always just been there! It was then that I sought out to find more about it and by doing so I created this site to expand my own knowledge of it and to share my experiences with others. Over the course of the following 12 months I discovered more than I ever thought I’d want to know about HP Sauce, and in those months I’ve developed a genuine fondness for it. It is no longer relegated to just special occasions, but is used very regularly and enjoyed thoroughly.

HP Sauce is enjoyed the world over by millions of people and although a great many things have changed since its inception as the Midland Vinegar Company at Aston Cross, two things have remained constant; it has always been made at the original factory, and the original recipe itself has not changed. The closure of the Aston plant directly affects those who live and work in the area, both on a financial and emotional level and is very much a Birmingham issue. However, if what my anonymous HP Foods employee tells me is true, and Heinz does end up changing the recipe – this will ultimately affect ALL of us who both enjoy HP Sauce and respect its historical importance. This holds true for people living both inside the UK and internationally. The two constants which ARE HP Sauce will have changed. From my own perspective, it is outrageous to throw something like this away should at the very least invoke a national outcry in the United Kingdom! This is a national issue, please see it as such! Keep voicing your concerns to anyone who will listen. Perhaps once people start to realise the implications of what Heinz is doing, the (perceived) apathetic response will turn into something more productive.

-Brad

P.S: Contrary to popular belief, it’s not me who’s wearing the towel.

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