As Heinz completes the roll out of its revised HP Sauce line in North America, the availability of pre-Heinz production HP Sauce starts to dwindle on store shelves. As I mentioned in my previous post, I intended on buying up as much of the old stock as I could, citing the inferior taste of the new sauce as my key motivator. When the opportunity next presented itself, I went out and bought 7 bottles of the old stock HP Sauce at a local grocery store and brought them home where my wife went about, completely unphased, at putting the bottles and other groceries into the cupboard for future use (bless her!).

A short time later I decided that these bottles would be better suited next to my ‘all things HP Sauce’ collection downstairs, that way I could keep a closer eye on things after all! I proceeded to move all but one bottle downstairs and and as luck would have it, one of the HP Sauce bottles in the fridge needed replacing shortly thereafter (we do tend to go through it!). When my wife went to search the cupboard to fetch a replacement bottle, she gasped when she could only find one left! She then quickly closed the cupboard door, turned and approached me with a rather accusatory tone…

Now if we were to pause here for a moment to let ones mind wander (as I am so very prone to doing), one could easily imagine the impending conversation between my wife and I as one Tom and Barbara Good would have in an episode of The Good Life/Good Neighbours. The Good Life, or Good Neighbours as it’s known in North America, is a wonderful 1970’s British sitcom whose premise is to follow a not so typical couple named Tom and Barbara who’ve decided to live ‘off the grid’ in their typical suburban home in Surbiton, London. Living off the grid is of course not without its pitfalls and as a result Tom and Barbara are always under pressure to conserve every precious resource and to stretch every last penny. How would these two react they too were faced with the dilemma of having to conserve HP Sauce along with everything else?

Barbara: Distraught, Barbara stands next to an open cupboard. “Tom? Can you come here please?” she asks.
Tom: Tom walks over from the kitchen table. “Yes my little sparrow? What is it?”
Barbara: “The HP Sauce. It’s all gone!”
Tom: “Ahh….yes.” he blushes.
Barbara: Shocked, she accuses Tom “Don’t you ‘Ahh…yes’ me Tom Good! What have you done with them?” she says, striking at him with a tea towel.
Tom: “Now before you say anything, you must hear me out!” Tom says, standing his ground “It’s all in the name of efficiency you see…”
Barbara: “Oh damn the efficiency Tom! This is HP! You can’t just…rationalize HP Sauce like that? I mean, it’s just not right is it? You can’t just mark it down in the ledger next to the onions and the potatoes!” Then it occurs to her. “Where did you put them??” she demands.
Tom: “Now look here Barbara!” Tom starts, “We can’t just keep eating…”
Barbara: “Where are they?!” she interrupts, tickling Tom into submission.
Tom: “he he he…they’re…”
Barbara: “Where!” she laughs
Tom: “Alright alright!” he submits. “I’ve put them…down..” he mumbles.
Barbara: “Where? Where did you put them Tom?” she says, unable to control her snickering.
Tom: “Well…I’ve put them in the cellar cupboard haven’t I?” he grumps.
Barbara: “The cellar cupboard!” she exclaims, laughing hysterically “Did you put them on the middle shelf or further down..behind the filing cabinet?” she says, biting her lower lip. Her eyes light up “You DID didn’t you!”
Tom: “Now see here, I did that purely for security purposes!”
Tom and Barbara both make a mad dash for the door leading to the basement…

Moments later, next door neighbours and dear friends Jerry and Margo Leadbetter appear at the Goods kitchen to find Tom and Barbara squeeling & shouting, running around the table all the while squirting each other with bottles of HP Sauce.

Jerry and Margo: “What on earth are you two doing??” They both exclaim.
Tom and Barbara: “Rationing HP Sauce!!!!”

Of course, my wife and I didn’t end up running around the kitchen table in a big ’squirt-em-up’ with bottles of HP Sauce, but the resulting tone to our conversation was very much the same as my imagined Good Neighbours episode! By the way, I ended up moving my stash to another hiding place which she has since discovered! Drat!

While this bit of fun is all well and good - after all, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that in June 2007 I’d be walking about the house plotting where to hide my cache of precious HP Sauce bottles; the sad fact remains that Heinz thought it necessary to change the HP Sauce recipe in the first place, thus ruining the brand for me.

As I stated above, I purchased 7 bottles of pre-Heinz HP Sauce at a local grocery store and while the expiry dates on these bottles goes well into late 2008, I hold no expectations that these ‘magnificent 7′ will last anywhere near that long. It IS barbecue season afterall! Determined to get my hands on a few more bottles, I set out once again to top up my supplies and in the process I made an interesting discovery.

I went back to the local grocery store which had a healthy supply of both old and new stock only a short 2 weeks ago. This time however, the HP Sauce original variety was completely missing. Had they had a sudden run on HP Sauce? I thought that a bit odd so I went to a larger store a few kilometres away where I discovered the same thing! The rest of the shelf was completely stocked with the other HP varieties (Chicken & Rib, Bold) but the spot where HP original was to be was completely bare. Was this the time to start panicking?

I then went to a local Safeway. Same thing. I went to another..and another and another! In all, I went to 6 Safeway outlets, each one had absolutely no stock of HP Sauce original variety. I reasoned that unless there is someone else in the Winnipeg area who is as passionate about HP as I am, there is simply no other explanation than to assume that Safeway had for whatever reason, pulled the stock off their shelves. I have since written to Canada Safeway requesting an explanation.

Having failed at finding any older stock HP Sauce at the large grocery chains, I ventured over to have a look at some local ‘mom & pop’ shops and behold, my shopping basket soon overflowed with the older HP Sauce original variety! Curiously, most of these shops also carried the new Heinz produced bottles whereas the large Safeway stores had none. In the end I cleaned out a couple of these small shops and my basement closet is now well stocked and should see us through the coming months with ease.

The remaining unanswered question is, what is one to do once this supply runs out? Unless consumer awareness suddenly picks up on and is outraged by what Heinz has done with our beloved HP Sauce, I honestly don’t hold out much hope that Heinz will revert back to the older recipe which we’ve so enjoyed for all these years. Yes, it may be time to Bring on the Branston! (That one’s for you Steve)

Approximately one year ago, I established contact with an employee working at the Aston HP Sauce factory in Birmingham, England. At the time, Heinz had only recently acquired HP Foods and it was through the email exchanges with my contact where it was impressed up on me just how quickly Heinz was moving at the factory; their influence felt more and more by the staff with each passing email. Still, the emails exuded a high level of morale and optimism which I took to reflect the general mood of the factory workers overall, the hope amongst them was that Heinz would choose to leave well enough alone. The optimism soon vanished however as Heinz pressed with on with their changes. A little over a year later and we now know all too well how those changes ended up affecting the workers of the Birmingham factory.

From a consumers perspective however, what has actually changed? Although HP Sauce is no longer manufactured in Birmingham, has the product itself remained the same? My most recent information suggests that Heinz UK is making every attempt to replicate the original Birmingham recipe and to remain faithful to the original variety. But what is the reality? Admittedly, I do not have enough information beyond this which would suggest a verdict either way. I would however encourage anyone with information on how HP Sauce (UK variety) has changed since production moved to Holland earlier this year to please contact me.

^*While writing up this post, I received an email from Steve of Birmingham who speculates that Heinz is changing the UK variety by morphing it with the Heinz brown. To Steve, it seems to have evolved into something “…thick and sickly, maybe its my mind telling me its crap. But honestly it seems too thick”. Don’t hold back Steve, tell us how you really feel!

As my contact from a year ago pointed out, Heinz was quick to move on the HP Sauce brand in the UK and the same appears to hold true for North America consumers who are now starting to recognize changes to the HP Sauce line sold on this side of the Atlantic.

The Heinz influence on HP Sauce sold in North America:

Randy Percival of New Hampshire, USA wrote to us recently (previously mentioned in Brown Sauce Taste Test! HP Sauce goes toe-to-toe with Branston, Daddies & itself!) to bring to our attention a newly launched American marketed variety HP Sauce which he spotted in a local grocery store:

Randy Percival

I am of British decent, and highly desire to travel to England one day, there is much history and locations there I wish to see. As part of this journey preparation I am immersing myself in British culture and customs as much as I can. I became aware of HP Sauce 12 years ago when I learned of a British pub “Coat of Arms” in Portsmouth, NH.(http://www.coatofarmspub.com/).

I was informed about a year or so ago from an inquiry to HP Foods in the UK as to where I may find HP Sauce on retail here in the US. I was told at that time I can get it through specialty shops selling British goods, and that HP Sauce is now made in the Lea & Perrins plant in NJ.

I had looked around for the L & P made sauce when shopping at various stores and found it recently at a Stop and Shop in Amesbury MA., $4.27 US. Eureka!

I thought, but was skeptical when I saw the strange appearance of the bottle, absolutely terrified when I saw the ingredients list! When I tasted it, I felt a great sense of betrayal as this stuff is definitely NOT HP Sauce! However in fairness, it not offensive. I first likened it to A1 Steak Sauce made by Kraft foods; it is perhaps closer to that than HP Sauce.

Further research revealed the sauce recipe is the same as HP Sauce “Bold”, I was unaware of that flavor version previously. Perhaps they decided that is what they would make in NJ as that is what “the colonies” would prefer…

They should have called it what it is (Bold) and not some marketized “New Recipe” HP Sauce. Even if it were the real and original made HP Sauce recipe, it could not have the same aura as Birmingham made sauce!

I have begun to use it on foods I previously smothered with ketchup. I also have tried a number of British dishes there and I think they are great. At the same store above, I also discovered they had in the “international” aisle, Birmingham HP Sauce. I also found at this store, British style bacon, another rare find, and all in one place! So I rushed this home and made a proper bacon butty topped with REAL HP Sauce, YUM!

Thank you Randy for bringing this new American HP Sauce variety to our attention.

Photos by Randy Percival

This USA HP Sauce variety is an odd bird, but before we venture into what is actually contained within the bottle, let’s first take a look at the bottle itself which is a real departure from the traditional. It has dark clear glass, long neck, rounded ’shoulders’ and a brown cap which gives the appearance of a sauce more indicative of a steak sauce rather than HP Sauce. Indeed, the front label bears out this impression with the words ‘Steak Sauce’ appearing just under ‘Original’. Also on the front label is a “NEW Improved Recipe” tag which suggests that there WAS a previous version marketed to the US!? I find this somewhat confusing as up until now, I have found no previous evidence to suggest that there even was a US marketed HP Sauce variety!

So is this new US marketed HP Sauce…HP Sauce? As Randy says ‘this stuff is definitely NOT HP Sauce!’. Unfortunately, like the Canadian variety, the US version is HP Sauce in name only. The ingredients lists bear this out.

USA HP Sauce Original Variety Ingredients List

HP Sauce Ingredients Comparison - Birmingham & US:

HP Sauce Ingredients (Birmingham variety): Malt Vinegar (from barley), Tomatoes, Molasses, Spirit Vinegar, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Dates, Sugar, Salt, Modified Maize Starch, Rye Flour, Tamarind Extract, Spices, Onion Extract.

HP Sauce Ingredients (USA Variety): Water, Vinegar, Dates, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Molasses, Tomato Paste, Food Starch-Modified, Salt, Orange Juice Concentrate, Onions, Spices, Tamarind Concentrate, Apple Juice Concentrate, Garlic, Chili Peppers, Mustard Flour.

So what of the taste? How does the American variety compare with its British and Canadian cousins? Fortunately, Randy was kind enough to send out a bottle for us to try. Thanks Randy!

After trying the American original variety, I compared its taste with the British (Birmingham) and Canadian (pre Heinz) varieties. As one could predict by its ingredients, it doesn’t compare directly with the British variety which remains unique to itself. It does however compare very closely to the Canadian variety which is also marketed as a “Steak Sauce & Baste for Meat”. There is a however a subtle difference between the two. The American variety has a slightly more peppery flavour, while the Canadian variety is ever so slightly sweeter yet stronger and sharper, lingering longer on the tongue. If we further compare the ingredients of Mr Percival’s US variety with that of the Canadian original variety HP Sauce (pre Heinz), we can clearly see that they very closely match one another:

HP Sauce Ingredients (Canadian Variety, Pre Heinz 2006): Water, Vinegar, Dates, Glucose-Fructose, Black Strap Molasses, Tomato Paste, Modified Cornstarch, Salt, Orange Juice Concentrate, Onion, Spices, Tamarind Extract, Apple Juice Concentrate, Garlic, Chili Peppers, Mustard Flour.

Note that the above comparison lists the ingredients of the Canadian variety sold prior forthcoming changes to the brand by Heinz. Current examples of HP Sauce sold in Canada contain a new recipe. Read on…

Stranger Still:

Over 100 Years Around The World

As we’ve just pointed out above, the new “Improved Recipe” American variety is actually very similar in ingredients and in taste to the Canadian variety of only a few months ago. So where does that leave the Canadian variety? Well, it too gets a new label, only this label celebrates “100 Years Around The World”, leaving the impressions that Heinz intends on carrying on the with producing quality HP Sauce for the Canadian market. Or is it? One taste and a quick look at the ingredients list tells us that this is sadly not the case.

HP Sauce in Canada - Pre Heinz & Current Examples

HP Sauce Ingredients (Canadian Variety, Pre Heinz 2006): Water, Vinegar, Dates, Glucose-Fructose, Black Strap Molasses, Tomato Paste, Modified Cornstarch, Salt, Orange Juice Concentrate, Onion, Spices, Tamarind Extract, Apple Juice Concentrate, Garlic, Chili Peppers, Mustard Flour.

HP Sauce Ingredients (Canadian Variety, Post Heinz 2007): White Vinegar, Water, Glucose-Fructose, Black Strap Molasses, Tomato Puree, Dates, Modified Corn Starch, Salt, Concentrated Orange Juice, Spices, Onions, Tamarind Extract, Concentrated Apple Juice, Garlic, Chili Peppers, Caramel, Mustard Flour, Corn Syrup

If one skims over the ingredients list, they don’t appear all that different from each other. The ingredients in the 2007 Heinz variety start out well with the placement of white vinegar before water, but it stumbles when we reach Tomato Puree vs Paste, Dates and further on we find Caramel and Corn Syrup! The taste although initially tastes familiar, falls flat. The flavour disappears soon after it reaches your tongue and that warm sensation left on your palette after a mouthful of your favourite bacon sandwich smothered in HP Sauce….also gone. This sauce is weak weak weak and is definitely NOT the HP Sauce I know!

Canadian HP Sauce Original Variety: 2006 Left, 2007 Right

There are various things to note with the revised label. The width of the label is now significantly narrower which means the only place left for the ingredients is on the top neck label. This is the first example I’ve come across where the ingredients are not placed on the rear label on this format bottle. The label paper is also less glossy and has a cheaper look to it. This is in stark contrast to Randy’s American version where the label is made of a high quality paper. The bottles themselves remain a clear plastic, and the lighter colour of the newer example is clearly visible.

If you are a keen observer (if you have read this far down, you must be!) you will have probably noted that the neck label on the older 2006 bottle is a dark blue instead of the familiar light blue which you may be accustomed to. Yes, it would take a keen observer to notice this! The dark blue label is taken from the Bold variety HP Sauce which I speculate Heinz used in order to initially differentiate their Canadian HP Sauce bottles from those produced earlier by Danone. Once Heinz assumed production, the neck label once again assumed its familiar light blue colour but also contained the ingredients etc., as mentioned above.

Of perhaps lesser significance but also interesting to note is the change to the French label. By law, all consumer products sold in Canada must contain both English and French on the label. Prior to Heinz, the label read: “Sauce à steak et appret à viandês” which translates to “Steak sauce and crowning of meats”. The new label now reads “Sauce à bifteck et à badigeonner pour viandes”. This now translates to “Beef steak sauce and basting”.

Thanks to Robert Regnier for providing the French to English translation.

Reaction:

I’m not the only one to notice and react to what Heinz is doing to our beloved HP Sauce. I have actually received complaints from people who have written me in order to share their disappointment. The following is one such example (reposted here anonymously):

Hello please, help me i brought some HP sauce, i shock it so i doesn’t go watery and i kept shaking it as all was coming out was watery and couldn’t get it to thicken up so had to chuck it away i would appreciate an explanation asap as i refuse to buy your products again until i get an full explanation as i am very disappointed and angry i may as well chucked my money in the bin, please help not happy.

This person was obviously upset enough to have mistook this site for the official HP Sauce site, but it drives the point home. Consumers are unhappy about what Heinz is doing to their HP Sauce, and I am increasingly becoming one of them. I will freely admit however that my own frustration on this issue but a taste of what those in Birmingham have lived with.

To summarize…Heinz now appears to have completed the transition to making HP Sauce in-house. As for the the UK HP Sauce, it is no longer made in the UK and according to Steve (Birmingham) its taste is “thick and sickly”. Meanwhile, the Americans get a new HP Sauce, and while it may be a new introduction there, it uses a recipe very familiar to the pre-Heinz Canadian variety. The bottle however strays away from its traditional shape. To finish things off, Heinz appears to be cutting corners on the Canadian variety and its effects are felt both in and outside the bottle. The question is, who benefits from all of these changes? Perhaps it is the Americans who may stand to benefit from the traditional Canadian recipe (of which I am very fond of), but only time will tell if Heinz will push forward with large HP Sauce campaign in the States. A success there is by no means certain. Likewise, time will tell if the British recipe will remain true to its roots at the bottling facility in Holland. For my part, I will not buy the new Heinz variety but rather fill up my cupboards with all the older local pre-Heinz stock I can find. So far I have nearly 10 bottles and with a few dozen more, I should be good for a while yet as their expiry dates go well into late 2008….