It’s has admittedly, been some time since I’ve come across a “this is the best sauce evah!” thread on any forum, so its with interest that I came across one today on the social news site Reddit.com. So go on, have a go and comment up your favourite brown sauce!

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Hi. I have just got hold of an original paper card cut-out model (unbuilt) of the Houses of Parliament produced by HP Sauce, presumably as a promotion or mail order offer. I was told it dates from the 1930s but there is no date on the model itself. Are you aware of this item and do you have any info on it?

I found it on Ebay whilst looking for model kits (you know – Airfix kits – been building them since I was a kid in the 60s) and decided to go for it as it’s the kind of cornflake-packet thing I’d have built back then. I’ve scanned it, will build the print out, then take a photo of the finished article for you.

The attached pics are of the front and back faces of the sheet and the “HP Sauce” reference – this is all I know. The seller claimed it was circa 1934 but I’ve no idea if this is correct – examining the background to the base section (it folds up through 90 degrees to help the 3D effect) reveals more greenery and space than I would expect so it’s possible, I suppose.

The size of the sheet is 630mm (24 and 3/4″) long and 282mm (11″) wide.

Thanks for your submission Paul. I’ve looked through a few materials I have lying around which I thought might contain some reference to this model, but I haven’t found any reference to this promotion. Thank you for sharing your find with us, as I’ve not encountered anything like this before!

If  someone out there has any additional information on this unique item, please comment on this post. Let’s see if we can help Paul out!

*Edit: May 18th, 2010 – Paul has sent an update with a completed version of the model.

Here’s a pic of the finished HP model. It was quite complicated and fiddly and took the best part of a day to complete. I suspect that most of today’s Playstation generation would lose patience with it pretty quickly! Big Ben’s tower lists a little as the fixing tabs project through the base and give it an uneven surface. Sill looks good though and is an impressive piece. Will probably rebuild it with thicker card rather than photo paper and to a larger scale some time in the future.

That’s a fantastic model Paul. Thank you for sharing it with us!

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We have a request today from someone with an old bottle holder. Perhaps you can help him out?

Message: This is an Old Hall sauce bottle holder c. 1936, not catalogued in any of their sales lists for the period. Can anyone shed light on that unusual octagonal shape? Is it for H.P?

– Michael Bennett

I have seen photos of bottle holders of this vintage, but not in an octagonal shape such as this. Do you know what type of bottle this holder was meant for? If so, please comment!

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Moving on, Steve emailed me once again this past week to introduce us to another sauce he deems worthy of our attention. Thanks for remembering us Steve!

We have a program in the UK call Dragons Den where budding entrepreneurs show their wares. In this case some eccentric raster musician called Levi Roots gave them his pitch and the rest is history as they say. This stuff is amazing and is selling like hot cakes. This is old news in the UK but certainly worthy of “Brown sauce” recognition.

Levi Roots’ pitch on Dragons Den (YouTube):
[See post to watch Flash video]

At first he gave sole franchise to Sainsbury’s but now it is in all major stores and his range is ever increasing.

The original Jerk sauce he came up with has its “roots” in the Worcester / HP camp but is slightly redder in appearance and is a bit loose compared to traditional browns.

“A follow-up episode of Dragons’ Den aired on July 18, 2007 revealed that Sainsbury’s had expected the sauce to sell 50,000 bottles in its first year. In fact it sold 40,000-50,000 bottles per week[4], and continued to be a high-selling product.[citation needed]“ – Steve

Again thanks for keeping us informed Steve, and by all means send us over a bottle!

The official website for Reggae Reggae Sauce is: Levi Roots’ Reggae Reggae Sauce. Put music in your food!. Try it out, let us in on what you think of it! Is this sauce worthy of brown sauce distinction?

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A plea! Can you write a blog entry asking if anyone has got a half-decent picture of the old Daddies Sauce daddy? Do you remember the chap? The happy 1950s type gent with the pipe and the smile? I’ve trawled the internet to no avail; I’ve twittered with no response – surely someone somewhere has a picture!!

Thanks muchly
- Ken Davidson

I dug through my extensive archive, and was able to come up with the picture to the right, but it turns out that Ken is after something rather specific:

Thanks Brad – a very nostalgic pic! I reckon the one I’m after must’ve run into at least the early 70s – simply ‘cos I can just about remember it. My dad told me that it was a picture of him, and that the sauce was for him only. I believed him for years

Regards, Ken.

Thanks for the story Ken! Does anyone have a Daddie’s picture which matches the one Ken describes? If so, please contact me and I’ll forward you to Ken. Thanks for helping!

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In 1978, John recorded a little number entitled “A Saucy French Love Song” – a comedic dedication to HP Sauce. John also recorded and preserved a live performance on video, and now some 31 years later, he has edited and re-released the video using your images hosted on brownsauce.org (with permission)!

So, without further ado, I present John Scott Cree and “A Saucy French Love Song”:

As a kid in 50′s England, my Dad used to quote, by heart, the French ingredients from the HP sauce label. It was an easyish way to learn a bit of French and I duly put it to music for a school concert in 1964. Later, it became part of my act on the folk club and college circuit and, when Pye Records gave me a contract in 1978, I recorded it in a “Whiter shade of pale” mode, with Cliff Hall (Hammond B3), Ricky Hitchcock (guitar), Alan Jones (bass), and Pete Kircher (drums). Pye wanted it re-done with violins and I took the opportunity to re-do the vocals, with Linda Taylor, as a spoof of the cheesy 70′s song “Je t’aime …” Strings on this version are – Violins: Julian Gaillard, G. Palmer, D. McConnell, D. Moody, L. Rossi, L. Clay. Viola: W. Jones, G. Scott. Cello: Robin Firman, Denis Vigay. String arrangement by Mike Bailey. Produced by Tony Atkins. Pye didn’t release it.
This video uses live 1978 concert footage from Sallis Benney Theatre, Brighton UK, with images to match the song, courtesy of brownsauce.org and HJ Heinz. – John Scott Cree

More on John Scott Cree:

• John Scott Cree’s music and writing homepage
• John Scott Cree on MySpace

Many thanks to John for introducing us to this video. It has been a pleasure seeing this project come to light!

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Police officers rushed to hospital after a suspicious substance was thrown through a car window were released when it was identified as HP sauce.

The Metropolitan Police said officers responded to reports of an “unusual smell” coming from a car with a smashed window in Enfield, north London.

They saw an unknown brown substance inside and those who came into contact with it were taken to hospital.

No arrests have been made over the incident in the early hours of Friday.

The spokesman said: “Officers who came into contact with the substance were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.

“The substance was eventually identified as a harmless food substance.”

- Source BBC

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In 1972 my husband had a ride on hp sauce bottle toy, no now knows where this toy went to, but this Christmas my husbands father and step mother gave him one as a present which they had brought from a car boot sale. The person they purchased it from used to collect advertising memorabilia and had never seen another example. My husband (39 years old now) was thrilled with it but a little miffed that he is too big to ride on it!

Amy is curious to know more about her husbands new toy and has requested our help in finding out more information. She’s graciously sent in more pictures in the hopes that they may help bring back some fond memories with some of our readers. They speculate that the HP Sauce Rider Toy dates from the late 1960′s or early 1970′s.

If you do come across any information about the ride on sauce bottle then I would be most interested to hear. In the meantime I think I will try a see if the company that made the thing still exist…

HP Sauce Rider Toy 1

HP Sauce Rider Toy 2

HP Sauce Rider Toy 3

Thanks for the great images Amy!

If this wonderful old toy brings back a childhood memory or if you have any additional information on it’s origin, please leave a comment below! You may also wish to view the gallery to browse a similar Rider Toy photo which Mandy kindly contributed to our gallery.

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November 2008 is also significant for another reason as it marks expiry of the very last of the remaining ‘Pre Heinz’ era Canadian HP Sauce stock. You may recall that during the period of transition to Canadian produced Heinz HP Sauce, I went out scouring store shelves where I bought up whatever remaining old stock I could find. The very last expiry date I was able to find was November ’08.

When Heinz took over production of HP Sauce in Canada, the recipe changed with it, and although the Canadian HP Sauce recipe hadn’t resembled it’s British cousin in quite some time, it was a very good sauce in it’s own right – thick & spicy, ideal for bacon, steak & potatoes. The Heinz produced sauce on the other hand is thinner in both taste & texture. It no longer possesses that wonderful tingly aftertaste, the type of lingering flavour which reminded you of why you used HP Sauce in the first place. The new sauce fades quickly on the tongue and only serves as a reminder of what this sauce used to be; this despite the “100 Years” which now appears on the Heinz produced label. This is why I spent time digging through store shelves looking for old stock.

I’ve often wondered why the Canadian branded HP Sauce ever veered away from the original recipe at all. I once thought that perhaps it might have succumbed to some sort of Canadian food regulatory commission rule which forbade spirit vinegar in this type of product. If that were the case however, how is it that the wonderful Lea & Perrins original Worcestershire Sauce managed to escape unscathed? A quick look at it’s ingredients list will tell you this sauce has so far remained unchanged, with Spirit Vinegar remaining as one of the primary ingredients. It even retains its Royal Warrant, something one doesn’t see all that often anymore. The only other brand I know which also carries it is Carr’s water biscuits, a product I also buy regularly. Still, all is not rosy for Worcestershire however, and I fear for this sauce as well. My last visit to the supermarket revealed a new Heinz branded Worcestershire sauce standing right beside the Lea & Perrins. I was so disgusted, I didn’t even bother with comparing labels. Perhaps it’s time to stock up on it as well.

Another sauce which faces the November ’08 deadline is the bottle of HP Mexican Chilli which David Bradbury so kindly sent me all those months ago. This sauce was also quite unique and it remains a favourite of mine, especially on burgers where it is absolutely fantastic. It however also faced a quick extinction as Heinz quickly stopped it’s production shortly after its introduction – only months after the buyout of HP Foods.

With the weather, the brown sauce scene looks rather bleak here in Canada. The one possible exception being small bright spot in the form of Branston’s Brown Sauce (Thanks Steve!) which at last account is still available at a local British import shop. For the time being however, the North American Brown Sauce market remains virtually ignored and untapped.

-Brad

*A quick shout out to Mandy who has sent in a couple photos recently. Thank you, your contributions keep things fun!

*Another shout to Rajesh who sent in a photo a few days ago. I’m not sure WHAT that was you sent, or whether it was even entirely appropriate (undetermined), but hey if it floats your boat…

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1. David Holdford from the United States writes:

I wonder if you can help me please? I am trying to find the French text from the label of a HP Sauce bottle of the type that was on sale in the 1960s. I recollect that it started “Cette sauce de haut qualite…”

Can you help please?

Many thanks.

Thanks for your question David.

As it happens I was scanning some images from “The Road from Aston Cross – An Industrial History 1875-1975″ when I came across your question. As luck would have it, I recalled seeing a French label printed earlier in the book. This sample comes from a label printed in 1917 which although dated much earlier than what you had requested, may closely match the wording on the 1960′s label. From what I know of these labels, HP didn’t change the wording on their labels all that often, and minor revisions usually came in the form of refining a single word or two rather than the entire phrase. What’s less clear however is when the overall phrase was changed. If say they dropped the salad dressing recommendation in around this time, then it is likely that the rest of the phrasing could also be different as well.

Unfortunately I was unable to find a more recent example of a French HP Sauce label. I hope this helps!

HP Sauce French Label circa 1917
Source: The Road from Aston Cross – An Industrial History 1875-1975

1917 French HP Sauce Label:

Daddie's Favourite Sauce Label circa 1909
Source: The Road from Aston Cross – An Industrial History 1875-1975

2. Alison from Hull, United Kingdom writes:

I have 16 bottles of Daddies brown sauce, Kingswood Asda in Hull had a stock of
them a while back, my uncle was getting frustrated that he couldn’t buy this brown sauce anywhere, he has taken what he wanted and i still have a lot left. Does anyone want it?

Running low on Daddie’s Brown Sauce?? Here’s your chance to stock up! Drop us a line and I’ll forward your email to Alison.

Good Luck!

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