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Lea & Perrins

Lea & Perrins (L&P) is a United Kingdom-based subsidiary of Kraft Heinz, originating in Worcester, England, where it continues to operate. It is the manufacturer of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce,[1][2] a condiment first invented and sold in 1837 by chemists John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins from Broad Street, Worcester.

It is currently produced in the Midland Road factory in Worcester that Lea and Perrins built. The sauce was first imported to the United States by the Duncan family of New York in 1839 and they continued to be involved for over a hundred years.[3] A subsidiary in Pittsburgh currently manufactures an American version of the recipe.[4]

Worcestershire sauce

Worcestershire Sauce is produced at the Midland Road factory in Worcester, built by Lea and Perrins. Midland Road was named after the Midland Railway, the factory originally having rail sidings to provide raw materials and distribution.

Ingredients

Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce UK and US recipes differ slightly in that the UK recipe uses malt vinegar while the US version uses distilled white vinegar. Also, the US version used high fructose corn syrup until 2011 when they reverted to sugar due to health concerns; the UK version has always used sugar. The UK version is sold in Australia, New Zealand and Canada.[5] In the UK, the bottle is known to consumers for its shape and the orange and black label. Since November 1874, the label features a Lea&Perrins signature to address "spurious imitations calculated to deceive the Public"[6] (picture below).

The precise recipe has been a trade secret, but an original 19th-century list of ingredients was found in a skip at the factory in 2009 and includes vinegar, molasses, sugar, salt, anchovies, tamarind extract, onions, and garlic and other ingredients which may include cloves, soy sauce, lemons, pickles and peppers.[7][8] The current recipe includes malt (or distilled white in the U.S.) vinegar, molasses, sugar, water, salt, onions, anchovies, garlic, cloves, tamarind extract, natural flavorings, and chili pepper extract.[9]

Other products

An 1846 advertising pamphlet by Lea & Perrins showcase their pharmacy's preparation of "Dr. Locock's Lotion for the Growth of the Hair", "Taraxacum" (dandelion coffee), and "Essence of Coffee", along with Worcestershire sauce.[10]

While Kraft only markets a single variety of Worcestershire sauce under different sizes in the UK and in Canada,[5] a few more products are marketed under the L&P brand in the United States. These include a reduced-sodium version of the sauce, a steak sauce, and marinades in peppercorn and vinaigrette flavours.[11]

Gallery

See also

  • List of fish sauces

External links

References

  1. Intellectual Property Office - Case details for trade mark UK00002270072 www.ipo.gov.uk, 15 May 2001, retrieved 5 August 2016^
  2. Intellectual Property Office - Case details for trade mark EU002552107 www.ipo.gov.uk, 28 January 2002, retrieved 5 August 2016^
  3. When Ransom Duncan Hits the Sauce, You Can Bet It's His Family's Famous Worcestershire^
  4. Lea & Perrins, Inc., P.O. Box 57, Pittsburgh, PA^
  5. Products - Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce Kraft Canada, retrieved 18 April 2019^
  6. Chester Chronicle, 17th July 1875, Vol. CI. No. 5308.^
  7. Worcestershire Sauce Cook's Info, October 17, 2002, retrieved June 22, 2022^
  8. Recipes for Secret Sauce Emerge BBC News, November 2, 2009, retrieved June 22, 2022^
  9. Lea & Perrins, The Original Worcestershire Sauce, Product Information^
  10. Dr. Lockon's Lotion for the growth of the hair: prepared by Lea et Perrins, chemists Le Blond and Company print., 1846^
  11. Products leaperrins.com, retrieved 18 April 2019^