Philadelphia Cream Cheese[1] is an American brand of cream cheese. It is one of the best selling brands of cream cheese worldwide, first produced in 1872, and currently owned by Kraft Heinz and Mondelez International.[2]
Origin
Despite its name, Philadelphia Cream Cheese was invented in New York State, not Philadelphia.[3] In 1872, William Lawrence, a dairyman from Chester, New York, attempted to make Neufchâtel, a soft, slightly crumbly, mold-ripened, bloomy-rind cheese product that was popular in Europe at the time. Instead he accidentally added an excessive amount of cream and created a richer, more spreadable cheese, which would eventually be called "cream cheese". It was not marketed as "Philadelphia Cream Cheese" until 1880. That year, Lawrence partnered with A.L. Reynolds, a cheese distributor in New York to sell larger quantities of cream cheese.