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H.P Sauce Birmingham

R

RosieB

proper brummie kid
Hi all,

I've read somewhere that there was a molasses flood from the HP Sauce factory in 1936 (and the vinegar flood in 1956) but can't find any reference to it anywhere else.

Does anyone know if it really happened, and just how sticky it was - it sounds horrendous!

Thanks in advance
Rosie
 
Rosie there is a thread some where on here about the flood, my uncle bill and his son Malcolm had their picture in the papers sweeping it up. I am sure I think it may be Aston will come on and point you in the right direction, they all lived in Tower rd just up from the HP
 
Rosie
The pages below are from "The road to Aston Cross" by Louise Wright, pub 1975 by Smedley -HP. Its a bit of a company vanity book, full of dates of directors retirements and new opportunities taken abroad, and I think all the copies were probably given away (which means I paid an infinite markup) , but there are some interesting bits, in this case about your interests

mike


Vinegar_explosion.jpg



molasses_explosion1.jpg


molasses_explosion2.jpg
 
That's great - thank you!

I'll have to see if I can track down a date and see what was in the paper - it's a great story! :)
 
Sorry to say Pam M,,that H P Sauce factory has been demolished,,100+ years gone for good,,, perhaps wrong word that last one eh!

Hopefully someone has old photos or knows where you can get copy,, Ok JohnY
 
H.P. was brought up by Heinze and 2 years later the land was sold the factory demolished.( H.P. is now made in Holland i believe)the ground lies dormant. Dek
 
dek carr said:
H.P. was brought up by Heinze and 2 years later the land was sold the factory demolished.( H.P. is now made in Holland i believe)the ground lies dormant. Dek
Click to expand...
Hi dek, what a shame that is something again made in our own city and they get rid, a very very sorry state becomming more and more common these days , all the history will be soon just on photograph ere:(
if anyone has any pictures on this please post them thankyou
 
Hello pam m,
If you type in HP factory into the search engine on the forum site and the scroll to page 4, you will find a wealth of information abou the HP factory.
Regards trebor (Rita)
 
I came past the site of the old factory at Aston Cross on Saturday and noticed a sign which said the site had been acquired on behalf of East End Foods, known 1st as a cash and carry group but now i understand into food manufacture. Max
 
They have been more than a cash and carry for a while, having their own branded products and , apparently, their own rice mill. The HP site, however, is apparently going to be a cash and carry with hotel attached. A shame really as it could have been used for food manufacture for the group
Mike
 
They have certainly come on from the days i used to call on their Cash and Carry in West Brom when I repped for Rothmans. Max
 
HP Sauce now banned from our house. I'd also ban Heinz Baked Beans, but they're better than anyone else's....

The first job-interview I ever had was for a lab-technician at HP Sauce. I could hardly breathe as they gave me a tour of the place - there was an overwhelming stench of vinegar that made me almost heave. No way could I have worked there.

Big Gee
 
I think this has been raised on another thread long ago, but is Flag Sauce still made? That was my favourite!

Big Gee
 
A few photos taken from the book " The Road From Aston Cross " written by Louise Wright, published by Smedley-HP Foods Ltd. 1975 Max
 
Max, no.3. picture brought back memories to me, as l operated one of those burroughs machines at Johnny Wrights....l walked past HP sauce everyday down park lane on my way to work and of course walked passed Ansells too.......Aston will never smell the same again without those to factories......Brenda
 
Remember the sounds of Tubes aswel. Still looking for the book you wanted. Max
 
Max, only a Brummie knows the smells l'm referring to, if the wind was blowing a certain way the smell of the hops and vinegar were sickening but it was home ...thank you for keeping a lookout for the book l'm after hopefully one day it will float to the top...Brenda
 
The delicate scent of a brewery is perfume to my senses, but the pong from HP Sauce I found nauseating, specially on a hot day. I was still angry when they closed it, though.

Any news re: Flag Sauce, anyone?

Big Gee
 
brenda barr said:
Max, only a Brummie knows the smells l'm referring to, if the wind was blowing a certain way the smell of the hops and vinegar were sickening but it was home ...thank you for keeping a lookout for the book l'm after hopefully one day it will float to the top...Brenda
Click to expand...

Yes, my Dad has mentioned the smell of the beer and the vinegar on certain days, he lived in Aston as a boy!
 
There were many different smells in different areas of the city i,m sure any one that knew there way around Brum would have been able to tell where they were blindfolded by the smell the recieved in their noses.Aston and Saltley would have been easy for us.Dek
 
Big Gee said:
The delicate scent of a brewery is perfume to my senses, but the pong from HP Sauce I found nauseating, specially on a hot day. I was still angry when they closed it, though.

Any news re: Flag Sauce, anyone?

Big Gee
Click to expand...

This sauce is not listed in HP official history of products sold. Do you know what company made it Big Gee. ? Max
 
Big Gee we had a thread earlier in the year which mentioned Flag sauce and who made it but i can,t find it. Dek
 
I have found the thread Dek, but i dont know how to put a link to it. I found it by putting in search box flag sauce, seems it was made by Fardons > Max
 
rum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=14185&highlight=flag+sauce
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks to all re: Flag Sauce. I think I'm coming to the sad conclusion that it's no longer made....sniff. I'd forgotten it was made by Fardon's, now long gone. Ah well, another childhood taste and smell gone for ever...like Pan-Yan Pickle.

Big Gee
 
Now my stock of HP Brummie sauce is exhausted I refuse to buy the insipid glue manufactured in Holland. I have now discovered Levi Roots Reggae Reggae sauce, its the most flavoursome I have ever tasted. Apparently, its the second biggest sauce seller in the UK and its manufactered in the country too.
 
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