A1 Steak Sauce
A.1. is marketed as a steak sauce in the USA as a condiment for use with meat or game dishes. It was developed, produced and marketed in the United Kingdom as a brand in 1831 and was later introduced to the United States by G.F. Heublein and (&) Bros., and was officially registered as a trademark in North America in 1895. Widely available in the US, the sauce today is only available in selected Tesco stores in the UK,[1] its country of origin.
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History and ownership [edit]
The original sauce upon which A.1. is based was created in 1824 by Henderson William Brand, a chef to King George IV of the United Kingdom.[2] A popular myth has it that the king declared it "A.1." and the name was born.[3] It went into commercial production under the Brand & Co. label in 1831, marketed as a condiment for 'fish, meat and fowl', and continued production under this label after bankruptcy forced ownership of Brand & Co. to be transferred to W.H. Withall in 1850. It was renamed A.1. in 1873, after a trademark dispute between creator Henderson William Brand and Dence & Mason, who had since purchased Brand & Co. from Withall. It continued to be produced by Brand & co until the late 1950s at the firm's factory in Vauxhall London.[4] It was introduced to the United States in 1895 under the ownership of G.F. Heublein & Brothers and marketed as A.1 'steak' sauce'. In 1931, A.1. was introduced to Canada.
Heublein was acquired by R. J. Reynolds in 1982, which merged with Nabisco in 1985 to form RJR Nabisco. In 1999, Kraft Foods acquired Nabisco, including the A.1. brand.
In 2000, the A.1. line of marinades was launched, representing the first expansion of the trademark.
Rock musician and singer Meat Loaf has appeared in a TV commercial for the product, to promote its new slogan: "A.1. - Makes beef sing." In the commercial, the slogan is "Makes Meat Loaf sing," and he sings a very small excerpt from his hit "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" [1].
Ingredients [edit]
A1 sauce includes tomatoes, raisin paste, distilled vinegar, corn syrup, salt, crushed orange puree, dried garlic and onions, herbs and spices, caramel color, and xanthan gum.[5]
Legal action [edit]
A.1. was the subject of a trademark dispute between then owners Nabisco and "Arnie’s Deli", which was producing its own recipe condiment under the name "A2 Sauce". In 1991, Connecticut District Court found in favor of Nabisco.[6]
Advertising [edit]
Some slogans for A1 include:
- "Don't cover it. Discover it, with A.1." (1980s)
- "Great Steak! Great fun! A.1.!" (1981)
- "A.1. makes hamburgers taste like steakburgers." (early 1980s)
- "A.1. - How Steak is Done." (1990s)
- "A.1. - Yeah, it's that important." (early-mid 2000s)
- "A.1. - Makes beef sing." (current)
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ such as Tesco Extra Pitsea where it can be found under World Foods in the Irish Isle
- ^ Morris, Evan (2004). From Altoids to Zima: the surprising stories behind 125 brand names. Simon and Schuster, ISBN 978-0-7432-5797-8
- ^ Raichlen, Steven (2000). Barbecue bible: sauces, rubs, and marinades, bastes, butters & glazes. Workman Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7611-1979-1
- ^ http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Brand_and_Co
- ^ http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/06/st_whatsinside_steaksauce/
- ^ "Reminiscing A1". Retrieved 2008-09-17.
External links [edit]
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