Beanz means Heinz
When they first appeared in Fortnum & Mason 150 years ago, Heinz baked beans, tomato soup and ketchup were considered high-end items offering an exotic flavour of the American dream. Claire Jackson celebrates these store-cupboard essentials
Now a store-cupboard staple, baked beans were once luxury goods, explains Claire Jackson
The Harlesden Heinz factory was bombed due to its contribution to the war effort
DON’T look so shocked,’ soothes Tom Parker Bowles, as he recommends Heinz baked beans in Fortnum & Mason’s classic collection of recipes, a smartly produced compendium entitled The Cook Book. The dish suggests serving the canned haricot beans with chorizo, shallots, butter, parsley and Parmesan (‘for vegetarians, you can substitute batons of fried courgette’). Although the recipe is included in the breakfast part of the book, Mr Parker Bowles advocates the meal as ‘a perfect lazy supper’.
This is quite an accolade for a foodstuff more commonly associated with budget TV dinners than haute cuisine, but Fortnum & Mason’s loyalty to the humble baked bean is understandable—the Piccadilly department store was the first to sell Heinz products in the UK and has been at the forefront of this year’s celebrations to mark the sauce-maker’s 150th anniversary.
In 1886, a young man presented five cases of his newly patented tinned wares to Fortnum & Mason, esteemed London retailers since 1707. The food was made using the latest technological advance— canning. The grocery buyer at Fortnum’s was so impressed, his response is immortalised in retail legend: ‘Mr Heinz, we’ll take the lot.’ As well as the beans, Henry Heinz would go on to show his other tomatobased innovations: a creamy soup and a thick red sauce.
Heinz baked beans, tomato soup and ketchup were initially only available in Fortnum & Mason and were considered high-end items offering an exotic flavour of the American dream. Gradually, production and export costs lowered and, with the opening of Uk-based factories, the products became store-cupboard essentials.
The packaging was a big part of the appeal: up until the early 20th century, there were issues surrounding food quality control and makers were known to cut their items with cheaper—and not always edible—fillers. ‘Items such as sauces had previously been sold in earthenware,’ explains Seren Charrington-hollins, food historian and period cook. ‘Heinz’s glass bottle was unusual at the time—it meant that consumers could see exactly what they were getting.’ Sales increased dramatically and, by the time of Second World War rationing, baked beans were classed as ‘essential’ by the government. The Harlesden Heinz factory was bombed several times due to its contribution to the war effort, but production continued—although ketchup remained out of circulation until 1948. In 1951, Heinz received a Royal Warrant.
In the 1960s and 1970s, recipes often stipulated using Heinz lines. As an historical food consultant, Mrs Charrington-hollins recreates these meals, many of which, although in vogue at the time, do little to whet the modern appetite. ‘One of my favourite dishes is a “creamed salad ring”,’ she divulges. ‘A tin of Heinz tomato soup is set with gelatine in a ring mould and then filled with salad and adorned with either cheese or prawns.’ Delicious.
It wasn’t only fashionable housewives who served up Heinz. As people increasingly turned to fast food, the popularity of Heinz’s mass-produced meals soared. Student cookbooks in the 1980s and 1990s were packed with Heinzinspired recipes, underlining the relatively high nutritional levels versus purse-friendly prices. This enormous popularity—together with changes in diet and lifestyle— impacted greatly on the audience for beans, soups and sauces. At the turn of the Millennium, no one would dream of serving baked beans or Heinz soup at a dinner party and there was consternation if ketchup was offered at the table.
There was one exception: Heinz’s tomato sauce was a magic weapon in getting children to eat vegetables. Its delicious, sugary taste overpowered overcooked carrots and peas. It added brilliance to boiled broccoli. It sweetened swede. The nation became hooked on ketchup and what was intended as a condiment to accompany the odd dish turned into a cook’s crutch.
I write as a former addict: a friend’s daughter once noted, ‘I’ve never seen an adult eat that much ketchup’. Observing the obsession, the comedian Micky Flanagan created an acclaimed anecdote where he takes his wife out for a meal. Having been
served ketchup in a tiny vessel, Mr Flanagan drinks the sauce, smiles at the waiter and says: ‘That’s excellent, I’ll take a whole bottle.’ Fluctuating tastes have done little to hamper Heinz. Few foods have enjoyed the longevity of its baked beans, soup and sauce. Part of the success is down to adaptability: in line with current trends, the maker now offers lower sugar and salt options, ‘five bean’ baked beans (with red kidney, pinto, cannelloni and borlotti, as well as the usual haricot) and organic versions. In 2003, Heinz introduced the ‘upside-down’ bottle, although the classic glass version continues to sell well (perhaps it will enjoy a resurgence as we aim to reduce the amount of plastic we consume). And that urban myth about hitting the glass bottle on the ‘57’ to release stuck sauce? Apparently, it’s true: according to Heinz, the mark on the label represents the sweet spot. What hasn’t changed is the colourful labelling, which is now as iconic as the food itself. As with Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup paintings, Heinz graphics have lent their image to interiors, clothes and kitchenalia. To mark the 150th anniversary, Fortnum & Mason has released a limited-edition range of beans, tomato soup and ketchup packaged in its famous eau-de-nil colours. The central image features the tribute statues in honour of the store’s founders, William Fortnum and Hugh Mason. And, as they were in 1886, the items are exclusively available at Fortnum’s. Earlier this year, the department store also featured Heinz baked beans, soup and ketchup in its Piccadilly window display. Mr Parker Bowles’s recipe was served in its restaurant and, for a select few, there was the chance to sample the extremely limitededition Heinz Tomato Ketchup Caviar. To be served with or without the creamed salad ring.
Heinz’s tomato sauce was a magic weapon in getting children to eat their vegetables