Henderson's Relish
Henderson's Relish is a condiment sauce produced in Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England.[1] It is similar in appearance and flavour to Worcestershire sauce, but unlike many Worcestershire sauces contains no anchovies. It is made of water, sugar and spirit vinegar with a selection of spices and colouring.
History
[edit]Henry Henderson, who had trained as a miller and then as a druggist, began manufacturing sauce in 1885. Originally manufactured at 35 Broad Lane in Sheffield, Henderson's Relish is still being made and was in uninterrupted production within half a mile of the site from which the first bottle was filled, until the move to a new factory in 2013. In 1910, the company was bought by Shaws of Huddersfield, who still supply Hendersons with vinegar. In 1940, general manager Charles Hinksman purchased the company from Shaws and formed Hendersons (Sheffield) Ltd., the control of which remained with his family, as of 2016 the Freemans.[2][3][4][5]
Description and ingredients
[edit]Henderson's has a base of spirit vinegar and acetic acid, coloured with caramel and sweetened with sugar and saccharin.[citation needed] Its flavour is derived from garlic, tamarind,[4][i] and cayenne pepper.[5] Ava Szajna-Hopgood, writing for Vice, described the sauce as a "murky brown" with a flavour that's "hard...to pinpoint" but "kind of just makes you want to eat more".[4]
Popularity
[edit]The sauce is often compared to the more well-known Worcestershire sauce, but local fans have long argued Henderson's Relish is dissimilar to Worcestershire sauce.[6]
Henderson's has historically not been well-known outside Yorkshire; in February 2014, Lewisham MP Jim Dowd, after having been served it in the Hare and Billet in Blackheath, assumed it a knockoff of the anchovy-based Lea and Perrins and described its packaging as a "parasitic" attempt to pass off one sauce as another[7] during a parliamentary debate on the Intellectual Property Bill.[8] He was corrected by comments from Sheffield MPs Paul Blomfield and Nick Clegg.[9] Dowd later toured the Henderson's factory.[10]
In 2024 Henderson's removed the tag line "Strong and Northern" from packaging intended for export, replacing it with "Worcestershire", which Somerset Live called "a contentious label" that was shocking to local fans of the sauce, who had long argued Henderson's was a completely different condiment.[11][12] Henderson's explained the label was to make the product less confusing to overseas customers unfamiliar with it.[12]
It is widely known in Sheffield as "Hendo's".[11] Tom Wrigglesworth joked that while those more familiar with Worcestershire sauce assume Henderson's is Sheffield's answer to Worcestershire sauce, its fans consider it "the answer to everything".[12] [13] According to Atlas Obscura, the sauce has a cult following.[13]
Factory
[edit]
After starting in Sheffield over one hundred years ago, until 2013 the relish was in uninterrupted production within half a mile of the original site on Broad Lane from which the first bottle was filled. The Henderson's factory was located opposite what was once the Jessop Hospital for Women, now the Music Department of the University of Sheffield. The building is adjacent to the University of Sheffield Supertram stop, on Leavygreave Road. In September 2008, the sign that had adorned the side of the historic Henderson's Relish building was stolen, and shortly afterwards was placed for sale on a local Sheffield blog.[14]
In 2013, the manufacturer moved to Sheffield Parkway Business Park.
The University of Sheffield spent £1.8 million tovrestore the building for use as a public space.[15][16] In 2024, the University began to sell the original roof tiles from the building to raise money to support students seeking sanctuary in Sheffield, including those displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[17]
See also
[edit]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Haddou, Leila (22 January 2014). "MP disses Henderson's Relish and incurs the wrath of Sheffield (and Nick Clegg gets a bit cross)". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 25 January 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
- ^ Crabtree, Sarah (21 November 2024). "Hendo's – Sheffield's best kept secret for 139 years and why we love it". The Star. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ Cumber, Robert (3 September 2024). "15 of Sheffield's oldest businesses still running today". The Star. Archived from the original on 9 September 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ a b c Szajna-Hopgood, Ava (1 July 2015). "Yorkshire Is Crazy About This 100-Year-Old Relish". Vice. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ a b "The Legend of Henderson's Relish | Living North". Living North. November 2016. Archived from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ Burke, Darren (5 April 2022). "Henderson's Relish v Worcestershire sauce row sparks war of words at Doncaster restaurant". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ "Own brands 'parasitic' says MP". 21 January 2014. Archived from the original on 24 January 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
- ^ "Daily Hansard – debate". Hansard: Column 56. 20 January 2014. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
- ^ "Nick Clegg speaks out in defence of Sheffield's Henderson's Relish". 21 January 2014. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014.
- ^ Lynch, Molly (18 February 2014). "'Hendogate': MP shows a lot of bottle". The Star. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
- ^ a b "BBC Hereford & Worcester – BBC Hereford & Worcester, Defending Worcestershire Sauce from 'an imposter'". BBC. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ a b c Armstrong, Jeremy (23 September 2024). "Outrage as makers of famous sauce change label". Plymouth Live. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ a b "The Sheffield Sauce With a Cult Following". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ "Something to relish ... missing half of sign for sale for 50p". Archived from the original on 2 October 2008.
- ^ "Factory is safe with university". Sheffield Telegraph. 8 October 2014. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016.
- ^ Stelling, Marti (9 May 2024). "University of Sheffield spent £1.8 million rebuilding Henderson's Relish factory". The Star. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
- ^ "Henderson's Relish Former Factory Site Roof Tiles Project". University of Sheffield. 26 February 2024. Archived from the original on 20 March 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.