# HP Sauce **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 16, 2007, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182 "2007-03-16T10:54:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/1 "2007-03-16T10:54:12Z")
Is this the end of civilization as we know it? The last bottle of HP sauce has been produced at the Birmingham plant, this ends over 100 years of sauce production at that site. The US owners, Heinz, have decided that the plant was not viable and have moved production to The Netherlands. The great British fry up, which is incomplete without HP, is under threat, this means war. ---
**Author:** ![purple\_haze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@purple\_haze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purple_haze)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/2 "2007-03-16T11:22:43Z")
What’s HP sauce? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/3 "2007-03-16T11:23:21Z")
> [@](#): > > The great British fry up, which is incomplete without HP, is under threat, this means war. You mean the great British fry-up, the centrepiece of which is _Danish_ bacon, is going to be under threat from the addition of a dollop of _Dutch_ brown sauce? The sauce isn’t going anywhere, it’ll still be on sale as normal. (I prefer Daddies’, anyway 🙂 ) PS for the uninitiated: [HP Sauce](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Sauce). ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/4 "2007-03-16T11:26:28Z")
By the way, the picture on that link shows _fruity_ HP Sauce, which is an abomination. The original is good stuff though. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/5 "2007-03-16T11:31:34Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] …(I prefer Daddies’, anyway :)… [/QUOTE] [Also owned by Heinz.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daddies), BTW. GT ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/6 "2007-03-16T13:51:24Z")
It looks as though the Netherlands will soon be the sauce capital of the world. The Dolmio TV adverts for pasta sauce show a stereotypical Italian family tucking into their pasta dinner complete with suitable Italian music. Then the caption at the bottom of the picture informs us the stuff is actually made in the Netherlands! ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/7 "2007-03-16T14:09:04Z")
As long as they’re not going to stop producing it, and as long as moving production elsewhere won’t change it in any way, then I’m okay with that. I’ve always preferred HP to A1 anyway. It’s simply awesome with a steak. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/8 "2007-03-16T14:19:39Z")
I hear the recipe won’t change at all. The only change is that’s going to come in clog shaped bottle 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/9 "2007-03-16T14:19:42Z")
When I saw “Birmingham” I obviously thought of the one in Alabama (since I used to grow up there) and panicked over the idea I had never even had any HP sauce. So I felt a bit of relief seeing it’s that other Birmingham going through withdrawal. As for sauces I have tried (branded and not) that I would hate to see go away: A1 Heinz 57 Worcestershire (Lea & Perrins primarily) Tabasco other brands of Louisiana Hot Apple Tartar Tomato Chocolate Soy (Kikkoman mostly) One I have heard sung about by Nat King Cole and Diana Krall, yet never been able to try for myself, is Frim Fram. Any of you ever have any of that? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/10 "2007-03-16T14:26:46Z")
“Why, that stuff’s made in New York City!” “New York City?!” :eek: “Get a rope.” Doesn’t seem so bad compared to this, now does it? Sauces I would hate to see vanish would be Tiger Sauce and Pickapeppa Sauce. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/11 "2007-03-16T14:29:42Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] You mean the great British fry-up, the centrepiece of which is _Danish_ bacon, is going to be under threat from the addition of a dollop of _Dutch_ brown sauce? The sauce isn’t going anywhere, it’ll still be on sale as normal. (I prefer Daddies’, anyway 🙂 ) PS for the uninitiated: [HP Sauce](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Sauce). [/QUOTE] Excuse me, I beg to differ.The centrepiece of the great British fry-up is Irish back bacon (smoked). The dollop of brown sauce (HP) was, previous to the closure of the Brummigham plant,made in Merrie England. It may be on sale in the future but it will most certainly not be normal…I mean, Dutch HP sauce?..c’mon already :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/12 "2007-03-16T14:33:28Z")
At least we get to keep the Marmite! ---
**Author:** ![Ellef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8dc957/32.png) [@Ellef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellef)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/13 "2007-03-16T14:35:07Z")
[QUOTE=ScareyFaerie] At least we get to keep the Marmite! [/QUOTE] But it’s in a squeezy bottle. That’s so wrong. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/14 "2007-03-16T14:36:06Z")
[QUOTE=ScareyFaerie] At least we get to keep the Marmite! [/QUOTE] To which you are bloody welcome ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/15 "2007-03-16T14:41:04Z")
Anyone had that Guinness Marmite yet? If so, where’d you get it? I want to get my hands on that ASAP before Paddy’s Day is over. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/16 "2007-03-16T14:49:49Z")
So Hewlett Packard makes sauce now? I learn something new every day. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/17 "2007-03-16T15:03:24Z")
[QUOTE=Ellef] But it’s in a squeezy bottle. That’s so wrong. [/QUOTE] Mine’s in a jar. You can stuff yer squeezy bottles! **jjimm** - I haven’t seen any of the Guinness stuff yet but I wouldn’t try it, it’s an abomination tampering with my precious Marmite like that. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/18 "2007-03-16T15:15:12Z")
At least Bovril has now reverted back to being made from beef and not yeast extract. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/19 "2007-03-16T15:36:41Z")
[QUOTE=purple haze] What’s HP sauce? [/QUOTE] When Alfred Heatherington-Podstocking returned from the Boer War to his home in Edgbaston, his wife Mrs. Heatherington-Podstocking noticed a pungent fluid pooling in his left boot. Although she repeatedly drained out the boot, the fluid kept regenerating, much to the delight of their dog Rover. Eventually Rover was left to enjoy the boot with the other neighbourhood bowsers. One thing let to another, as things are won’t to do in Edgbaston, before anyone noticed, not just the dogs but all the neighbours were using the newfound HP sauce to ad piquancy to their meals. Since the sauce was self-replicating, like sour dough bread, a manufactory was established in near-by Birmingham, where the centre-piece of the facility was the carefully climate controlled room in corridor B that housed the original boot. There is great concern today that should the boot be moved to a different climate, the self-replicating properties of the HP sauce emitted from the boot will be lost forever. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182/20 "2007-03-16T20:50:20Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] So Hewlett Packard makes sauce now? [/QUOTE] Yes they do. With Intel inside. 🆒 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hp-sauce/396182.md?page=2)