Ambrosia (food)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ambrosia is a well known brand in the United Kingdom. Its original product was a fried milk powder for infants, but it is most famous for its custard and Rice pudding. The brand plays on the fact that it is made in Devon (at a factory in Lifton), with well known strapline "Devon knows how they make it so creamy".
[edit] History of Ambrosia
The Ambrosia creamery was founded in 1917 by Albert Morris, in his home town of Lifton, on the Devon/Cornwall borders, to make a rich food for infants. He took milk from local farms, where most of the cows were the Red Ruby breed, and dried it with roller dryers.
The product soon came to the attention of the British military, who took significant quantities for its soldiers, still fighting the first world war.
Just prior to the second world war, the Ambrosia creamery was the first company to start making creamed rice pudding ready in a tin. The outbreak of war meant that the vast majority of production was taken up by be placed in Red Cross food parcels.
After the cessation of hostilities Ambrosia relaunched the product, along with a creamed macaroni pudding.
In 1957, following increasing demand, the creamery opened a new, purpose built factory near to the original production facility.
In 1990, the entire company was acquired by Colman's ltd., a famous brand of mustard. This is turn was bought out by Unilever in 2001.
Unilever sold the brand on in 2004, to Premier Foods, where it is still a core brand, alongside others such as Bisto, Branston and Hovis.
