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The KEEN'S Mustard Powder and KEEN'S Traditional Curry Powder are flavouring products produced in Australia. The KEEN’s brand has become a household name in Australia where it has enjoyed an iconic status for several decades. The brand is particularly well known for its yellow and orange tins, used as packaging for KEEN'S Mustard Powder and KEEN'S Traditional Curry Powder respectively.
KEEN’S products are manufactured by McCormick Foods Australia Pty Ltd, the Australian branch of American food company, McCORMICK & Co. Inc. McCormick Foods Australia is located in Melbourne Australia and is a producer of food products for both the retail and food service industries.
KEEN'S Mustard Powder is created from finely crushed, high quality mustard seeds. KEEN'S Mustard is available in 60g or 120g tins from leading supermarkets. [1]. The product can be used to add flavour to any number of dishes.
KEEN'S Traditional Curry Powder is a classic recipe blending tumeric, coriander, salt, fenugreek, black pepper, chili powder, rice flour, allspice and celery. KEEN'S Curry is available in 60g or 120g tins from leading supermarkets. [2]
The first mustard factory in London was opened by Messrs Keen & Sons at Garlick Hill in 1742, and in the 1890s the chimes of the Royal Exchange, set to the well known song 'The Roast Beef of Old England', could be heard, during a lull in the traffic, at Keens factory. Part of the factory was sealed off for manufacture of washing blue, because everything, including the workers bore a shade of blue. Mustard tins too were made, and there was a penny tin packing room. [3]
Thomas Keen was born in Camberwell in 1801, but the family subsequently moved to Croydon, and ran the 311 acre Welcomes Farm at Coulsdon. In 1825 Thomas married Harriett Toulmin, whose family lived at The Elms, 61 High Street, and the couple moved in 1831. [3]
In 1862, Thomas Keen dies on 17 February at the age of 61. In that same year, Keen & Sons amalgamates with Robinson & Belville, manufacturers of patented groats and barley, to become Keen Robinson & Company. In 1903, Keen Robinson & Company is acquired by Colman's of Norwich. It later merges with Reckitt & Sons.
In the 1930s, the KEEN'S Mustard Club is created. Members receive a Mustard Club Badge in the shape of a mustard pot and a booklet entitled Inner Secrets of the Mustard Club.
In the 1940s, the versatility of mustard is promoted with the formula for a mustard footbath appearing on the back of KEEN'S tins: "one of mustard, two of flour, leave it on for half an hour.
In 1995, Unilever purchases the condiment side of Reckitt & Colman. Reckitt & Colman retains the Colman part of its name and continues to make mustard - the famous American mustard called French's. Outside of the UK, in places such as Canada and Australia, Colman's still sells its mustard under the KEEN'S name.
In 1998, KEEN'S Mustard finds its home with McCormick Foods Australia. KEEN'S asks Australians to search their homes for nostalgic KEEN'S memorabilia. The search uncovers historic advertisements and even an original mustard powder tin dating back to 1904. In 2000, KEEN'S Mustard takes the memorabilia on tour to share with the rest of Australia.
In 1841, 22-year-old carpenter Joseph Keen sailed to Australia from Britain with his bride, Johanna. Following Johanna's death in Sydney in 1843, Joseph left for Van Diemen's Land where he soon married Annie (Nancy) Burrows and became a father of 16 – nine daughters and seven sons. Joseph and Annie settled at Browns River, Kingston, south of Hobart, where they established a bakery, small manufacturing outlet and a general store. Here, Joseph produced and sold his own sauces and condiments including his own special blend of curry powder.
Within a decade, Joseph's curry powder was known throughout the colony and his produce was winning awards: he received a medal for his spice mix at the 1866 Inter-Colonial Exhibition in Melbourne and an honourable mention for his spicy sauce at the 1879 Sydney International Exhibition.
In 1915, after both Joseph and Annie had passed away, the couple's sixth daughter Louisa and her husband Horace Watson took over the family’s curry-powder business. Horace was a colourful character, and daringly transformed land at the foothills of Mount Wellington, overlooking Hobart, into a large advertising sign: using heavy stones painted white, he formed the words 'KEEN'S Curry' in letters 15 metres high. Public uproar resulted, but Horace won the right to use the land as an advertising sign. In a university prank in 1926, the letters briefly read 'Hell's Curse', and students altered it again in 1962 to promote a theatre production. In 1994 the landmark read 'No Cable Car' as a protest against a proposed development. However the sign has been restored after every change.
While renowned in Tasmania, KEEN'S Curry Powder became a household name right across Australia in 1954, when the formula and rights were sold to Reckitt & Colman Australia Ltd (currently, Reckitt Benckiser (Australia) Pty Limited) - more than a century after Joseph set sail from England.
Reckitt & Colman Australia had long been the manufacturers of a different product - KEEN'S Mustard.
In 1998, both the KEEN'S Mustard and Curry brands were acquired by McCormick Foods Australia Pty Ltd.
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