Aunt Bessie's

Aunt Bessie’s Limited (until 2008 known as Tryton Foods Ltd) is a UK producer of frozen food products under the brand name Aunt Bessie’s. The company is best known for its frozen Yorkshire puddings, producing more than 20 million puddings a week. The company also offers a wide range of potato products, meal accompaniments, ready meals, vegetables and desserts. The company has its factories in Hull and employs over 350 staff.

The Leeds based Symingtons Food Group license the Aunt Bessie’s brand for use in Custard, Gravy and other home baking products. These are manufactured in Leeds in Symingtons Food factories.

History

Aunt Bessie’s Limited is a subsidiary to the William Jackson Food Group, a food retail and manufacturing business founded in Hull in 1851. The current chairman, Nicholas Oughtred, is the great-great grandson of the founder, William Jackson.

The William Jackson Group's frozen Yorkshire puddings were originally created for Butlins Holiday Camps in 1974. In 1995 the company started producing its Yorkshire puddings for British supermarket chains under the label Aunt Bessie's, so special food manufacturing company was set up, called Tryton Foods. Its name was taken from The Triton Inn at Brantingham, which then was part of the William Jackson group and noted for its Yorkshire puddings.

In August 2004, the supermarket division of the William Jackson company, Jacksons Stores, based in North Ferriby, was sold to Sainsbury's for £100 million, and the company began to focus on food production rather than retail.

In early 2008, sales of the Aunt Bessie’s Homestyle mashed potato doubled when it featured in Delia Smith's How To Cheat At Cooking for use in a shepherd's pie.^[1] The same year, the company name was changed to Aunt Bessie's Ltd.

Range of products

• Yorkshire pudding
• Desserts - Toffee Apple Ice Cream Crumble, Cherry Ice Cream Crumble, Strawberry Ice Cream Crumble, Vanilla Cheesecake, Blueberry Cheesecake, Apple Pie, Apple Crumble, Apple and Blackberry Crumble, Apple and Custard Crumble, Lemon Meringue Pie, Cherry Pie, Spotted Dick, Jam Roly Poly, Chocolate Sponge Pudding, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Pancakes.
• Potato products - Roast Potatoes, Chips, Mashed Potato, Croquettes, Bubble and Squeak, Hash Browns, Mini Roast Potatoes
• Vegetable products - Sprouts, Peas, Vegetable Medley, Finely Chopped Vegetables, Parsnips, Mashed Carrot and Swede, Onion Rings, Red Cabbage, Peas and Sweetcorn.
• Main dishes - Toad in the Hole, Mini Toad in the Hole and Vegetarian Toad in the Hole
• Savoury additions - For Chicken Stuffing Balls, Apple Stuffing Balls, Dumplings.
• Storecupboard - Shortcrust Pastry Mix, Crumble Mix, Instant Custard, Custard Powder, Yorkshire Pudding Mix, Dumpling Mix, Stuffing Mix.

References

• Financial Times, page 13, 4 February 2004

External links

• Aunt Bessie's
• William Jackson Food Group
• Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and Humber