Back in December 2013 I posted this picture with the hope that one day “I can track down Hoe & Co Ltd, Manchester.”
Well it took a tad longer but here from Bill Sumner is the following, posted to the orginal this morning.
As the Corporation Gas Board used to say, “We always get there in the end.”
And so here thanks to Bill is the added bit of the story.
“Hoes Sauce Factory was behind the Robin Hood Pub on the corner of Ryecroft Road and Urmston Lane.
The bus stop to Urmston was just beside the Office doors and waiting for a bus there you had to endure the overwhelming strong smell of vinegar.
The sauce was a dark fruity sauce not unlike H.P.
The Company was taken over by Norco Pickles Middleton and the factory was demolished in the 70's/80s and is now the Robin Hood Car Park.”*
Picture; Hoe’s Sauces from the series Celebrated Postcards, marketed by Tuck & Sons, date unknown, courtesy of Tuck DB, http://tuckdb.org
* Bill Sumner
This is fascinating. Hoe's sauce and chutneys were created originally by the Hoe family in Bottesford, Leicestershire, in the late 19th Century. Their Belvoir and Bengal chutneys were said to be enjoyed by the Prince of Wales and member of the Melton Hunt. Their sauce recipe passed via a Mr Garton in Nottingham to the Midland Vinegar Co. which branded it as HP Sauce - that's another story. Meanwhile, Hoe's sauce found uts way to your part of the world via Manchester, it seems. Do you know the story, please?
ReplyDeleteThis is fascinating. Hoe's Belvoir and Bengal chutneys and their famous sauce were created by the Hoe family in their cottage factory in Easthorpe, Bottesford (Leics) in the late 19th Century. The sauce recipe found its way to the Midland Vinegar Co. who marketed it as HP Sauce. But, it seems that Hoe's name also found its way to Manchester and then to the Preston area, and their sauce was being made up the the First World War at least. I have no idea how this came about - can anyone help me out, please?
ReplyDeleteNorco was based in Pendlebury the name was taken to middleton when taken over.I worked at Norco when they bought the rights for Hoes It was a fantastic sauce far better than a well known brand.
ReplyDeleteThough there are probably some Hoe's sauce bottles still in circulation the only one I've seen recently is in Blackburn Museum. I have contacted them to see if I can get a list of the ingredients from the back label so I can make my own version of what was arguably the best brown sauce of its kind in the world. From memory it contained among other items, apples, dates, tamarind, soy, molasses, etc. Hoe's also made an excellent chutney sold in a bottle shaped similar to Sharwoods products. The label description of the sauce on the bottle was english one side, french the other.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to reading your results
DeleteDid you ever get a response and the ingredients of Hoes sauce ?
DeleteSadly no
DeleteIs it still in production, I have been looking it for years but sadly never able to find it, it is a very big miss to my palette
DeleteHi. I’ve found a lid while digging up my garden in Newcastle upon Tyne. It’s Hoe’s Fruit Chutney and I’d love to be able to date it. It’s metal and it has the goose on holding a bottle. At the bottom it says ‘Est’d 1854’. Any help would be really appreciated!
ReplyDeleteHave you a picture?
DeleteYes but I don’t know how to post it
DeleteI don’t know how to post it unfortunately but yes I do!
DeleteSend me your email address which wont be published and l can then repond
DeleteWe lived on Ryecroft Road and as a lad I played in their outside area. Used the bus stop outside, and mother bought Hoes sauce.
ReplyDeleteFound a glass Hoe’s bottle stopper yesterday whilst walking in a field in Newcastle. Lovely to find a bit of urban archeology.
ReplyDeleteHi we Found a bottle of Hoes sauce in my garden when we 1st moved in in 2002, while digging the garden recently my hubby found a chivers & sons lemonade bottle,
ReplyDeleteI would love a poster of the duck/goose holding the Hoes sauce bottle, any ides where I can get a replica?
Just found a How's Red Sauce glass bottle stopper while digging over a garden. I have a photo but don't know how to add it.
ReplyDeleteWould love to see it please. Perhaps if you add your email to a further comment I can replay with mine. Rest assured yours won't be published.
DeleteI recently found a bottle 'cork' made out of glass with the Hoe's sauce name on it on the shore of a small island in Norway called Ona. It looks really old. If only it could tell me how it got here! I had to google the name, of course, and it was fun to stumble over this thread!
ReplyDeleteI bought a selection of vintage bottles in a charity shop in Belper today and one was a battered Hoe’s bottle. Is there a way to date it? I’ve found it fascinating reading all this so just wanted to say a huge thanks for the info
ReplyDeleteRather late to comment but I have a cottage garden in Berkshire where for a time Hoe’s sauce bottles were as prolific as the weeds. The past occupants obviously fans :)
ReplyDeleteHoe's Fruit Chutney was just the absolute best. It's such a shame it isn't made anymore.
ReplyDelete