A1 Steak Sauce
A1 is a steak sauce and condiment for use with meat or game dishes. It was developed in the United Kingdom as a brand in the year 1831 and was later introduced to the United States by G.F. Heublein and (&) Bros., and was officially registered as a trademark in North America in 1895.
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[edit] History and ownership
The original steak sauce upon which A1 is based was created in 1824 by Henderson William Brand, a chef to King George IV of the United Kingdom.[1] Legend has it that the king declared it "A1" and the name was born.[2] It went into commercial production under the Brand & Co. label in 1831, and continued production under this label after bankruptcy forced ownership of Brand & Co. to be transferred to W.H. Withall in 1850. It was renamed A1 in 1873, after a trademark dispute between creator Henderson William Brand and Dence & Mason, who had since purchased Brand & Co. from Withall. It was then introduced to the United States in 1895 under the ownership of G.F. Heublein & Brothers. In 1931, A1 was introduced to Canada.
It was to be found on all tables in J Lyons Corner Houses and restaurants throughout the UK until they were closed en-masse in the 1980s.
Heublein was acquired by R. J. Reynolds in 1982, which merged with Nabisco in 1985 to form RJR Nabisco. In 1999, Kraft Foods acquired Nabisco, including the A1 brand.
In 2000, the A1 line of marinades was launched, representing the first expansion of the trademark.
Rock musician and singer Meat Loaf has appeared in a TV commercial for the product, to promote its new slogan: "A1 - Makes beef sing." In the commercial, the slogan is "Makes Meat Loaf sing," and he sings a very small excerpt from his hit "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" [1].
[edit] Legal action
A1 was the subject of a trademark dispute between then owners Nabisco and “Arnie’s Deli”, which was producing its own recipe condiment under the name “A2 Sauce”. In 1991, Connecticut District Court found in favor of Nabisco.[3]
[edit] Advertising
Some slogans for A1 include:
- "Don't cover it. Discover it, with A1." (1980s)
- "Great Steak! Great fun! A1!" (1981)
- "A1 makes hamburgers taste like steakburgers." (early 1980s)
- "A1. How Steak is Done." (1990s)
- "A1. Yeah, it's that important." (early-mid 2000s)
- "A1: Makes beef sing." (current)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Morris, Evan (2004). From Altoids to Zima: the surprising stories behind 125 brand names. Simon and Schuster, ISBN 978-0-7432-5797-8
- ^ Raichlen, Steven (2000). Barbecue bible: sauces, rubs, and marinades, bastes, butters & glazes. Workman Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7611-1979-1
- ^ "Reminiscing A1". http://www.metnews.com/articles/2004/reminiscing111804.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
[edit] External links
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