100 years of food and flavour innovation
Discover how the history of flavourings has shaped the modern food and drink industry across the UK and Europe.
1910s
1910
Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup was imported into the UK.
1917
THE UKFA IS CREATED as the British Essence.
Manufacturers' Association.
1918
Food rationing was introduced.
1920s
1926
The first truly popular Indian restaurant, Veeraswamy, opened on Regent Street.
1930s
1935
Spray drying was experimentally introduced using gum acacia as a carrier.
1939
The Ministry of Food launched its 'Dig for Victory' campaign, one month after war broke out.
1940s
1949
High vacuum column frational disillation of natural essential oils began.
1950s
1952
The Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded to British scientists, Richard Synge and Archer Martin, for the invention of partition chromatogrphy, which laid the foundations of gas chromatography.
1960s
1960
Unilever scientists Morton, Ackroyd and May discovered that the reaction of sugars and amino acids (Ribose and Cysteine) is the key reaction in the production of meat flavours.
1967
A million housewives every day pick up a tin of beans and say: 'Beanz Meanz Heinz'.
1970s
1973
The United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community.
1974
Smash became popular in the convenience food market.
1975
94% of milk was put into glass bottles, according to Dairy Crest. By 2012, this was just 4%.
1980s
1985
Tesco launched its own label range of healthy eating products, the first major retailer in the UK to do so.
1990s
1991
The Maastricht Treaty is signed and paves the way for the creation of the European Union.
1993
The treaty on the European Union comes into effect.
2000s
2002
The Euro is adopted by 11 EU member States, but not the United Kingdom.
2007
Heston Blumenthal launches his sounds of the sea dish at the Fat Duck, bringing gastrophyics to the public's attention.
2010s
2010
Food Standards Act (1999) and Flavourings in Food (England) Regulations (2010) introduced.
2015
The UK exports £18 billion worth of food and drink.
2016
United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union.
2017
Approx. 3.8 million people in the UK are employed by the food and drink sector.