AUTHOR Michael Rosen’s tweet about the lack of availability of Worcestershire Sauce unwittingly reignited an age-old debate – Lea & Perrins or Henderson’s Relish.
Mr Rosen’s post on Twitter that “several shops” had “run out” flagged up a shortage of supply which parent company Kraft Heinz has confirmed is down the unavailability of bottles.
READ MORE: Why Worcestershire sauce may not be on supermarket shelves this Christmas
Worrying times . Several shops o went into today had run out of.....Lea and Perrins sauce. What’s going on? Has Lea scarpered? Is Perrins on the run? @Underthecranes thinks the supply chain for the plastic cap has broken down. Has #Brexit struck Worcester sauce down?!
— Michael Rosen (@MichaelRosenYes) December 12, 2020
The writer of children’s books and poems was signposted towards Henderson’s with Worcester councillors and Worcestershire sauce advocates Lynn Denham and Richard Udall quick to point out there is only one original.
While the two sauces are similar in appearance – a dark brown liquid in bottles with orange labels – the key difference between the two is that Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies while Henderson’s does not.
Comedian Tom Wrigglesworth, born and bred in Sheffield, once said of Henderson’s Relish that while outsiders think the condiment is the steel city’s answer to Worcestershire sauce, people in South Yorkshire think it is the answer to everything.
Cllr Denham, who investigated the cause of the problem and has been in touch with Kraft Heinz and the Lea & Perrins factory on Midland Road directly, said “some people have recommended an alternative but nobody else has the special formula that is only made in Worcestershire”.
Cllr Udall tweeted in response to Mr Rosen: “There is only one Worcestershire Sauce. We shall overcome.”
And the backing for the original has crossed party lines with Worcester Green Party leader Cllr Louis Stephen declaring: “There is no substitute for Worcestershire Sauce.
“I wouldn’t dream of trying anything else, it goes with anything, is unique and Worcester’s own. I have it in a Bloody Mary, we have a bottle and it is always in the cupboard.
“In all seriousness, the jobs Worcestershire sauce provides for the city are so important and it is an iconic brand alongside the likes of Worcester Bosch and Royal Worcester.”
They are not the only politicians to wade into the tribal debate – in 2014 Lewisham MP Jim Dowd sparked uproar in Sheffield when he described Henderson’s as having “parasitic packaging” and claimed it was a rip-off copy of Lea and Perrins.
He later toured the Henderson’s factory in a peace-making gesture.
As for Mr Rosen, at least his quandary appears to have been resolved, even if he has been admonished for referring to Lea & Perrins as Worcester sauce.
The local purveyor of delectable treats was able to furnish me with a bottle of the aforementioned only yesterday. @Underthecranes (who I think drinks it neat) said, ‘You should have got two.’ https://t.co/M4ocAWcbBS
— Michael Rosen (@MichaelRosenYes) December 15, 2020
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