A.1. Steak Sauce Was Specially Created For Kings

By Divya G

Somewhere between 1824 and 1831 in England, a chef concocted a sauce for King George IV. Named Henderson William Brand, it significantly grabbed the attention of the monarch. George adored and loved the thick sauce so much that he purportedly rated it “A1.” This move deliberately cemented the fate of Henderson and steaks too!

Image credit: mohd kamarul hafiz/Shutterstock

In 1931, the thick brown sauce underwent commercial production, which was marketed as a savory for meat, fish, and fowl. This sauce tasted finger-licking good on English mutton chops and broiled lobster. And in 1862, Brand’s International Sauce was revealed at the International Exhibition, London. It was specially made of Eastern spices, vinegar, sultanas, raisins, oranges, dates, and tomatoes.

Brand’s A.1. sealed its place as the house sauce of the royals. And in the late 1890s, it took over 50% of the British bottled sauce market. Its relationship with steak isn’t illustrious or long as thought about. When it arrived in 1906, it was exclusively marketed as a sauce for steak. Thus, in 1960, its future changed, where its official name was “A.1. Steak Sauce.”

Image credit: mohd kamarul hafiz/Shutterstock

Like all other food products, A.1. also changed its ingredients slightly from what it was in the 1800s. The fresh raisins and tomatoes are now replaced with pastes and purees mixed with spirit vinegar and have other additional ingredients. It contains corn syrup, salt, spices, potassium sorbate, xanthan gum, crushed orange puree, celery seed, etc.

The sweet taste of the ketchup is like no other sauce you will find in the market. Moreover, you can easily make it home within 15 minutes!