Iconic British Brands That Are Not So British Anymore

Following the uproar of the decision by American company Kraft to ditch Cadbury’s famous Dairy Milk chocolate from Britain’s Creme Eggs and replace it with a cheaper alternative, we have drawn up a list of iconic UK products – from HP sauce to Tetley Tea — that are no longer British-owned.

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© Сollage by RIA Novosti

UK's number one vinegar brand Sarson's was first created by Thomas Sarson from Shoreditch in 1794 and the actual Sarson Vinegar factory was situated near Tower Bridge in London. However, the iconic brand was sold off to the Japanese Mizkan Group in 2005.

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© Сollage by RIA Novosti

The story of Lea & Perrins® famous Worcestershire Sauce began in the early 1800s, in the county of Worcester, where two chemists—John Lea and William Perrins—made up the first batch of the sauce. Imported in 1839 by New York buinessman John Duncan, Lea & Perrins® is the oldest commercially bottled condiment in the US. The American company Heinz has owned the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce brand since 2005.

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© Flickr / Christopher Blunck

The history of Beefeater London Dry Gin can be traced back to 1860s, when James Burrough began the production of his own distinctive style of gin. Beefeater remained in the Burrough’s family control until 1987, until a French company Pernod Ricard bought it.

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© Flickr / Nina Helmer

Terry's Chocolate Orange is something that both kids and grown-ups in Britain love, especially around Christmas. Since 2005 the chocolate delight has been made in Poland and is now owned by Mondelez International, an American multinational conglomerate.

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© Flickr / Simon Li

What could be more British than inviting you around for a nice cuppa? The world's second-largest tea brand Joseph Tetley & Co. is now owned by an Indian company Tata Global Beverages and is available in in 70 countries. Joseph Tetley & Co was first sold by Joseph and Edward Tetley in Yorkshire, England, who set up as tea merchants in 1837.

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© Flickr / Adunt

One of the best –selling brands of brown sauce - HP Sauce was originally produced by HP Foods in Britain but is now is owned by H. J. Heinz Company and is produced in the Netherlands. The original recipe for HP Sauce was invented by Frederick Gibson Garton, a grocer from Nottingham, who called the sauce HP because he had heard that a restaurant in the Houses of Parliament had begun serving it.