Sheffield is known for many things, including stainless steel, Simpkin’s sweets, and, of course, Henderson’s relish.
Matt Helders, of the Arctic Monkeys, once described Henderson’s relish as “like Worcester sauce, but one million times better”. The spicy table condiment has been a staple in Sheffield cupboards for almost 140 years, and, thanks to online delivery, it’s going global.
Sheffield’s own sauce
Matt Davies, Henderson’s general manager, spoke about how the company has become so synonymous with Sheffield’s identity. He said: “Henderson’s is made in Sheffield. If something is made here, people know it, and they know where it’s made, they feel they’ve got a connection to it. People in Sheffield feel like it’s theirs.”
Henderson’s has had three homes in Sheffield over the years. For most of its history, the company was based at its factory at 66 Leavygreave Road. This land was acquired by the expanding University of Sheffield in 1959, though the factory continued to produce relish there until they moved to their present site on Sheffield Parkway Business Park in 2013.
Preserving the heritage
Before the pandemic, there were plans to convert the former factory to a pub. However, these plans have since been scrapped. Rachel Parnham, relationships manager at the University of Sheffield, said: “Henderson’s House is an iconic part of Sheffield as the historical home of Henderson’s”. She continued, “If we hadn’t taken any action, the building wouldn’t be there anymore. Our goal is to preserve the building and make it watertight.”
Rachel said the current building work aims to reuse as much of the old materials as possible, including bricks from the old factory building. The original tiles are being sold for £125 each to raise money for students seeking sanctuary in Sheffield. The building work was set to be completed this spring, but the project has seen multiple delays.
Going global
Sheffielders have been known to pack a bottle of Henderson’s in their suitcase and take it across the country, and even the world. Stephen Burke is a civic office manager and former Royal Navy sailor who has spent his career sharing Henderson’s with the people he meets. He has given out close to 1,000 bottles of Henderson’s relish over the years, costing him upwards of £2,000.
He said:
“Being from Sheffield and being incredibly proud of this city, Henderson’s relish was one of the things that I could take with me on deployment and give out to anyone I met. I totted up just before I left the Navy in 2021, I visited 151 countries and I’d say at least two thirds of these have had a bottle of Henderson’s Relish delivered to them by myself.”
A mission to promote Henderson’s and Sheffield
Stephen has continued his mission to share Henderson’s in his new job at the Civic Office. As part of the Lunar New Year celebrations, he gave some bottles of Henderson’s to a delegation from Chengdu in China. He also gave some to a South Korean delegation and to a mayor from a Norwegian town.
“It’s quite fun to be able to meet lots of different people in this job, like I did previously, and still get to tell people about the amazing things that Sheffield has,” he said.
When asked why Henderson’s is so iconic to Sheffield, he said: “It’s giving people a sense of identity and belonging.
“It’s very well branded. You don’t even need the words on the label. If you see orange and black in this city, you know it’s Henderson’s.”
Future of Henderson’s
General Manager Matt Davies spoke of the plans for the future of the business and whether further expansion was on the cards.
“Henderson’s plan for the future is to continue what we do now. Our perspective is that we do the most important part of our business well now and we want to continue doing that. Henderson’s is from Sheffield and for the people of Sheffield. That’s been our mission for a long time. We want to continue making a fantastic product in Sheffield, for Sheffield. It’s a great price and it’s a great product. We’ve been able to expand so now you can get Henderson’s all around the UK. Our plans aren’t for anything grand. We want to continue doing what we love doing. The most important part of all of that is to look after your customers and that’s our mission.”
For stocklists, recipes, and to purchase Henderson’s relish online, visit the Henderson’s website.
