Did the Branston pickle recipe change?

July 31, 2015 3:22 PM

It looks and tastes different. Does anybody (besides me) care?

I live in Canada, and we've always been able to get it in most grocery stores. It's always been dark brown, like in this picture. Lately, however, it's quite a bit lighter, the colour of honey mustard, and it doesn't pack the same pickley punch. I'm afraid they've made a sweeter, lighter version for North American markets. I'm a little unnerved because I sort of depend on my cheese & pickle sandwiches tasting the same as they have for my entire life. I figured I'd find all kinds of English people, ex-pats and Anglophiles freaking out about this online but I've been looking and I see nothing. Has anybody else noticed? If yes, is there a discussion taking place somewhere, and can you point me to it?

posted by aunt_winnifred to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

I noticed that too! But I had bought it on clearance and assumed that was why the clearance. I'll be watching this thread for answers and maybe alternate sources.
posted by warriorqueen at 3:49 PM on July 31, 2015

It looks like Mizkan bought the name in 2012 and the factory went through major restructuring in 2014. It's possible that affected the quality (though I sure hope it isn't permanent! I live for Branston sandwiches!)
posted by thetortoise at 4:12 PM on July 31, 2015 [1 favorite]

I bought an imported jar in Texas in the last few months and it's normal. (It expires December 2015. I can't find a date of manufacture, but it probably had been sitting on the shelf at HEB for a while before I bought it.) Can you tell if yours is being made for the Canadian market or the British market?
posted by hoyland at 4:26 AM on August 1, 2015

Response by poster: It's made my Crosse & Blackwell in the USA. I've just emailed the company. If they get back to me I'll post an update.
posted by aunt_winnifred at 6:21 AM on August 1, 2015

My family always purchased the smaller jars of Crosse & Blackwell and it was dark, very dark. I've not noticed any difference in this variety, which I last purchased about two years ago, but I've more recently received a few larger jars manufactured in the UK, and it is different somehow. Less dark, and missing something. I mean it's still good, and it's still Branston but it's not quite the same. I had also noticed this when living in the UK a few years ago.
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 1:01 PM on August 2, 2015