WHO WAS THE HERO WHO INVENTED KETCHUP?

We have the Earl of Sandwich to thank for inventing two slices of bread with a tasty filling, and the Tatin sisters for their upside-down apple tart. But who are the unsung heroes of our tables? Guy Dimond reveals oft-forgotten creators of the nation’s favourite foods

ILLUSTRATIONS CAROL KEARNS

food for thought.

BREAKFAST CEREAL

Seventh-Day Adventists and the Kellogg brothers

A hot bowl of porridge was about as exciting as breakfast cereal got in the 19th century. The first packaged breakfast cereals to be eaten cold were served in Battle Creek, Michigan, in the US. It was the centre of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, which promotes healthy eating and lifestyles among its followers.

Two Adventist brothers, John and William Kellogg, ran a sanatorium with a healthy vegetarian diet, initially offering oat-based granola for breakfast but later switching to wheat. In 1895 John Kellogg launched the Corn Flakes brand. Brother William parted ways with the sanatorium and, in 1906, bought the rights to the Corn Flakes name. Under William’s ownership the Kellogg Toasted Corn Flake Company soon dropped the health food approach, opting for a more commercial sweeter taste, which remains to this day.

POT NOODLE

Momofuku Ando

The snack food consumed by generations of inebriated students is an unlikely mix of dehydrated noodles, dried vegetables and powdered flavourings. But just add water and, pow! Instant meal. The Pot Noodle brand was launched in the UK in 1977 by Golden Wonder, but its origins lie in Japan.