Colman's Mustard put up for sale ahead of merger
The sale comes before a proposed merger between parent company Unilever and McCormick.
The renowned Colman's Mustard brand, long associated with Norwich, has been put up for sale. This move precedes a proposed £48 billion merger between Unilever and the American food conglomerate McCormick.
Colman's Mustard has deep roots in Norfolk, having been established by Jeremiah Colman in 1814 at Stoke Holy Cross. Production later relocated to Carrow in 1858, where a factory operated in Norwich for 160 years.
A Unilever spokesperson stated, "A decision has been taken to market the Colman's brand and assets to potential buyers in order to proactively seek to address potential competition concerns from the planned combination of Unilever Foods and McCormick."
Historically, the company, situated just outside Norwich, embraced a comprehensive "cradle-to-grave" philosophy, providing education, housing, healthcare, and leisure facilities for its employees and their families. This included a school built on Carrow Hill in 1864 for employees' children, the provision of coffins for workers and their families, and the construction of terraced houses, reportedly featuring mustard-yellow doors.
In January 2018, Unilever announced the closure of the Carrow plant. The final jar of mustard was produced in 2019, and the factory officially ceased operations in 2020. The 42-acre (17-hectare) site has remained vacant since its closure and is slated for the development of thousands of homes. Unilever subsequently moved manufacturing operations to Burton-on-Trent and Germany.
Condimentum, located at the Food Enterprise Park in Easton, near Norwich, has been maintaining Colman's Norwich heritage by producing the raw materials for the brand.
The broader merger agreement will see McCormick acquire control of well-known brands such as Hellmann's, Marmite, Knorr, and Pot Noodle. McCormick, the American food giant, already owns French's, a major rival mustard brand globally. Unilever, meanwhile, will concentrate on home and personal care products, including brands like Dove, Persil, and Lynx.
A Unilever spokesperson confirmed that discussions are ongoing and operations are continuing as usual.