Collecting Cookbooks - Brand Name Foods

Every company wants their brand name to be the first one you think of when you reach for a box or package on the supermarket shelves.  The promotion of their product through the publication of advertising cookbooks and recipe booklets is only one of many marketing methods used to achieve that brand recognition, and it has worked successfully for well over 125 years.

Some of the most popular brands are found below.

Betty Crocker's Bisquick Baking Mix

Since its introduction to American housewives in 1931 by General Mills, Bisquick has been a staple on pantry shelves. This convenient all-purpose baking mix is handy for making not only biscuits, pancakes and waffles, but a variety of other delicious ideas that range from desserts to main dishes.

Read our Featured Product article to learn more about Bisquick.

Check for Bisquick recipe books currently in stock.

Bond Bread - Bond Bakers

The General Baking Company of New York began selling the Bond brand around 1913.  The name came from the guarantee of purity,  with a BOND on every wrapper.  Some of the Bond Bakers products included Bond Bread, Bond Stuffing Mix, Bond Rye Bread, Bond Wheat Bread, Bond Donuts, Bond Cookies and Bond Bread Krums.

Bond Bread was also a sponsor for the Lone Ranger and Hopalong Cassidy television and radio programs.  Another popular advertising premium was a series of baseball cards which came enclosed in the bags of bread.  The advertising character associated with Bond Bakers was Bondie, a friendly caricature of a chef.

Check for Bond Bread recipe books currently in stock.

Heinz

The Heinz empire was founded in 1869 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by Henry John Heinz under the name Heinz & Noble.  They brought condiments to our tables, first with horseradish, which was soon followed by pickles, sauerkraut and vinegar.  The original company went bankrupt in 1875 and Henry John started over with his brother and cousin.  They introduced tomato ketchup in 1876 and by 1906, the Heinz name was a familiar one in England as well as America.    The product line grew to include so many different items that they were able to easily introduce the slogan '57 Varieties' by 1896.    Soups and baby foods came along in 1931 and by the 1950's and 1960's the H. J. Heinz Company began diversifying by acquiring other companies.  They acquired Weight Watchers International in 1978.  Their use of innovative packaging techniques, beginning with a clear glass jar for their horseradish, continues today with the recent introduction of a plastic upside-down bottle for their ketchup.

Click here to view the 1934 List of Heinz 57 Varieties.

Check our inventory for Heinz recipe books currently in stock.

Karo Corn Syrup

Karo Corn Syrup was introduced by the Corn Products Refining Company in 1902. The first advertising cookbook featuring Karo Syrup was offered to consumers in 1903. An updated second edition came along in 1910, and it was revamped again in 1981 to commemorate their 80th year.  In the 1930's and 1940's, Karo hooked onto the fame and popularity of the Dionne quintuplets in some of their marketing campaigns. Karo Waffle Syrup was brought out in 1938.  Once packaged in glass bottles and tins, in 2004 Karo began packaging their product in squeezable plastic bottles.  Over 100 years later, consumers still favor Karo Syrup, particularly in their holiday baking.

Check our Karo Syrup cookbooks currently in stock.

Knox Gelatine

The first pre-granulated gelatine was developed by Charles Knox in 1890.   Prior to this development, gelatine making was a major time-consuming pain for the housewife. Mr. Knox had a talent for marketing and brought attention to his product with everything from his wife's recipes to racehorses and airships.  It wasn't until his wife Rose took over at his death in 1908, that more attention to women and their needs in the kitchen were addressed.  She developed more recipes in a test kitchen and put them on packages, leaflets and in advertising cookbooks.  Magazine and newspaper advertisements carried her recipes under the familiar heading of 'Mrs. Knox says...."  Color recipe cards were enclosed in the packages.  The year 1958 saw the introduction of Knox products geared towards better health -- the Knox Eat and Reduce Plan and Knox Drink for Nails.  Many booklets focusing on nutrition, diet and weight loss were published by Knox throughout this period.  Marketing today continues to promote Knox Unflavored Gelatine as a healthy food choice because it's low fat and high protein and Knox Drink for Nails is still on the shelf. 

Check for Knox Gelatine recipe books currently in stock.