OXO
OXO is a food brand best known for concentrated stock cubes, gravy products, and related cooking ingredients.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
OXO is a food brand whose best-known product is the stock cube, a compact form of concentrated seasoning used to make bouillon, enrich sauces, or add savoury flavour to meals. The brand originated from the commercial development of concentrated meat extract in the nineteenth century and became particularly associated with the British kitchen through its beef cubes, gravy products, and extensive household advertising. The brand’s roots reach back to the work of Justus von Liebig, who developed a concentrated meat extract around 1840. Liebig’s Extract of Meat Company, commonly known as Lemco, began promoting the product in the United Kingdom from 1866. The original extract was a viscous liquid made primarily from meat extract and salt. In 1899, the company introduced the Oxo trademark. The name’s precise origin is not documented, although it is generally understood to evoke an ox and the product’s beef-meat heritage. Liquid Oxo was initially too expensive for many households. Lemco therefore pursued a lower-cost solid format that could be sold in small cubes. This research eventually produced the first Oxo cubes in 1910. The cube format was easier to store, portion, transport, and use than liquid extract, helping the brand reach a much wider consumer audience. During the First World War, approximately 100 million individually hand-wrapped Oxo cubes were supplied to British armed forces, reinforcing the product’s association with nourishment and practical cooking. OXO subsequently became more than a single beef product. Its portfolio has included chicken and other flavour cubes, dried gravy, herbs and spices, yeast extract, and variants incorporating flavour profiles associated with Chinese and Indian cooking. Cubes can be crumbled directly into food or dissolved in boiling water to create a bouillon. In the United Kingdom, the range is strongly connected with gravy and traditional savoury home cooking, while market-specific ownership has produced different product portfolios elsewhere. The brand has passed through several corporate owners. The Vestey Group acquired Lemco in 1924 and renamed the factory El Anglo. Vestey later merged with Brooke Bond in 1968, and Unilever acquired Brooke Bond in 1984. Unilever sold OXO to Campbell Soup Company in 2001. Premier Foods purchased Campbell’s United Kingdom operation in 2006, including the Worksop and King’s Lynn sites; the Worksop plant continues to produce OXO cubes according to the cited reference material. OXO’s public identity was built through unusually persistent marketing. Early promotion included recipe distribution, gifts, sponsorships, and an association with the 1908 London Olympic Games, where OXO drinks were supplied to marathon runners. The brand also became linked to the Oxo Tower on London’s South Bank, whose distinctive windows were designed to spell out OXO. Later television campaigns, especially the Katie advertisements beginning in 1958 and the Oxo Family campaign launched in 1983, made the brand part of British popular culture. The family campaign ran through changing tastes and generations until 1999. In 2014, an older advertisement featuring Lynda Bellingham was rebroadcast as a tribute after her death. Today, OXO remains an active food brand, although ownership and availability differ by country. In South Africa, Mars owned and manufactured the brand, including a yeast-extract-based spread that was discontinued in early 2015. In Canada, the Oxo name is owned and manufactured by Knorr. The brand’s continuing core proposition is convenient, concentrated savoury flavour for everyday cooking.
History
OXO developed from the nineteenth-century market for concentrated meat extract. Justus von Liebig’s work around 1840 led to a concentrated extract that was commercialized in the United Kingdom by Liebig’s Extract of Meat Company, or Lemco, from 1866. The original product was a salty, viscous liquid and was positioned as a concentrated source of meat flavour, but its cost limited its accessibility. In 1899, Lemco introduced the Oxo trademark. The name is generally associated with the word “ox,” although the cited historical account does not establish a definitive explanation. The company then pursued a solid product that could be sold in inexpensive small portions. Research culminated in the first Oxo cubes in 1910. The format transformed the product from a costly liquid extract into a convenient pantry ingredient that could be crumbled into food or dissolved in hot water. The cubes gained substantial visibility during the First World War, when around 100 million were supplied to British forces, individually wrapped. OXO also developed a strong consumer-marketing presence through recipes, promotional gifts, sponsorships, and branded recipe content. Its association with the 1908 London Olympic Games included supplying Oxo drinks to marathon runners. The company’s London presence was further marked by the Oxo Tower, built on a former riverside factory site and known for windows that formed the word OXO. Corporate ownership changed repeatedly. The Vestey Group acquired Lemco in 1924 and renamed the factory El Anglo. Vestey merged with Brooke Bond in 1968, and Unilever acquired Brooke Bond in 1984. Unilever sold OXO to Campbell Soup Company in 2001. Premier Foods acquired Campbell’s United Kingdom operation in 2006, along with the Worksop and King’s Lynn sites. The Worksop facility is identified in the reference material as the current production site for OXO cubes. Advertising became central to OXO’s British identity. The “Life with Katie” campaign began in 1958 and ran until the early 1970s, with Mary Holland playing Katie and Peter Moynihan playing her husband. The campaign later included a son and included overseas filming. In the mid-1970s, Dennis Waterman became the principal face of a newer advertising approach. OXO also sponsored a programme on the offshore station Wonderful Radio London in 1966, with Tony Windsor as presenter and recipes included in the broadcasts. A second OXO Family campaign began on British commercial television in 1983. Lynda Bellingham and Michael Redfern played the mother and father, while the children were played by Blair MacKichan, Colin McCoy, and Alison Reynolds. The advertisements usually portrayed the family sharing a meal featuring OXO gravy. The campaign followed the family as the children grew older and ended in 1999, when the family moved out of the advertising home. A 1984 commercial from the series was later rebroadcast on Christmas Day 2014 as a tribute to Bellingham. The product range expanded beyond the original beef cube to include chicken and other flavour cubes, dried gravy, herbs and spices, yeast extract, and versions using Chinese and Indian flavour profiles. Market arrangements differ: Premier Foods controls the brand in the United Kingdom, Mars has owned and manufactured the South African version, and Knorr owns and manufactures the Canadian version. The South African yeast-extract-based spread was discontinued at the beginning of 2015. OXO’s enduring identity rests on convenience, savoury flavour, and its long association with domestic cooking in Britain.
- 2006
Premier Foods acquired Campbell’s United Kingdom operation
[1]The transaction transferred OXO and related United Kingdom operations to Premier Foods.
- 2001
Unilever sold OXO to Campbell Soup Company
[1]Campbell Soup Company acquired the OXO brand from Unilever.
- 1999
OXO Family campaign retired
[1]The long-running family campaign ended with the fictional family moving out of its advertising home.
- 1983
Second OXO Family campaign launched
[1]A new family advertising campaign featuring Lynda Bellingham and Michael Redfern began on British commercial television.
- 1958
Life with Katie campaign began
[1]OXO began its long-running television campaign centered on the character Katie and her family.
- 1924
Vestey Group acquired Lemco
[1]The Vestey Group acquired Lemco, and its factory was renamed El Anglo.
- 1910
First OXO cubes launched
[1]The company introduced a solid stock cube intended to make the product more affordable and convenient.
- 1899
OXO trademark introduced
[1]Lemco introduced the OXO trademark for its concentrated meat-extract business.
- 1866
Lemco began promoting meat extract in the United Kingdom
[1]Liebig’s Extract of Meat Company began promoting its concentrated meat extract in the United Kingdom.
- 1840
Concentrated meat extract developed
[1]Justus von Liebig developed a concentrated meat extract that formed the technological and commercial precursor to OXO.
Products and positioning
A convenient, familiar household cooking aid centered on concentrated savoury flavour, stock preparation, gravy, and everyday meal-making.
Stock cube · 1910
OXO Beef Stock Cubes
The original and most strongly associated OXO product, beef stock cubes are compact portions of concentrated savoury seasoning. They can be crumbled into meat dishes, sauces, stuffing, or gravy, or dissolved in boiling water to produce a bouillon. Their cube format was developed to make concentrated meat flavour more affordable, portable, and practical than the earlier liquid extract.
Stock cube
OXO Chicken and Other Flavour Cubes
OXO extended its original beef offering with chicken and other flavour cubes. These products serve the same basic purpose as the beef cube: adding concentrated savoury flavour to cooking or preparing a quick broth. The range has also included variants influenced by Chinese and Indian spice profiles, reflecting an expansion beyond the brand’s traditional beef positioning.
Dried gravy
OXO Gravy
OXO dried gravy products translate the brand’s stock and seasoning heritage into a convenient accompaniment for meals. Gravy became especially prominent in the brand’s British advertising, where family meals were frequently shown being served with OXO gravy. The product line is designed for quick preparation and everyday use with meat, vegetables, and traditional cooked dishes.
Seasoning
OXO Herbs and Spices
The OXO range has included herbs and spices alongside its stock and gravy products. These items broaden the brand from concentrated stock into general meal seasoning, supporting the wider proposition of convenient flavour enhancement in home cooking.
Yeast extract spread
OXO Yeast Extract Spread
In South Africa, OXO was used for a yeast-extract-based spread that also contained a small amount of beef extract, giving it a more distinctly beef-like taste than some other yeast extracts. Mars Consumer Products Africa discontinued this product at the beginning of 2015.
Marketing campaigns
- 2014Christmas tribute advertisement
United Kingdom
A 1984 OXO advertisement starring Lynda Bellingham was rebroadcast on Christmas Day during a Coronation Street commercial break as a tribute after her death.
Outcome. Reconnected the brand with a well-known advertising character and its cultural history.
- 1983The OXO Family
United Kingdom
The campaign presented a fictional family sharing meals, commonly featuring OXO gravy. Michael Redfern and Lynda Bellingham played the parents, while the children were portrayed by Blair MacKichan, Colin McCoy, and Alison Reynolds. The family aged across the advertisements and the campaign continued until 1999.
Outcome. Became a defining and highly recognizable part of OXO’s British brand identity.
- 1975Dennis Waterman television advertising
United Kingdom
In the mid-1970s, OXO shifted toward a more contemporary advertising format using Dennis Waterman as the principal face of the brand.
Outcome. Modernized the brand’s advertising after the Katie era.
- 1966Wonderful Radio London recipe programme
United Kingdom
OXO sponsored a programme on the offshore radio station Wonderful Radio London. Tony Windsor presented the programme, which included a new recipe in each episode; an assistant named Katie was also associated with the show.
Outcome. Extended OXO’s recipe-led promotion into radio sponsorship.
- 1958Life with Katie
United Kingdom
This television campaign followed Katie, played by Mary Holland, her husband, played by Peter Moynihan, and later their son. It ran through the early 1970s and became one of the brand’s longest-running advertising concepts.
Outcome. Established OXO as a familiar part of British domestic television advertising.
- 1908London Olympic Games sponsorship
United Kingdom
OXO sponsored the London Olympic Games alongside other commercial brands and supplied marathon runners with Oxo drinks. The activity positioned the product as fortifying and useful for physical exertion.
Outcome. Helped associate OXO with nourishment and sporting endurance.
Brand decisions
2015
Discontinuation of South African OXO spreadOtherBackground
The South African OXO portfolio consisted of a yeast-extract-based spread containing a small quantity of beef extract.
Action taken
Mars Consumer Products Africa discontinued the spread at the beginning of 2015.
Aftermath
The South African spread was no longer marketed under the OXO name.
2006
Premier Foods acquired Campbell’s United Kingdom operationM&ABackground
Campbell Soup Company operated OXO within its United Kingdom business.
Action taken
Premier Foods acquired the United Kingdom operation, including OXO and sites at Worksop and King’s Lynn.
Aftermath
OXO became part of Premier Foods’ United Kingdom brand portfolio, with Worksop identified as a production location for OXO cubes.
2001
Unilever sold OXO to Campbell Soup CompanyM&ABackground
OXO was part of the food brands operated by Unilever after its acquisition of Brooke Bond.
Action taken
Unilever transferred ownership of OXO to Campbell Soup Company.
Aftermath
The brand became part of Campbell’s United Kingdom business until the subsequent sale to Premier Foods.
1910
Move from liquid meat extract to stock cubesProduct launchBackground
The original liquid Oxo product was costly for many households, creating a need for a cheaper solid format that could be sold in small portions.
Action taken
After a research programme, the company launched the first Oxo cubes.
Aftermath
The cube format broadened access to the product and became the foundation of OXO’s long-term identity.
Recent events
- 2015
OXO spread was discontinued in South Africa[1]
Other
Mars Consumer Products Africa discontinued the South African OXO yeast-extract-based spread at the beginning of 2015, reportedly without advance public communication.
- 2014
1984 OXO advertisement rebroadcast as tribute to Lynda Bellingham[1]
Campaign
A 1984 OXO television advertisement featuring Lynda Bellingham was screened on Christmas Day in tribute to the actor, who had died the previous month.
- 2006
Premier Foods acquired Campbell’s United Kingdom operation[1]
M&A
Premier Foods purchased Campbell Soup Company’s United Kingdom operation, including the OXO brand and sites at Worksop and King’s Lynn.
- 2004
Helen of Troy acquired OXO International[2]
M&A
Helen of Troy announced the acquisition of OXO International, bringing the Good Grips kitchen and household-products brand into its consumer-products portfolio.
- 2004
Helen of Troy acquires OXO International[2]
M&A
Helen of Troy Limited acquired OXO International, bringing the OXO kitchen and household-products brand into its portfolio.
- 1910
Oxo introduced its first stock cubes[1]
Product launch
After developing a solid alternative to expensive liquid meat extract, Oxo introduced stock cubes designed for affordable household use.
- 1908
OXO supplied drinks and sponsored the 1908 London Olympic Games[1]
Campaign
OXO was among the commercial sponsors associated with the London Olympic Games and supplied drinks to marathon runners as part of its promotional activity.
Sources2 sources
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