Sharwood's

Sharwood's is a British food brand focused on packaged Asian foods and cooking ingredients. Its range spans Indian, Chinese and Thai-inspired products, with particular strength in cooking sauces, curry accompaniments and other pantry items used to prepare meals at home. The brand is especially associated with its square sauce jars, a format that has helped make its products recognisable in British supermarkets. The business was established in 1889 by James Allen Sharwood. Its history reflects the development of commercially packaged international foods in the United Kingdom, where products representing cuisines from outside Britain became increasingly accessible through grocery retail. Sharwood's built its presence around ingredients and accompaniments that simplified the preparation of Asian-style meals, rather than operating primarily as a restaurant or food-service business. The portfolio includes cooking sauces, curry pastes and powders, pappadoms, naan breads, noodles, prawn crackers and ready meals. Indian-inspired products form an important part of the brand's identity, including tikka masala sauces and mango chutney, while Chinese and Thai products broaden its presence across the wider Asian-food category. Sauces are a particularly significant part of the business: reference material stated that they accounted for 46% of sales in 2007, while the brand claimed a 28% share of Britain's Asian-food market at that time. These figures are historical and should not be treated as current market data. Sharwood's became part of RHM in 1963. RHM was subsequently merged into Premier Foods in March 2007, placing Sharwood's within one of the United Kingdom's major branded-food groups. The brand's sauces are made at the Worksop factory in north Nottinghamshire, according to the referenced material. Its products are sold in the United Kingdom and are also available in Australia, New Zealand and North America. The brand has extended its established product lines through flavour and format variations. In 2012, it introduced additions designed to complement its tikka masala sauce, including Extra Mild, Extra Creamy, Extra Onions and a mango-chutney-flavoured variant. Sharwood's has also used limited-edition products and charitable partnerships in marketing, notably a 2010 collaboration with Joanna Lumley involving a mango chutney with Kashmiri chilli. Overall, Sharwood's occupies a mainstream packaged-food position: it presents Asian-inspired flavours in convenient formats for home cooks and combines familiar core products with incremental range extensions.

Sharwood's was established in 1889 by James Allen Sharwood. The available historical material identifies the brand as a British food business specialising in Asian foods and ingredients, although it does not provide a detailed account of the founder's original operations or early product range. Its later development is associated with the growth of packaged international foods in British grocery retail, particularly products that allowed consumers to prepare Asian-inspired meals at home. A significant ownership change occurred in 1963, when Sharwood's was acquired by RHM. This placed the brand within a larger British food-company structure while allowing it to continue operating as a distinct consumer-facing name. Over time, Sharwood's developed a broad portfolio covering Indian, Chinese and Thai products. Cooking sauces became central to the range, commonly sold in square jars that became strongly associated with the brand. Other products included curry pastes and powders, pappadoms, naan breads, noodles, prawn crackers and ready meals. The brand's Indian-inspired products became particularly prominent. Tikka masala sauces, curry accompaniments and mango chutney formed part of a portfolio designed to provide convenient building blocks for home-prepared meals. The available reference material states that sauces represented 46% of sales in 2007 and that Sharwood's claimed a 28% share of the British Asian-food market in that year. These are historical company or reference claims rather than current independently verified figures. In March 2007, RHM was merged into Premier Foods. Sharwood's consequently became part of the Premier Foods portfolio and remains associated with that group. Production information in the reference material identifies the Worksop factory in north Nottinghamshire as the site where the brand's sauces are made. The brand has also expanded beyond the United Kingdom, with products available in Australia, New Zealand and North America. Sharwood's has used range extensions and partnerships to refresh its established product lines. In August 2010, it worked with Joanna Lumley on a limited-edition mango chutney containing Kashmiri chilli, linked to Lumley's birthplace. The initiative included a charitable donation to the Gurkha Welfare Trust. In 2012, Sharwood's extended its tikka masala offering with Extra Mild, Extra Creamy, Extra Onions and a mango chutney-flavoured variant. These developments illustrate a strategy of retaining recognisable core products while offering flavour variations and limited editions. The available sources do not establish a separate current corporate entity, independent listing, or standalone headquarters for Sharwood's; the brand is best understood as an active Premier Foods brand.

• 2012

  Tikka masala range extension

  [1]Sharwood'sen.wikipedia.org

  The brand added Extra Mild, Extra Creamy, Extra Onions and mango chutney-flavoured variants to its tikka masala offering.

• 2010

  Joanna Lumley limited edition

  [1]Sharwood'sen.wikipedia.org

  Sharwood's launched a limited-edition mango chutney with Kashmiri chilli in partnership with Joanna Lumley and connected sales to support for the Gurkha Welfare Trust.

• 2007

  Becomes part of Premier Foods

  [1]Sharwood'sen.wikipedia.org

  RHM merged into Premier Foods in March 2007, making Sharwood's part of the Premier Foods brand portfolio.

• 1963

  Acquired by RHM

  [1]Sharwood'sen.wikipedia.org

  Sharwood's was acquired by RHM, bringing the brand into a larger British food-company group.

• 1889

  Brand established

  [1]Sharwood'sen.wikipedia.org

  James Allen Sharwood established the British food business that became Sharwood's.

A mainstream British packaged-food brand offering convenient, accessible Asian-inspired ingredients and meal accompaniments for home cooking.

• Sauces

  Cooking sauces

  Sharwood's cooking sauces are a core part of the brand and cover Indian, Chinese and Thai-inspired recipes. They are commonly associated with the brand's recognisable square jar format and are designed to provide a convenient base for home-cooked meals. Tikka masala sauces are among the specifically identified products, with later variants offering differences in heat, creaminess, onion content and flavour profile.

• Cooking ingredients

  Curry pastes and powders

  The curry range includes pastes and powdered seasonings intended to help consumers build curry dishes at home. These products complement the ready-to-use sauce range by offering different preparation methods and levels of control over the final recipe.

• Condiments

  Mango chutney

  Mango chutney is one of Sharwood's recognised Indian-food accompaniments. It is used alongside curry dishes and also appeared in a 2010 limited edition made with Kashmiri chilli in collaboration with Joanna Lumley.

• Indian accompaniments

  Pappadoms and naan breads

  Sharwood's produces Indian-style accompaniments including pappadoms and naan breads. These products extend the brand beyond sauces and seasonings, providing side dishes and bread products intended to be served with curry-based meals.

• Asian accompaniments

  Noodles and prawn crackers

  Noodles and prawn crackers represent the brand's Chinese and broader Asian-food offering. They provide pantry and snack formats alongside the cooking sauces and are part of Sharwood's wider multi-cuisine portfolio.

• Prepared foods

  Ready meals

  Sharwood's also produces ready meals, extending its proposition from ingredients for cooking to more convenient prepared-food formats. The available reference material does not specify individual meal recipes or product names.

• 2010Joanna Lumley Mango Chutney Collaboration

  United Kingdom

  Sharwood's partnered with Joanna Lumley to develop a limited-edition mango chutney containing Kashmiri chilli, an ingredient connected with her birthplace. The product was also used to support a charitable initiative.

  Outcome. Sharwood's pledged to donate 10 pence from each jar sold to the Gurkha Welfare Trust. No broader sales or campaign-performance result is provided in the source material.

  Source

• 2012

  Expansion of the tikka masala sauce rangeProduct launch

  Background

  Sharwood's sought to broaden its established tikka masala sauce proposition with additional flavour and intensity options.

  Action taken

  The brand released Extra Mild, Extra Creamy, Extra Onions and mango chutney-flavoured variants.

  Aftermath

  The launches expanded consumer choice within the tikka masala line. No subsequent sales or market-share outcome is provided.

  Source

• 2007

  Transition into the Premier Foods portfolioM&A

  Background

  Sharwood's had been owned by RHM since its acquisition in 1963. RHM was merged into Premier Foods in March 2007.

  Action taken

  Sharwood's became a Premier Foods brand following the corporate merger.

  Aftermath

  The brand continued as a distinct consumer food name within Premier Foods. The available material does not provide further details about organisational changes or transaction financials.

  Source

1. 1Sharwood'sen.wikipedia.org