Armed forces charities are set to benefit from a new sauce brand rolling out to 700 Tesco stores next week.
Forces Sauces will launch on Monday with two lines - a tomato ketchup and a brown sauce (both rsp: £2.19) - made and distributed by Berks-based English Provender Co. At least 6p from each sale will go to The Royal British Legion and charity Stoll, which supports vulnerable and disabled ex-servicemen and women.
The brand was created by Bob Barrett, who served in the Queen’s Life Guard for three years from 1967. He fell on hard times in 2004, after being diagnosed with cancer and becoming homeless, and was housed by Stoll at the Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions in London’s Fulham Road.
“Bob says Stoll saved his life and he wanted to repay Stoll by finding them an income stream,” said Forces Sauces brand director Kate Gay.
Inspired by football fans passing Stoll Mansions on the way to Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge ground, he set up The Beef Kitchen to sell them hot meat baps. The operation made its own sauces, and in 2009, he created the Forces Sauces brand to sell them to the public.
“Bob fell ill again in 2010 and couldn’t continue to develop the brand, and gifted it to Stoll,” said Gay.
English Provender Co was approached last year to produce a retail version and handle sales and distribution. “We were keen to get on board as were Tesco,” said marketing manager Kerry Bishop. “To have this level of support in terms of listings at launch is almost unheard of.”
The range is not exclusive to Tesco, and Bishop hopes to gain listings with other supermarkets. Further products are also planned, including a mayonnaise and a salad cream.
Barrett is due to attend the brand’s official launch this week.
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