Gentlemens Relish has been discontinued by its maker after falling sales, ending production of the anchovy spread first launched in 1828. The move has triggered a sharp reaction among fans of traditional British food, even as Simpson’s in the Strand says it will keep serving its own version. The restaurant, reopened last month by Jeremy King, says it has already adapted a classic Victorian recipe to stay on the menu.
Production ends after sales fall
The company that made the spread, AB World Foods, said production stopped earlier this year after the product lost commercial viability., the Victorian relish had a niche and loyal following, but wider appeal never followed and retailer distribution had dwindled. The decision closes the book on a condiment created by John Osborn, an English grocer living in Paris, whose original mixture combined anchovy fillets, rusk, butter, and a secret selection of herbs and spices.
The spread’s proper name is patum peperium, and it was first launched in 1828, the same year Simpson’s opened. Its disappearance means one of Britain’s more distinctive table accompaniments is now leaving regular retail circulation, even if versions remain available in a smaller number of settings. For many long-time customers, the news lands as a cultural loss as much as a culinary one.
Simpson’s says Gentlemens Relish stays on the menu
Jeremy King, who reopened Simpson’s in the Strand last month, said the restaurant had instructed its chef to create a version of Gentlemens Relish almost identical to the original. King said: “We actually make our own, due to the difficulty in obtaining, so are able to continue to serve it. ” He added that the restaurant had found and adapted a classic Victorian recipe for patum peperium and that he preferred it to mass-produced versions.
At Simpson’s, the relish is served on toast for £6. 50 alongside traditional dishes such as spotted dick and roast beef carved on a silver trolley. King said the dish was already a favourite on the menu before the restaurant closed during the pandemic, and that some customers ordered it “with tears in their eyes. ” He also said he would like to sell it as a takeaway product, but health and safety packaging and labelling requirements would make that difficult.
Reaction from food figures
Fortnum & Mason said it will continue producing and selling its own version, priced at £14. 95, in a Tiffany blue pot. The London grocer says its recipe contains “a whole armada of anchovy, ” with dill, garlic, and Sarawak pepper added.
Nigella Lawson also reacted to the decision, saying: “I love Gentlemens Relish on generously buttered toast. I think of it as the savoury version of cinnamon toast, and it is just as comforting, particularly if served on white sliced. ” She added that she would now make do with a homemade version, saying: “As long as I have access to anchovies and butter, I am happy. ”
What happens next
For now, the clearest path forward is split in two: retail production has ended, but restaurant and specialty versions will remain available. Gentlemens Relish may be gone from mainstream shelves, yet the response from Simpson’s, Fortnum & Mason, and loyal diners suggests it is not disappearing from British tables just yet. The latest chapter in the story of Gentlemens Relish is a narrow one, but it shows how quickly a niche food can become a symbol of loss.
