If you mention steak sauce, the first thing most people in this country think of is A.1. not the fare of a king. However, the origin of A.1. is linked to the King of England to enhance the flavor of many that graced his table.

Henderson William Brand was a private chef to King George IV between 1824 and 1831.  During that time, he developed a sauce that the king reportedly declared was “A1,” presumably British slang for “really good.”  After cooking for the king, Brand started selling his sauce.  In 1862, he introduced Brand’s International Sauce at the International Exhibition in London.

The sauce, a blend of sweet, spicy, and acidic, was marketed as a condiment for various meat dishes.  It contained tomatoes, vinegar, and spices, as well as oranges and raisins.  The raisins are reported to have been added to mask the flavor of poorer cuts or perhaps even rancid meat.  The orange added to the sweetness and acidity, contributing to the distinctive flavor.

The sauce was eventually re-branded to A.1. Sauce.  By the end of the 19th century, it was dominating the British sauce market.  A.1. Sauce also grew in popularity in Canada before eventually coming to the United States.  In the United States, the all-purpose sauce came to be associated with steak.  As beef became more available and easier to afford, eating steak became something of a status symbol for the middle class.  A.1. changed their name to A.1. Steak Sauce in the 1960’s to capitalize on the changing food culture.

For decades, A.1. Steak Sauce was a staple on the tables at every steakhouse and in nearly every household refrigerator, but today many of us may have forgotten about it, and many younger people may never have tried it.  Steak consumption has declined, and the steaks we do eat are of higher quality.  It is now seen as an insult to the chef to add sauce to your steak.

In response to shifting market demands, the sauce that has survived since the Industrial Revolution has once again re-branded.  In 2014, they dropped steak from their name and became A.1. Original Sauce.  They have returned to their roots and now market the sauce that the king once declared to be “A1” is still good for almost anything. Almost.

Crystal Kelly is a feature writer for Bizarre Bytes with those unusual facts that you only need to know for Trivial Pursuit, Jeopardy, or to stump your in-laws.

Follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook and Instagram.   Get all KnoxTNToday articles in one place with our Free Newsletter