Sun-Pat

Sun-Pat is a brand of peanut butter in the United Kingdom. Peanut butter had been sold in the United Kingdom since the 1930s.

Sun-Pat products were made in the United Kingdom by H S Whiteside, a family run firm, from their factory in Parkhouse Street, Camberwell, SE5. Whitesides produced a great variety of sweets, jellies, nut and chocolate products including nougat, chocolate brazils, slabs of toffee and chocolate, Lifesavers, and Elizabeth Shaw chocolates.

Sun-Pat had a factory in Peckham, South London, which was bombed on 15 October 1940, during the blitz. Several girls were killed and many injured.[1] Sun-Pat having already sold salted peanuts, produced the product for which they became most well-known, peanut butter in 1946.[2]

In 1958, H S Whiteside acquired Maconochie Brothers, and production was moved up to their factory in Hadfield, near Manchester.[3][4][5] In 1965, Whitesides overstretched themselves financially, and the company was bought by Rowntrees in 1967. Rowntrees, in turn, was taken over by Nestlé in June 1988.[6]

In the beginning of the 1990s, a range of cheese spreads were also produced under the Sun-Pat brand, but were later discontinued.

In May 2002, after its acquisition of Nestlé's ambient food business, Premier Foods acquired Sun-Pat.[7] The factory in Hadfield was closed down in 2004, and production then moved to Histon, Cambridgeshire.[8] In October 2012, after its acquisition of Premier Foods' spreads and jellies business, Sun-Pat is currently owned by Hain Celestial Group.[9]