At just fourteen, young Richard Hellmann was already fostering a love of food as an apprentice at his local food market. But it wasn’t until he moved to New York that he found true success.

It was here that Richard met his wife, Margaret, who just happened to be the daughter of two deli owners. And in 1913, Richard and Margaret realised their dream of setting up shop and the Hellmann’s Delicatessen was born. 

The deli that would become our birthplace opened its doors right in the very heart of New York: Columbus Avenue, Manhattan. And Richard began creating his now legendary mayonnaise. Jars were filled to the brim with a delicious blend of ingredients picked to create the ultimate creamy texture and taste.

With Margaret by his side, they perfected it, then perfected it again. They reckoned it was the best mayonnaise possible. And their customers thought so too. Proud of his product, Richard tied his signature blue ribbon around those of the very best quality. And that blue ribbon standard is still tied to everything we do today.

Word of Hellmann’s deliciousness spread far and wide. And in record time, Hellmann’s became the world`s number 1 Mayonnaise brand, thanks to its unmistakable taste. 

Footnote: Source Euromonitor International Limited;Packaged Foods 2017 edition, retail value sales, umbrella brand name classification ( includes all Hellmann's and Best Foods brand sales) 2016 data

We make a lot of mayo every year. Which means we use a lot of eggs. And our commitment to free-range makes a huge difference to the quality of life of literally millions of hens. So we’re proud to say 100% of the eggs we use are free-range.

How we pick our farms starts with how they pick their crops. And we’re doing everything we can to ensure that the farms who supply our oils are dedicated to responsible farming practices that preserve and protect their land for future generations. 

Tomatoes maketh the ketchup. And we make sure ours are of the highest quality. But we’ve always believed that the best tasting tomatoes come from a good place. That’s why we’re committed to making all of our ketchups with sustainably-grown tomatoes. Aside from the fact that they’re generally of a higher quality, sustainable farming also protects the land for future generations. 

We’re on a mission to make responsible sourcing the Blue Ribbon Standard for our whole industry. That means all of our farmers must monitor and work to improve their sustainability efforts – from how they use their land to how they reduce their carbon footprint.