♥♥Here's my report!!! [:

[Helen♥]

Feb. 18

4^th hour

English

Pepperidge Farm

      Have you ever had Goldfish crackers?  Did you know that they were actually invented in Switzerland and were just imported over by Margaret Rudkin?  Did you know that the company that makes them is named Pepperidge Farm?   That is what my report is about: Pepperidge Farm’s products, history, and how they have given it an important role in business today.

History

      The amazing business of Pepperidge Farm started with just one woman.  Her name was Margaret Rudkin.  She was born in New York City in 1897 and was the oldest of 5 children in an Irish family.  When she graduated valedictorian of her high school, she had red hair and green eyes.  She spent 9 years working in New York City before marrying Henry Rudkin.  Fourteen years later, she had three young sons.  They all lived in Fairfield, Connecticut on a farm property called Pepperidge Farm.  The farm was named after an ancient Pepperidge tree living on the property. 

        During the depression, Margaret Rudkin’s family faced challenges, but one of the biggest challenges was their son, Mark, who had severe allergies and asthma.  He was allergic to commercially processed food, and was on a diet of fruits and vegetables. Then, Margaret Rudkin had an idea. She decided to try to bake him bread that he wasn’t allergic to. Since it was her first time baking bread, she made a lot of mistakes but soon she succeeded in making bread that her son could eat.  The bread was so good that the doctor started prescribing it to his patients. 

       Soon, Margaret asked a local grocer to sell it for 25 cents instead of the usual 10 cents.  The grocer didn’t want to sell it, so Margaret cut a slice and gave it to him.  It was so good that the grocer just had to sell it.  Margaret decided to name her bread company Pepperidge Farm after her farm.  The bread became popular everywhere, and in 1939 Pepperidge Farm celebrated production of 500,000 loaves of bread.

        In the 1950s Margaret Rudkin took a trip to Belgium and found unique fancy chocolate cookies and thought Americans would like them.  She brought the idea back home, and now Pepperidge Farm is a famous producer of unique European cookies.

        The cookies weren’t the only Pepperidge Farm product imported from Europe.  In the 1960s, Margaret Rudkin took a trip to Switzerland and discovered a unique fish-shaped cracker that Margaret knew would be the next big thing for Pepperidge Farm.  They became Goldfish crackers.  Did you know that at first these crackers didn’t have eyes or a smile?  They were only added in 1997 when they became “the snack that smiles back”.

       In 1961, Margaret Rudkin decided to sell Pepperidge Farm to another family-run company: Campbell Soup.  Rudkin worked far past the “retirement age” and in 1963 she published “The Margaret Rudkin Pepperidge Farm Cookbook” which was the first cookbook to make the New York Times bestseller list. 

       Over the 26 years that Margaret Rudkin had been working at Pepperidge Farm the average annual growth rate for the company was  53%. When Margaret died on June 1, 1967 she died a bestselling author and a powerful business leader.

Products

    Pepperidge Farm’s rich history has made their amazing products even better.  They make extensive lines of cookies, breads and rolls, crackers, and breakfast food. Of course, their most famous product is their Goldfish crackers.

     Goldfish crackers come in bags, boxes, cartons, multi-packs, and any other container you can think of.  They also come in a variety of flavors including: Original, Cheddar, Colors, Pretzel, Parmesan, Pizza, Starfish, and Honey Grahams.  Even though Goldfish have no trans fat, they still made #2 of Time magazine’s “9 Kid Foods Not To Eat”.  Goldfish crackers are the “snack that smiles back” and on the ingredients list, one of the ingredients is ‘smiles’.

      Each main flavor of Goldfish has it’s own mascot, or a “Goldfish Friend”.  Finn is the Goldfish friend for Cheddar flavored Goldfish.  Parmesan goldfish have Brooke, and Pretzel goldfish have Gilbert.

     Even if Goldfish are the only crackers you can think of made by Pepperidge Farm, there are still others.  Golden Butter, Snack Sticks, Harvest Wheat, and Pretzel Thins are just a few of the other crackers they offer. 

      Probably the second-most famous product from Pepperidge Farm is their bread.  After all, their whole business started with just one loaf.  Some of their types of bread include:  whole grain, rye, pumpernickel, Italian, and crusty. PF also makes  rolls that come in three flavors:  sandwich, dinner, and crusty.

    Have you ever had delicious Pepperidge Farm cookies?  If not, you should.  Their unique cookies were an idea imported from Belgium when Margaret Rudkin visited there in the 1950s.  So, all of their cookies are European style and named after European cities.  Some of their brands include:  Milano, Bordeaux, Brussels, Chessmen, Geheva, Tahiti, Verona, and Pirouette.  The first cookie produced was the Milano.  It has two wafers, with creamy dark chocolate pressed in the middle.  Almost all of their other cookies are based off of the Milano. 

       Am I making you hungry yet?  Just wait until you hear about their other deserts besides cookies! Pepperidge Farm makes delicious 3 layer cakes: coconut, chocolate, fudge stripe, vanilla bean, lemon, and peppermint. Even though they are not the most popular products, Pepperidge Farm also makes puff pastries and dumplings.

 History By The Years:

    -1940s: Pepperidge Farm’s first modern bakery opens in Norwalk, Connecuit.  Many new products such as rolls, stuffing, and oatmeal bread are produced.

     -1950s: Pepperidge Farm’s first television ad airs.  In a trip to Belgium, Margaret Rudkin discovers the unique cookies made by the Delacre company.  These cookies become the famous Milano cookies produced by Pepperidge Farm.  In 1955, Pepperidge Farm launches their first line of European-style cookies and starts a frozen pastry business.

    -1960s:  Campbell Soup Company buys up Pepperidge Farm in 1961.  In 1962, Margaret Rudkin goes to Switzerland and gets inspiration to start producing Goldfish crackers.  The Margaret Rudkin Pepperidge Farm Cookbook because the first cookbook ever to make the New York Times bestseller list.  In 1966, Margaret Rudkin officially retires.

    -1970s:  Due to Pepperidge Farm’s growing popularity, many new factories are built.  Pepperidge Farm bread goes on the Apollo 13 and 14 space missions.  In 1977, the first Goldfish ad was made.

    -1980s:  Goldfish crackers go on the Discovery space shuttle mission in 1988.  Otherwise, it was a pretty regular year.

   -1990s: Goldfish becomes the “snack that smiles back” when Pepperidge Farm adds an eye and a smile to their look.  They also introduce two new products, Pot Pies and Textas Toast (both frozen treats)

   -2000s: In 2001, Pepperidge Farm exceeds $1 billion in sales and ranks in the top 2% of brands in the world.

So, next time you’re at the grocery store, remember to check out some of their products, maybe Milano cookies if you’ve got a sweet tooth, or Goldfish crackers if you just love to snack.   As you can see, Pepperidge Farm has a wonderful history that has made their products something enjoyed by many Americans

•••

SOURCES!

[[I think I did this right lol]]

 "3 Goldfish Mix-Up Adventures. (Snack Product Update)." Confection & Snack Retailing 1.4 (July-August 2008): 30(1). General One File. Gale. REMC 13. 20 Feb. 2009 

<http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.

“Goldfish Friends” Goldfish Kids Site 2009 Pepperidge Farm 18 Feb 2009 <http://Pfgolfish.com/default.aspx>

 “Pepperidge Farm: History and Heritage” Pepperidge Farm 2007 Pepperidge Farm 18 Feb 2009 <http://Pepperidgefarm.com/default.aspx>

 “Pepperidge Farm” Wikipedia 2009 Wikipedia 18 Feb 2009 <http://En.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepperidge_Farm>

•••

thanks for reading my report [: