Bisto
A long-established British gravy and food-products brand best known for gravy powder and granules.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Bisto is a British food brand associated primarily with gravy, especially powdered and granulated products used to make a quick accompaniment for roast dinners and other savoury dishes. The brand was created in 1908 by Messrs McRoberts and Patterson, whose original meat-flavoured gravy powder was designed to improve the body, flavour and aroma of gravy. It became a mass-market staple as domestic cooking increasingly incorporated packaged convenience foods. The name became particularly familiar through advertising. In 1919, illustrator Will Owen created the Bisto Kids, a boy and girl shown catching the aroma of gravy and exclaiming “Ah, Bisto!”. The characters became a durable part of British food advertising and were adapted for newspaper, poster, radio and later television promotion. Although the Bisto Kids ceased to be central to regular advertising after 1996, their imagery remains closely connected with the brand’s heritage. Bisto expanded beyond its original powder format. In 1979 it introduced gravy granules, which dissolve in hot water and provide a convenient alternative to preparing gravy from meat juices. The granules became the brand’s most visible modern product form and achieved a reported British market share of more than 70% in 2005. The range subsequently developed into beef, chicken, turkey, vegetable, onion and other flavours, with reduced-salt and gluten-free variants as well as seasonal and internationally inspired limited editions. In 1991, Bisto introduced Bisto Best, a more premium granules line sold in glass jars and positioned around fuller flavour. The brand has also extended into ready-to-use gravy pots, sauce mixes, ready-to-pour cartons and licensed frozen meals, including traditional British dishes such as cottage pie, bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie and roast dinners. Product availability and formulations vary by market and over time. Bisto changed ownership several times during its history and became part of Premier Foods when that company acquired Rank Hovis McDougall in March 2007. Premier Foods describes Bisto as one of its established grocery brands. The brand remains strongly associated with British and Irish household cooking, roast meals, convenience and family dining. Recent activity has included new flavours, seasonal products and a 2025 partnership with Aardman Animations using Wallace & Gromit characters in packaging and experiential promotion.
History
Bisto was introduced in 1908 by Messrs McRoberts and Patterson as a meat-flavoured gravy powder. Its purpose was to make gravy thicker and more aromatic while simplifying preparation for household cooks. The product rapidly became a bestseller in Britain and established the brand in the increasingly important market for packaged grocery conveniences. The brand’s early identity was shaped by advertising. In 1919, illustrator Will Owen created the Bisto Kids, a boy and girl in ragged clothing who smelled gravy carried on the breeze and responded with the phrase “Ah, Bisto!”. The characters gave the product a memorable emotional and visual identity. During the 1930s, a competition was held to name the two characters; the winning names were Bill and Maree, after the couple who submitted them. The Bisto Kids later appeared in extensive promotional activity, although they were no longer used in regular Bisto advertising after 1996. Bisto advertising evolved with British media. Early television activity included the “Bisto For All Meat Dishes” message in the 1950s. Campaign language in the 1960s included “Pass the Gravy, Pass the Bisto” and “Does Cooking Proud”. In 1969, footballer Bobby Moore appeared in the brand’s first colour television advertisement. During the 1970s, advertising used phrases such as “Where there’s meat there’s Bisto” and highlighted the product’s ability to brown, season and thicken gravy. A number of sportspeople, entertainers and television personalities appeared in the campaigns. A major product development came in 1979, when Bisto introduced granules that could be dissolved in hot water. This format was faster and more consistent than preparing gravy from a roast, and it became the core of the modern brand. By 2005, Bisto Gravy Granules were reported to hold more than 70% of the British gravy market. In 1991, the company broadened the range upward with Bisto Best, a jarred granules product positioned as richer and more full-flavoured. The brand’s marketing remained active through the 1980s and 1990s. RHM Foods ran a Bisto Kids of the Year competition in 1984, and Bisto sponsored the ITV Telethon in 1988. Later campaigns used music, celebrity appearances and family-oriented meal themes, including advertising for Bisto Best with Vanessa Williams and campaigns featuring Julie Walters. Bisto also expanded into sauces, ready-to-use products and frozen meals, moving beyond dry gravy ingredients while retaining its association with traditional British meals. Bisto’s ownership history followed consolidation in the British food industry. It was acquired by Premier Foods when Premier bought Rank Hovis McDougall in March 2007. Under Premier Foods, Bisto has continued as a major grocery brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In the 2020s, the portfolio included standard and premium granules, reduced-salt and gluten-free varieties, gravy pots, sauce mixes, ready-to-pour products, seasonal flavours and licensed frozen foods. In 2025, Bisto partnered with Aardman Animations, placing Wallace & Gromit characters on products and creating The Gravy Boat, a temporary gravy-themed restaurant in London. The brand therefore combines long-established British advertising heritage with convenience-led product development and contemporary partnerships.
- 2025
Wallace & Gromit partnership
[1]Bisto collaborates with Aardman Animations on character packaging, a promotional competition and The Gravy Boat pop-up restaurant.
- 2007
Bisto becomes part of Premier Foods
[1]Premier Foods acquires Rank Hovis McDougall, bringing Bisto into the Premier Foods portfolio.
- 1991
Bisto Best launches
[1]Bisto adds a premium jarred granules line with a fuller-flavour positioning.
- 1988
Bisto sponsors the ITV Telethon
[1]The brand becomes a sponsor of the televised ITV Telethon.
- 1984
Bisto Kids of the Year competition begins
[1]RHM Foods launches a nationwide competition to select children for the Bisto Kids promotional roles.
- 1979
Gravy granules are launched
[1]Bisto introduces granules that dissolve in hot water, creating a quick gravy substitute.
- 1930
The Bisto Kids are named
[1]A competition produces the names Bill and Maree for the boy and girl characters.
- 1919
The Bisto Kids appear
[1]Illustrator Will Owen creates the Bisto Kids, whose response to the aroma of gravy becomes the brand’s signature advertising expression.
- 1908
Bisto is introduced
[1]Messrs McRoberts and Patterson launch Bisto as a meat-flavoured gravy powder intended to thicken and enrich gravy.
Products and positioning
Mass-market, convenient British home cooking with a strong heritage in gravy and roast-dinner accompaniment; Bisto Best provides a more premium extension.
Gravy powder · 1908
Bisto Gravy Powder
The original Bisto format, introduced in 1908 as a meat-flavoured powder. It was designed to help household cooks create thicker, richer and more aromatic gravy with less preparation than making a sauce entirely from meat juices.
Gravy granules · 1979
Bisto Gravy Granules
A dry granules range introduced in 1979 that is mixed with hot water to produce gravy. The portfolio has included beef, chicken, turkey, vegetable and onion varieties, together with reduced-salt, gluten-free, seasonal and limited-edition flavours.
Premium gravy granules · 1991
Bisto Best
Introduced in 1991, Bisto Best is a more premium granules range generally sold in glass jars. It is positioned around fuller flavour and has included beef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, vegetable and caramelised-onion variants.
Ready-to-use sauces
Bisto Gravy Pots
Microwaveable single-use pots offering ready-to-use gravy and sauces. Examples have included chip-shop gravy, chip-shop curry sauce, spicy pepper sauce and katsu curry sauce.
Ready-to-pour gravy · 2025
Bisto Signature
A carton-based ready-to-use gravy range introduced in 2025, with varieties including rich beef, chicken, duck, lamb and pork, alongside a seasonal turkey Christmas edition.
Sauce mixes
Bisto Sauce Mixes
Dry mixes for sauces beyond gravy, including cheese, parsley, white, curry and pepper sauces. These products extend Bisto’s convenience positioning into everyday savoury cooking.
Frozen meals
Bisto Frozen Foods
Licensed frozen meals and side dishes have included Yorkshire puddings, cottage pie, bangers and mash, roast dinners, shepherd’s pie, meals in gravy, pasta dishes, lasagne and other prepared foods. Manufacturing arrangements vary by product.
Marketing campaigns
- 2025Wallace & Gromit and The Gravy Boat
United Kingdom
Bisto partnered with Aardman Animations to feature Wallace, Gromit and Feathers McGraw on products and to operate The Gravy Boat, a temporary London restaurant offering a gravy-themed menu and character meet-and-greets.
Outcome. Connected Bisto’s heritage as a British family brand with a contemporary entertainment partnership and experiential promotion.
- 1988ITV Telethon sponsorship
United Kingdom
Bisto sponsored the ITV Telethon, linking the brand with a high-profile televised fundraising event.
Outcome. Expanded brand visibility through television sponsorship.
- 1984Bisto Kids of the Year Awards
United Kingdom
RHM Foods ran a nationwide competition to select children to perform the Bisto Kids roles in public relations, marketing events and television advertising.
Outcome. Created a recurring promotional format around child ambassadors for the brand.
- 1919The Bisto Kids
United Kingdom · Ireland
Will Owen’s illustrated boy and girl characters were shown sensing the aroma of Bisto gravy and saying “Ah, Bisto!”. The characters became one of the brand’s defining advertising assets.
Outcome. Established a long-running visual identity that remained associated with Bisto for most of the twentieth century.
Brand decisions
2025
Use an Aardman partnership for brand activationOtherBackground
Bisto sought to refresh its heritage positioning and create a family-oriented contemporary promotion.
Action taken
The brand collaborated with Aardman Animations on Wallace & Gromit packaging, a prize promotion and The Gravy Boat pop-up restaurant.
Aftermath
The activity gave the brand a character-led cultural partnership and an in-person consumer experience.
2007
Transfer Bisto to Premier FoodsM&ABackground
Industry consolidation brought the Rank Hovis McDougall business into Premier Foods.
Action taken
Premier Foods acquired Rank Hovis McDougall, including the Bisto brand.
Aftermath
Bisto continued as part of Premier Foods’ branded grocery portfolio.
1991
Create the Bisto Best premium rangeProduct launchBackground
Bisto sought to extend its gravy franchise beyond the standard mass-market granules range.
Action taken
The company introduced Bisto Best in glass jars and positioned it as a fuller-flavoured product.
Aftermath
Bisto gained a premium tier alongside its standard granules products.
1979
Introduce instant gravy granulesProduct launchBackground
The original powder had established Bisto in packaged gravy, but consumers also sought faster and more consistent preparation.
Action taken
Bisto launched granules designed to dissolve in hot water and produce gravy quickly.
Aftermath
Granules became the brand’s principal modern format and later supported a broad range of flavours and dietary variants.
Recent events
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