Family of Victorian grocer who created Gentleman's Relish fear recipe will be lost forever as it is axed by makers after 177 years

By SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER Published: 01:39, 12 April 2026 | Updated: 01:42, 12 April 2026 The family of the Victorian grocer who created Gentleman's Relish fear the recipe will be lost forever after it was axed by the makers after 177 years.  The British anchovy paste – which is also known as Patum Peperium – has outlasted six monarchs and two world wars. But due to dwindling sales, the condiment has been discontinued after nearly 180 years, with its manufacturer saying its production was not 'commercially viable'.  However, the great-great-great-grandchildren of its creator, John Osborn, have called for AB World Foods to make the secret recipe public.  It comes as the discontinuation of the paste, created by the grocer in 1828, has sparked outcry, with both top chefs and politicians calling for its preservation.  The spread was created by Osborn, an expat in Paris, and included a mixture of anchovy fillets, rusk, butter and a secret selection of herbs and spices. But now his descendants no longer have the recipe after his great-grandchildren sold his business in 1971.  His granddaughter, Georgina Hamilton-Fletcher, attempted to buy a pot, but it was already sold out and placed for auction on sites such as eBay for £50.  Gentleman's Relish has ceased production after 177 years, owing to struggling sales (stock image) The paste, first conceived of deep into the Victorian era, is made mainly of anchovies, along with spices and butter (stock image) 'I hope the recipe is saved and sold or given to somebody who thinks they can make a go of it on a small scale,' she said.  'It would be a shame for it to die. I would hope the brand name can be taken up by someone else, but if not, it should be shared.  'I've seen people online are swapping recipes and trying to re-create it.' The recipe for the paste was passed down with each half of the instructions shared between Osborn's two sons, Newton and Harold, Ms Hamilton-Fletcher explained to the Telegraph.  The duo manufactured the product by hand, with just one other worker, in a bid to keep the product exclusive.  But eventually her grandfather retired at the age of 75 in 1971, opting to sell the business, and in the process, the secret recipe was lost, she added.  A pot could sometimes last up to six months, which was not good for business, Ms Hamilton-Fletcher explained.  Despite disappointment at being unable to buy the past for the final time, the family has managed to collect special-edition pots of the Gentleman's relish, as well as souvenirs from Elizabeth II's 1953 coronation. The family's collection also includes a note from Admiral Sir Sidney Smith asking for three pots of the relish in his Paris hotel, as well as advertisement clippings.  It also includes price lists from C Osborn and Co Ltd branding it as 'the greatest of all table delicacies since The Reign of William IV'  In 2001, the relish was purchased by G.Costa which was later bought by AB World Foods.  Despite creating the product in 1828, Osborn did not market it until 1849, eventually launching it at the Paris Food Show. To make it seem distinguished, he called it Patum Peperium, a sort of mock Latin for pepper pate. AB Foods, which acquired the manufacturing rights to Gentleman's Relish two decades ago, said: 'While this Victorian relish has a niche and loyal following, it sadly does not have wider commercial appeal and, despite our best efforts, retailer distribution has dwindled. 'With Gentleman's Relish no longer commercially viable and unable to secure a buyer for the brand, we regrettably stopped production earlier this year.' James Bond author Ian Fleming was a fan, and would order the paste when dining at Scott's, the historic London restaurant, served on toast with scrambled egg – a dish known as Scotch woodcock. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.