The Danes first set their sights on England in the first millennium with the invasion of the Vikings but it wasn't until 1847 that they realised that the only way to conquer the Anglo-Saxons is through their stomachs! Armed with stocks of Danish Bacon, the Danes have secured their place in British life in a somewhat more peaceful manner than their ancestors! The Danes have been feasting on traditionally salted pork for centuries but it was only during the latter part of the nineteenth century that they began to trade in bacon. The development of pig and dairy production in Denmark followed the collapse in European grain prices in the mid 1800's with the arrival of plentiful supplies from North America, and Danish farmers sought to add value to their arable production by rearing livestock.

Exports since 1847 - a potted history

1840s: The first recorded shipment of Danish bacon to England was in 1847, at which time the Danes recognised a potential market opportunity and began to export bacon to the UK. The boom of the British Industrial revolution meant that agricultural production was unable to supply sufficient food to feed the growing population.

At this time, bacon was considered a luxury product. Records show that a worker on a good salary ate bacon and cheese daily. The average paid worker maybe consumed bacon 2-3 times a week while the lowest paid worker could not afford to eat meat at all. Today, around 90 per cent of the UK population eats bacon regularly.

1880s: The first Danish pigmeat co-operative was formed in 1887 at Horsens in Jutland. Danish producers started to develop business relationships with the UK as Germany had closed its borders to live pigs.

1890s: Danish pigmeat co-operatives formed a joint association, the Federation of Danish Cooperative Bacon Factories, to represent the overall interest of the Danish pigmeat industry (now Danske Slagterier). At this time, about 90 per cent of Danish bacon exports went to the UK. 1900s: The Danish Bacon Company Ltd set up business near London Bridge. Denmark soon replaced the USA as the main supplier of bacon to the UK.		The S/S Kasan refrigerator ship which carried Danish Bacon in the 1890s

1914-18: Due to the First World War exports to the UK all but ceased.

1920s: The UK resumed importing bacon.

1930s: Due to the trade barriers enforced as a result of the world economic downturn, Danish bacon exports to the UK were in decline.

1939-45: During the Second World War, bacon was extremely scarce. Supplies from Denmark were replaced by supplies from Canada and the USA.

1950s: ESS-FOOD was established to co-ordinate supplies of bacon and pigmeat and in 1954, as food rationing in the UK came to end, the Danes steadily took the lead in quality bacon supply.

In 1955, the Danish Agricultural Producers Information Services (DAPIS) was established to co-ordinate advertising and promotion for Danish bacon, butter and cheese.

Danish Bacon press ad from 1964
1960s: Denmark and the UK joined the EFTA trading block. As the decade progressed, processing developments such as vacuum packing and slicing began to replace the traditional supply of bacon products and ESS-FOOD opened processing factories at Selby and Thetford. In 1961, the Danepak brand was launched. 1970s: Britain and Denmark began to export bacon to other European markets and then to the emerging Japanese market. 1980s: During the 1980s, the Danes still supplied more than a quarter of the UK bacon market and in 1985 the Danish Bacon and Meat Council was founded to run the marketing arm of Danish Bacon in the UK, taking over this responsibilty from ESS-FOOD. 1990s: The Danes continued to supply over 250,000 tonnes of pigmeat, with increasing quantities of Danish pork legs sold predominantly to ham manufacturers.		Early refrigerated distribution - the first roll on/roll off container of Danish bacon in 1967 transported on the Somerset Esberg ship

In 1997, the Danish industry celebrated the centenary of Danske Slagterier and 150 years of bacon trade with the UK.

Today: No longer a luxury product as it was 150 years ago, bacon remains part of the UK staple diet and prospects for the future are good. More bacon is eaten away from the traditional breakfast occasion and sales by the food services sector show significant growth. Research shows that bacon is still the most frequently eaten meat, with nearly 60 per cent of all consumers buying it every month and nearly half of them buying it at least once a week. It just goes to show that you just can't resist the taste and smell of bacon, particularly Danish!

Danish Bacon TV Commercial

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