Knorr

The Knorr success story started not with soups or bouillons, as might be expected, but with chicory.

In 1838 Carl Heinrich Knorr, who had already been selling food and spices from his general store for some time, opened his first factory in Heilbronn, Germany, dedicated to supplying chicory to the coffee market. Once roasted, chicory can be added to coffee during manufacture.

A true entrepreneur, Carl was soon experimenting with methods of drying vegetables and spices in order to preserve both their nutritional content and their flavour. This culinary curiosity was to lead to the creation of the first Knorr dried soups, which saw their European debut in the 1870s.

From then on, the brand expanded quickly, with canned soups introduced in 1882 and, in 1910, the launch of the Knorr bouillon cube.

This was a milestone moment, as this small square of flavour would quickly become the brand’s trademark product and a bestseller across the decades.

A passion for food

We have a passion for food, stretching back to 1838 when Carl Heinrich Knorr founded the company with a mission to bring better and more flavoursome food to our tables.

His deep interest in innovation pioneered drying techniques enabling the soup mixes and bouillon we know today. This passion for food and innovative approach are still the fundamental drivers of the brand.

A force for good

Knorr has the ambition to be a force for good and to get food that is good for people and the planet on 7 billion plates by 2025. This aligns with Unilever’s overarching purpose to make sustainable living commonplace.

Knorr has been working with suppliers and farmers to grow key ingredients following the Unilever Sustainable Agriculture Code for more than 10 years with 95% of vegetables and herbs sustainably sourced. The commitment is to get to 100% and to implement regenerative agriculture principles in the way 80% of key ingredients are grown by 2026.

27,000farming communities helped with sustainable practices

A greener food future

As Knorr continues the journey to inspire people to Eat for Good, more plant-based products and recipes featuring Future 50 Foods will be on shelves and websites. Programmes, like the Recepedia Change the world by changing what’s on your plate platform, are helping people cook and eat meals that are better for them and the planet.