Looks like Sir Kensington’s ketchup just couldn’t catch-up to the rest — mayo it rest in peace.
On Tuesday, the 100% GMO-free condiment brand mustard up the courage to announce that they would be discontinuing both of their ketchup varieties — regular and spicy — known for omitting high-fructose corn syrup.
In a dramatic post on Medium, Sir Kensington’s co-founder Scott Norton wrote a goodbye letter to the product, admitting that they didn’t see the condiment “meeting its end in this way.”
He titled the post, “Sir Kensington’s Ketchup: A Eulogy.”
In the obit, Norton cited three reasons why the condiment just couldn’t go on, which included price inflation, the recent selling of their company and the cold, hard truth that mayo was just the more popular product in their line.
“We’re saddened to think about how the ketchup will not endure, despite the tens of thousands of hours our team spent getting it out into the world, and the millions of customers who enjoyed it,” Norton’s post read.
The Post has reached out to the brand, which was purchased by Unilever in 2017, and its now former competitor, Heinz, for comment.
Ketchup was the first product released by Sir Kensington’s, which was launched 13 years ago by Norton and Mark Ramadan. At the time, the two Brown University undergrads wanted to create a “true natural ketchup” after they realized that there weren’t many available on the market, according to Forbes. They found that the ketchup industry was mostly dominated by food giant Heinz.
Norton cited the COVID-19 pandemic as another reason why ketchup just wasn’t profitable anymore.
“Food is a low-margin business that works at high volume,” he wrote. “Through the pandemic, international war and inflation of the past three years, ketchup faced price pressure and cost pressure that was untenable.”
On top of that, drought conditions in California in August didn’t provide farmers with the rainwater needed to grow tomatoes, which caused a surge in price.
Without the ketchup, Sir Kensington’s will now just be a brand that sells different kinds of mayonnaise (both vegan and non-vegan), mustards and a line of “everything sauces” which come in four flavors: chile lime crema, garlic, curry masala and gochujang.
“At the time it launched, taking high fructose corn syrup out of ketchup was considered innovative — now it’s expected for any new food product launching today,” Norton wrote.
He continued, “Did we cause that change? Hell no. But were we a key domino that fell, a company that inspired people to point and say ‘it’s possible’? We’d like to think so.”
The condiment company was acquired by Unilever in 2017, which is also the same consumer goods corporation that also decided to discontinue Klondike’s beloved Choco Taco dessert.
If you’re a Sir Kensington’s devotee still looking to get your paws on some leftovers, there are currently a few sellers on eBay hawking the fancy ketchup. In one listing, a case of six is going for $48.35, while a single bottle is up for sale for a whopping $24.99.
Norton also noted that there are still some remaining containers left on Amazon, where you can buy them for way cheaper; a pack of six is listed for $23.99.
The co-founder signed off the message by treating the artisanal product like it was a celebrity of some sort.
“Sir Kensington’s ketchup will be retired after its tour of duty, bringing unexpected joy and provoking conversations for many,” Norton concluded.
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