1 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Savor production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: I'm Annie Reese and I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, and today we 3 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:17,800 Speaker 1: have an episode for you about Pillsbury and it is 4 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: I know we say it often, but this one is 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: legitimately it is. It is like the hydra you chop 6 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: off one head and two more grow like everything. I 7 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: was like, Okay, we'll go down this path. Oh no, 8 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: we can't go down. Okay, let's go back. Oh we'll 9 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: go to this path. Oh no, okay, now what ever? Mind? Yeah, yeah, 10 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: there's I mean, the company has been around for so 11 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: long and it's got so many like sub brands, um, 12 00:00:45,479 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 1: and I mean fun Fetty could be its own mini series. 13 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: I think it should be. And yeah, um looking forward 14 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: to that someday. This is not the fun Fetty episode. UM. 15 00:00:55,280 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: But but yeah, many, many, many corporate shenanigans have occurred, um, 16 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: and we are so excited to tell you all about 17 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: them because we we both have some like we have 18 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: both participated, um in the growth of this corporation at 19 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 1: least I mean I suppose our our parents did. Anyway. 20 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: I mean we both have nostalgic memories of this stuff. Yeah, 21 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: we do. I do have many fond memories of Pillsbury products. 22 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,960 Speaker 1: I particularly loved the crescent roles when I was a kid, like, 23 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: oh that smell, and I would like I would break 24 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: them apart in particular. Yes, yes, And I have a 25 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: very vivid memory of being in college and a slightly 26 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: tipsy trying to open one of those crescent roll canisters, 27 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: like hitting it with a knife. Everything worked out fun, well, 28 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: that's good, but I it terrified me every time opening those, 29 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: like even knife or not tipsy or not, still makes 30 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: me a little nervous. Oh, you know, to this day, 31 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: to this day, it's um as not bothered as I 32 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: am by opening bottles of sparkling wine because you can 33 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: like point those away from yourself. There's no way to 34 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: point uh dough canister away from yourself because it's gonna 35 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 1: go every It's just it's everywhere. It's just expanding in 36 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: all directions simultaneously, and it makes such a loud noise. 37 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: But it's got such delicious baked goods inside, Oh it does. 38 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: I have so many recipes that are you know, like 39 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: the simple you put chocolate and bree inside and the 40 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: christient rules with that or at a pretty good like 41 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: pumpkin one that I used to do. Um, there's so 42 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:43,920 Speaker 1: many opportunities, the whole world of opportunities with those cristent roles. 43 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: I also my brothers loved the cinnamon rolls. Um. I 44 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: liked them before the icing went on. The icing was 45 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: too much for me, but if I could get them 46 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: before that. And then my grandparents loved the I think 47 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: they were called grand slams. They were like those biscuits 48 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: that had all the layers. Oh shore right, we're right. 49 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah. My dad, for like special occasions, um, for 50 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: like maybe like a Christmas morning or something, would sometimes 51 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:17,359 Speaker 1: get a role of the cinnamon rolls. Um. And And 52 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: I I was always such a snob about baked goods 53 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: because my my mom's mother would like make these homemade 54 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: uh cinnamon rolls that I'm still completely in love with. 55 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: Um and and so like that nostalgia factor, like homemade 56 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: east roles are it's hard to beat. It's hard to beat. Um. 57 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: So I was always like, this is really real, Um, 58 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: like Lauren, Okay, well it is real. Nothing's really real 59 00:03:54,840 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: here anyway. UM yeah definitely yeah, um, but no, but 60 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 1: I do have I do have fond nostalgic memories of 61 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: that kind of thing. Um, And it was always for 62 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: special occasions because I think like, like like my dad, 63 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: you know, worked in the restaurant industry pretty much all 64 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: his life, and so like for a special occasion if 65 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: he didn't have to cook, especially in the morning like 66 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: many like many chefs and cooks, he hated making breakfast 67 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: and so and so that was always like a special 68 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 1: occasion for him and for both of us. Yeah, Oh absolutely, 69 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: it's a pretty like we didn't use those kind of 70 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 1: things that often either. Um. One thing we did keep 71 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: around a lot, I believe I've mentioned before was the 72 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 1: like tubes of cookie Downey tubes of the chocolate chip 73 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: cookie don't and I would just like, I mean, it 74 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: was a part of me that shutters to think about 75 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: it now, but it was so good at the time. 76 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,359 Speaker 1: I would just cut off a slice. Justice, Yeah, just 77 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: eat it. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, I think that it's probable 78 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 1: that that it's probably that Pillsbury was also the brand 79 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:10,920 Speaker 1: of because we would make Christmas cookies when we decorated 80 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,479 Speaker 1: the tree every year. He grew up Jewish, so he 81 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: was very he was very tickled by the entire Christmas 82 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: decoration process. Um. And we would always make sugar cookies 83 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 1: and like listen to um tonat King Cole, but again 84 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: never from scratch, because why would you do that to 85 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:34,480 Speaker 1: yourself if you're an off duty anyway? Yes, yeah, yeah, 86 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 1: I mean the holiday cookies that was the whole thing 87 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 1: like that. They were the sugar cookies that had the 88 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: hearts in them for Valentine's Very good. Um. But yes, 89 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: I guess we should mention Pillsbury is not currently a 90 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: sponsor as we record this. We're just interested in these 91 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: stories about companies and how they came to be. Yeah, yeah, 92 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: especially when it is as influential as this one. So um, 93 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: I suppose this brings us to our question. I suppose 94 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 1: as it does. Pillsbury what is it? Well, Pillsbury is 95 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 1: a brand of food and home baking products UM that's 96 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: actually owned by two different companies at this point. Um this. 97 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:20,719 Speaker 1: I had no idea about this, and it tickles me. 98 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: It was made for some very confusing reading right right 99 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:25,160 Speaker 1: up until I figured out what was going on at 100 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: any rate. Um yeah. So so the brand um encompasses 101 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: two basic divisions UM shelf stable goods found in the 102 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: baking aisle of your grocery store like a flowers, cake 103 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 1: and brownie mixes, canned frosting, etcetera. UM, and then also refrigerated, 104 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 1: frozen and prepared snack goods that are found in their 105 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 1: respective aisles like UM, cookie and biscuit and pizza does 106 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: frozen toaster pastries, snack cookies, etcetera. Both the refrigerated and 107 00:06:56,279 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 1: the shelf stable goods are generally meant to like help 108 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:05,239 Speaker 1: home cooks prepare fresh baked goods in their homes more easily, 109 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: with less sub consideration and preparation required. Um. It's a right, 110 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,160 Speaker 1: just a really long running brand that depends on this 111 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 1: like recognition and nostalgia factor and convenience m those two companies. Uh, 112 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: it's it's sort of like a like a Sody Fox 113 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: Marvel thing as far as I can tell. Uh. So okay, 114 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: So so GM owns the brands refrigerated, frozen and prepared 115 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:39,960 Speaker 1: foods division. Um. This this company called Hometown Food Company 116 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: owns its baking aisle division. Uh. The GM version of 117 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,239 Speaker 1: the logo is this navy circle with a single set 118 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: of white dots around the edge. UM, and the Pillsbury 119 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 1: name offset at a tilt. And they own the doughboy 120 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 1: and run the bake off. The Hometown Food Company version 121 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: of the low has two sets of dots and no tilt, 122 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: and they licensed the doughboy but own fun Fetty. What. 123 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 1: But now I'm confused because how am I supposed to 124 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: keep this straight? All right, I could deal it's fox 125 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: farmer Sody, I could tell you all about it. But 126 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 1: this one of them is a tilt. I thought that 127 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: was a fun one, but another one has fe fetty, 128 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: so that one seems like it would be the fun one. 129 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: They both the fun one. It has there. I think 130 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: that they would argue that they are both the fun one. 131 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,560 Speaker 1: But but you can put the the fun fetti one 132 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:39,200 Speaker 1: has the two sets of dots, so like fun Fetty 133 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: it is. It is extra studded, extra. It sounds like 134 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:47,959 Speaker 1: me when I was going to concerts in high school. 135 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: I guess that was fun. This is actually kind of 136 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 1: I love this kind of thing. This is what if 137 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: you get me a couple of peers in I love 138 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 1: talking about very specific legal ownership things, and most people 139 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: give me polite nods, so they wander away, and then 140 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 1: I left by myself. Oh yeah, no, it's it's kind 141 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 1: of It's kind of wonderful. In a in a pedantic 142 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: sort of way. I mentioned this on Twitter the other day, 143 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: but it's kind of related and it's still really tickling me, 144 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 1: so I'm gonna mention it here as well. Brief aside 145 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: that has nothing to do whatsoever with Pillsbury. Um. I 146 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:30,920 Speaker 1: was talking with my friend Katya about all of our 147 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: crushes and the television shows Supernatural, which if you're if 148 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 1: you've been listening, then you know that Annie and I 149 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 1: are fans of um and uh and it's the kind 150 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 1: of show that like really encourage you, encourages you to 151 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: have a crush on literally everybody, and and we do 152 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: and so uh, Cattie and I were talking about it 153 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: and I was like, Lord helped me. I'm pretty sure 154 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 1: that my biggest crush is on Crowley. And Katia was like, huh, 155 00:09:54,120 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: it's all the paperwork, isn't it. And I felt very seen. 156 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:21,319 Speaker 1: Yeah at any rate, Um, okay, So I had mentioned 157 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 1: um in all of this, the dough Boy, and if 158 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 1: you have no idea what that is, you're very confused 159 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 1: right now. But but but it's a it's a long 160 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 1: running mascot of Pillsbury. UM you've I mean, but you've 161 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,080 Speaker 1: probably seen him. You've probably seen the commercials or the 162 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 1: advert that the marketing. Um, he's a kind of little 163 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:46,079 Speaker 1: little Doughey, white buddy, little round blue eyes, and he's 164 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:49,079 Speaker 1: wearing a chef's hat and a neckerchief. Um, it's got 165 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: a squeaky little voice. He giggles when you poke them 166 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: in the stomach. In the stomach. Yeah yeah. I always 167 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: found that weird, like, why are you poking this guy? 168 00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 1: I personally dislike being poked, So that's probably why Facebook 169 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: you true enough, true enough. Another thing I mentioned above 170 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:18,839 Speaker 1: is the Pillsbury bake Off, which is a more or 171 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 1: less annual baking contest that that invites fans to submit 172 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: recipes for a cash prize and bragging rights. Winner was 173 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 1: a skillet sugar cookie pancake. Mm hmm yeah yeah, sugar 174 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: cookie like on the on the outside, around the edges, 175 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: pancake like in the center. I don't know, h yeah, okay. 176 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,320 Speaker 1: I have so many questions about this because I was 177 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: the other I was thinking about this, What would I 178 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 1: submit if I entered this, and so many things I 179 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:54,160 Speaker 1: would submit are things like recipes I found from other people. Sure, 180 00:11:54,520 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 1: so I'm not I don't know, to get creative yeah. Yeah. 181 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:04,079 Speaker 1: Runners up this year or last year at any rate. 182 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 1: UH included a cornbread swirled molly pie UM and Macha 183 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:20,199 Speaker 1: Tea iced biscuits. That sounds lovely, right right Yeah. Pillsbury 184 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:23,920 Speaker 1: publishes a number of cookbooks under an imprint at Houghton 185 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: Mifflin Hardcourt UM, including titles like UM, The Best of 186 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 1: the Bake Off, which which has different books for casseroles, desserts, 187 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 1: and cookies and bars. Yeah. They've also got the Big 188 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:43,960 Speaker 1: Book of Easy Baking with Refrigerated Dough UM and the 189 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: Fast Slow Cooker Cookbook and sorry and he was just 190 00:12:51,960 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: making this space. My brain was like what hold on? UM? 191 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 1: And one one recent one called Baking Hacks UM, which 192 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 1: has this illustration of the Dope Boy on the cover 193 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 1: like he like he's leaning over your kitchen counter at you, 194 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 1: like his hands propping up his head and he's all like, look, 195 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: let's get real here. You need some help. I'm here 196 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 1: for you. The Dope Boy can. He can pull out 197 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: a variety of emotions. In my opinion, can. He's very expressive. 198 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 1: They also have a lot of recipes and tutorials online 199 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 1: UM from General Mills at Pillsbury dot com and from 200 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 1: Hometown Food at at Pillsbury Baking dot Com. And and 201 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:55,680 Speaker 1: I can I, I can tell, I can tell you 202 00:13:55,720 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 1: want a list, right, yeah, yeah, okay, all right, uh 203 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 1: all right. Um. The General Mills products include things that 204 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 1: you're hypothetically supposed to bake yourself with minimal additions biscuits, 205 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 1: pie crust, crescent rolls, pizza crust, bread, cinnamon rolls, corn 206 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 1: bread swirls, cookie dough, and pull apart kits. Also things 207 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 1: the heat neat, toaster, stroutle, toaster, scrambles and microwave, brownies 208 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 1: and cinnamon rolls and already baked cookies and dessert bars. Um. 209 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 1: The hometowned food company products include things are hypothetically supposed 210 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: to bake yourself with a few additions of water and 211 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: eggs and et cetera. Cookies, cakes, brownies, donuts, quickbreads and muffins, breads, 212 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: pizza crust, corn muffins, biscuits, rolls, and pancakes, plus uh 213 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 1: basics and uh and toppings like like flowers, frosting, and sprinkles. Okay, 214 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff. I'm still a little confused, but 215 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:03,239 Speaker 1: you know, I think I got the gist the basics. 216 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 1: It's I you know, you know, you know, I'm not 217 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 1: sure that I do know, but we do have a 218 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: lot to illuminate in history sections do we do in 219 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 1: the meantime? What about the nutrition? Don't eat brands, I 220 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 1: guess unless you are a fellow like conglomerate and you 221 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: are acquiring them and eating them in that way, which 222 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 1: Pillsbury did a lot of. Yes, I bet there's some 223 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: weird like capitalism metaphor we could go into about eating brands, 224 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 1: but that's neither here nor there. We do have some 225 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: numbers for you, we do, okay, um. Once we're suggested 226 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 1: that in two thousand three, Pillsbury sales amounted to seven 227 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 1: point for billion dollars, which is a lot m m 228 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 1: m m um. And I think that that was the 229 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: General Mills segment UM. But I read that as of UM, 230 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: the baking segment of General Mills in General was making 231 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 1: about two billion in annual sales, which was eleven percent 232 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: of the company's total revenue UM. And that furthermore, Pillsbury's 233 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: refrigerated cookie dough and frozen toaster strudal made up the 234 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: majority of those two billion in sales. Oh wow, I 235 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 1: did go through a frozen toaster strudal period in high school. 236 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 1: Oh man, my dad would not let me have those, 237 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 1: and I was really mad. They were sugar that was 238 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:49,560 Speaker 1: It was like a sugar bomb, for sure, and I 239 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: think that's why I burned out. It was like a 240 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 1: bright high period that fizzled out quickly. But for that 241 00:16:56,240 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 1: like period I loved. Yeah, you're like, oh this, this, 242 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 1: this makes me feel terrible, but it tasted so good 243 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:12,160 Speaker 1: at the moment. Right Well, According to the Pillsbury website, 244 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 1: which yes, now I'm like, which one, Ober, this is 245 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:22,159 Speaker 1: the GM one? Okay, right, alright, you said, all right, okay, 246 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 1: they host over fifteen thousand recipes and the site gets 247 00:17:25,600 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 1: millions of visits a month. Also, I'm just sort of 248 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 1: endeared when companies use a lot of exclamation points in 249 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: their marketing, and I remember reading this and there was 250 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 1: a lot of exclamation ports. So they were very excited 251 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 1: about it. They also claim a can of their Crescent 252 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: Rolls is sold every point one eight seconds in the US, 253 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,480 Speaker 1: four million Pillsbury biscuits are eating the US every day, 254 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 1: and that during the holiday season. They specifically said Christmas season, 255 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:59,920 Speaker 1: Americans bake over seventeen thousand batches of Pillsbury cookies per hour. Wow, Okay, 256 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 1: it's a lot. Speaking of a lot, in Pillsbury broke 257 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 1: the Guinness World Record for most cookies slash biscuits iced 258 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: in an hour with one thousand, one hundred and sixty 259 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 1: nine cookies, which they did at the Mall of America. 260 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 1: Uh huh. Um. The original Pillsbury dough Boy stop motion 261 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:27,200 Speaker 1: animation doll cost about sixteen thousand dollars, which is around 262 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 1: a hundred and forty five thousand in today's money. UM. 263 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:36,680 Speaker 1: He measures precisely eight eight and three quarter inches tall. UM. 264 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:41,159 Speaker 1: That's twenty two point two centimeters m now digital um. 265 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 1: He has appeared in over six hundred commercials for over 266 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: fifty different products. Yes, and we're going to get into 267 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 1: more of the history of the Pillsbury dough Boy in 268 00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 1: the in the history section. But interestingly enough, I hadn't 269 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:57,600 Speaker 1: even told I was just talking to a friend of mine, 270 00:18:57,680 --> 00:18:59,560 Speaker 1: and I hadn't told her we were doing this research. 271 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,160 Speaker 1: We were. She's talking about Star Wars, of course, but 272 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:07,480 Speaker 1: she was saying she her parents watched the show. That's 273 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 1: kind of about like finding I don't know, antiques and 274 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: people's houses and selling it for way more and she 275 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:15,880 Speaker 1: said there was an episode about um, they had the 276 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:19,920 Speaker 1: Pillsbury dough boy. Uh, and they were talking about like 277 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:22,439 Speaker 1: how difficult it was to work and how big of 278 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 1: a deal it was. Yeah. Yeah, no, stop stop motion 279 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: is no joke. Like that's a lot of a lot 280 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 1: of work. Mm hmmm, And we are going to talk 281 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:35,159 Speaker 1: about it. I'm very excited to talk about you know, 282 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:39,400 Speaker 1: if we love a good mascot. Yes, yes, uh. And 283 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:42,399 Speaker 1: we've got lots more history stuff for you, but first 284 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:44,440 Speaker 1: we've got a quick break for a word from our sponsors. 285 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 1: And we're back. Thank you, sponsor, Yes, thank you. And 286 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:58,280 Speaker 1: I guess we should have said we've we've done several 287 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:04,840 Speaker 1: related episodes to this one. Perhaps Betty Crocker coming to 288 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:10,160 Speaker 1: mind for me. Yeah, absolutely, Um, and I guess like 289 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: in a in a weird way, maybe maybe Kelloggs. Yeah yeah, yeah, Um, 290 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:21,680 Speaker 1: I could see that one. I could see that one. Uh. 291 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:26,679 Speaker 1: But that will all it will all become clear, dear listener. 292 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:31,440 Speaker 1: Why that is or perhaps not? Because this is pretty 293 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 1: like I said, pretty hydro, like a lot going on 294 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 1: in this outline. Um, but okay, So Charles Alfred Pillsbury 295 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 1: was born into a middle class family in New Hampshire 296 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:45,480 Speaker 1: in eighteen forty two, and his father was a shopkeeper. 297 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:49,920 Speaker 1: Uh And in eighteen sixty three Charles graduated from Dartmouth 298 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 1: College and he then moved to Canada to work as 299 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:57,879 Speaker 1: a clerk before relocating to Minneapolis to work with his uncle, 300 00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 1: John S. Pillsbury in teen sixty nine. Um And the 301 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: records get a bit confusing here, just based on like 302 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:09,119 Speaker 1: when you called like the official start of the company, 303 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:13,640 Speaker 1: but according to the company's timeline, in eighteen sixty nine, 304 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:20,160 Speaker 1: Charles Pillsbury established the Pillsbury Flour Mills Company in Minnesota. Allegedly, 305 00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 1: John uncle John convinced Charles and his father George to 306 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:28,280 Speaker 1: pull together ten thousand dollars to purchase one third of 307 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:31,560 Speaker 1: a local flour mill business that was struggling, and this 308 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: was a risk because neither had experience in flour milling, 309 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: which was an unstable industry at the time. Within the 310 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: same year, they joined forces with competitor Washburn Crosby to 311 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 1: form the Minneapolis Miller's Association and within three years UM 312 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 1: they were able to make a profit. Washburn Crosby would 313 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:58,879 Speaker 1: eventually evolve into General Mills. Um And at the time 314 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:03,720 Speaker 1: these mills were water driven. UM. Pillsberry's and Washburing Crosby's 315 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 1: mills both used the Saint Anthony Falls um and faced 316 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 1: each other across the Mississippi River just like sitting there 317 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 1: looking at each other all the time. Enemies and yet friends. Enemies. Yes. 318 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: One of the ways that Pillsbury really pushed themselves and 319 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:28,200 Speaker 1: kept themselves competitive was in how they were early adopters 320 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:33,399 Speaker 1: and innovators of technology in their industry. UM So, for instance, 321 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: they used modern technology to improve their own milling equipment 322 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:38,600 Speaker 1: so that it was more efficient at harvesting the tough 323 00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:43,639 Speaker 1: local wheat. Things like steel rollers that revolutionized flour milling 324 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:48,680 Speaker 1: and earned flour from that region an international reputation. Things 325 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: like that, along with the acquisition of two additional milling machines, 326 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:54,080 Speaker 1: enabled them to produce a daily two thousand barrels of 327 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 1: flour by eighteen seventy two. That same year, Charles reorganized 328 00:22:59,920 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: the company, adding some relatives as partners to create the 329 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 1: c A. Pillsbury and Company. UM. So that also sometimes 330 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 1: comes up as like the first date that this whole 331 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 1: thing started. Um. But he also trademarked the slogan Pillsbury's 332 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 1: Best with four excess. I thought that was a mistake 333 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:21,720 Speaker 1: for the longest time. I was like, so they're like, 334 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:24,680 Speaker 1: is this some kind of weird censorship or are they 335 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:27,399 Speaker 1: not saying? But the excess denote qualities, So three excess 336 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 1: is like really good for excess is like the best? Yes, right. 337 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:38,040 Speaker 1: Pillsbury added six more mills, including one that was the 338 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:40,159 Speaker 1: largest in the world at the time, and it was 339 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:44,399 Speaker 1: technologically advanced UM during the eighties, so this allowed for 340 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: the company to triple their production. They did take a hit, however, 341 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:53,159 Speaker 1: after fires damaged three of their mills, and this was 342 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: a serious problem at the time flower mill fires because 343 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,719 Speaker 1: flower is combustible UM, and there weren't really a lot 344 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:03,680 Speaker 1: of safety precautions going on in the industry or any 345 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 1: industry at the time. UM. You can see the American 346 00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 1: Shadows episode. I do this other show called American Shadows 347 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 1: about kind of historical true crime sort of stuff, and 348 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:16,960 Speaker 1: we did a segment about UM fire at the Washburn 349 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 1: Mills UM in a episode called Bitter Sweet, Oh I 350 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:29,280 Speaker 1: Love It. Yes anyway, Yes, Pillsbury had almost recovered from 351 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:32,680 Speaker 1: these fires when they were purchased by an English financial 352 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:36,400 Speaker 1: syndicate in eighty nine. Well, that also bought up other 353 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:39,240 Speaker 1: competing mills in the area, along with equipment like water 354 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: power rights. Charles Pillsbury stayed in a leadership position at 355 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 1: this newly created Pillsbury Washburn Flower Mills Company Limited um 356 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:50,359 Speaker 1: by E. They were producing ten thousand barrels of flour 357 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:53,600 Speaker 1: a day and they became the world's largest billion company. 358 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:56,399 Speaker 1: Now this this kind of paragraph right here is one 359 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 1: of these examples of what I'm talking about where I 360 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 1: try to go into this like this English company, and 361 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:05,399 Speaker 1: I was like, how much is interesting and worth saying? 362 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: I mean, it's all worth mentioning that. How far should 363 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:16,720 Speaker 1: I the company politics and intrigue? Yes, um I did 364 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,720 Speaker 1: want to include this. However, Charles also started one of 365 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 1: the country's first profit sharing plans for employees in three 366 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:27,639 Speaker 1: and invested in the electrification of Minneapolis and their streetcar system. 367 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 1: So this is kind of revolutionary at the time. Yeah, yeah, 368 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:32,680 Speaker 1: and I and I and I will say the takeaway 369 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:38,120 Speaker 1: from the Washburn Crosby Mills fire was that, um uh, 370 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 1: the runners of those mills like really put in place 371 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 1: good changes to to help out with the with the 372 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 1: safety of their of their humans, and that was that 373 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 1: was great good. Yeah, yes, definitely um. Another piece of 374 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:59,679 Speaker 1: Pillsbury success was all about strategy. In the nineties, they 375 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 1: pivot it to focus on selling to retailers. They made 376 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:09,320 Speaker 1: advertising a priority. However, there were hiccups in the early 377 00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:12,840 Speaker 1: twentieth century. They struggled with freight rates and a general 378 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 1: depression in the agricultural field. After a poor harvest in 379 00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:20,280 Speaker 1: nineteen o seven and the company went into receivership, three men, 380 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 1: including Charles A. Pillsbury's son Charles S. Pillsbury UM, were 381 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:29,239 Speaker 1: put in charge of reorganizing the company once again, and 382 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:33,720 Speaker 1: they renamed it the Pillsbury Mills Flower Company. This reorganization 383 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:36,400 Speaker 1: involved changing how the mills were run and a game 384 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 1: changing decision to build their own lab for product research. 385 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:45,439 Speaker 1: Through things like this, the company recovered and more and 386 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:49,200 Speaker 1: in they were able to purchase all the remaining outstanding 387 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 1: assets from Pillsbury Washburn. During the same decade, they started 388 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:56,160 Speaker 1: opening new plants in the area and a little later 389 00:26:56,640 --> 00:27:02,880 Speaker 1: started acquiring other companies kinds of other companies. But oh, yeah, 390 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:05,959 Speaker 1: we're gonna get into that. But yeah, but first brief 391 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:10,640 Speaker 1: architecture aside, Yes, because I gathered this is a big 392 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:12,880 Speaker 1: deal and I really want to hear from listeners about this, 393 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:17,480 Speaker 1: UM if you know more. In nineteen eighteen, Charles's son, 394 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:21,520 Speaker 1: John S. Billsbury constructed the South Wales Estate on Bracken's 395 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:25,320 Speaker 1: Point in Minnetonka, Minnesota, which he and his wife Eleanor 396 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: are often frequented during the summer. A little over a 397 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:31,480 Speaker 1: decade later, in nineteen thirty, it became the permanent Pillsbury 398 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:34,320 Speaker 1: family home. It was sold for the first time after 399 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:40,000 Speaker 1: Eleanor's death at one hundred and four in in it 400 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:43,640 Speaker 1: was demolished to make way for condom Yeah, and from 401 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:47,400 Speaker 1: what I understand, it was a very storied property. Yeah yeah, 402 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 1: So listeners, we really yeah right in yeah, Minnesota, right 403 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:56,560 Speaker 1: in m and the original Minneapolisteen mansion owned by Charles 404 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 1: Pillsbury was made into the headquarters for Blind Inc. B 405 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:03,399 Speaker 1: l I n D. Capitalized to function as a quote 406 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 1: modern training center for the blind without sacrificing the charm 407 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 1: and beauty of the original structure. In nineteen three, UM 408 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,840 Speaker 1: I also believe the original mill is still running. But again, listeners, 409 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:19,600 Speaker 1: you gotta let us know, yeah, are still standing as 410 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: perhaps a better word back to the company, though UM Pillsbury. 411 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 1: They were still thinking of ways to innovate, and by 412 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:30,639 Speaker 1: two they had expanded their product line to include cereals 413 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:35,920 Speaker 1: and cake flour. In nineteen thirty one, Pillsbury debut their 414 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 1: iconic can popping technology. I think we talked about that 415 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 1: in the Velvita episode. We've talked about it before. Somewhere 416 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 1: in the nineteen forties, Pillsbury purchased Globe Grain and Milling 417 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:53,800 Speaker 1: Company for three million dollars and continued producing their lines 418 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:56,960 Speaker 1: of pastas and pancake and biscuit mixes, which is, Yeah, 419 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 1: this is a recurrent theme of like purchasing something, continuing 420 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:04,840 Speaker 1: to make what they made. Through this, they were able 421 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: to reach a flour milling record of forty barrels a day. 422 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:13,120 Speaker 1: And yeah, I know. In nine four they changed their 423 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 1: name once again to Pillsbury Mills Incorporated. UM. Also during 424 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:21,040 Speaker 1: this decade, they started exporting flour and started selling food 425 00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: products to hotels and restaurants, and supplied products for the U. S. 426 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:30,880 Speaker 1: Army during World during World War Two. UM, and gosh, 427 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:36,320 Speaker 1: that's not all. That's not all. They started offering a 428 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:40,200 Speaker 1: slew of new products in the nineteen forties, dry soup mixes, 429 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:44,440 Speaker 1: boxed cake mixes, and when they acquired Ballard and Ballard 430 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 1: Company in ninety one, they kept producing and selling their 431 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:53,680 Speaker 1: line of refrigerated foods. Their expansion continued throughout the fifties, 432 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 1: um opening milling operations in Canada and boosting their storage capacity. 433 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:00,920 Speaker 1: Soon after, they started purchasing mills and trees like Venezuela, 434 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 1: the Philippines, Guatemala, France, Australia and Germany. In nineteen sixty 435 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: they acquired their first non food purchase, a company that 436 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:14,120 Speaker 1: sold household cleaners. By nineteen sixty three, their name appeared 437 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 1: on one seven product labels later, including a drink mix 438 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:20,360 Speaker 1: meant to compete with kool Aid that included some highly 439 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 1: offensive names, included that because I've seen those in a 440 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 1: like I recently watched an old timey movie and I 441 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:29,440 Speaker 1: saw it in the background. I was like, oh yeah. 442 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:32,960 Speaker 1: And also a powdered milkshake mix called mood Juice which 443 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 1: moo juice moo Juice, which they discontinued because it seemingly 444 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:44,240 Speaker 1: didn't work out very well. Okay, yeah, yeah, um that 445 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:48,680 Speaker 1: bake off. Pillsbury launched their annual Pillsbury Bake Off in 446 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 1: ninety nine The first iteration was hosted at the Waldorf 447 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:55,960 Speaker 1: Storia Hotel in New York City by radio personality Ari 448 00:30:56,240 --> 00:31:00,240 Speaker 1: link Letter. Since then, dishes like bunt cakes and nut 449 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:04,960 Speaker 1: blossoms have been popularized and become classics, in part due 450 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 1: to this event. Theodora's small field one dollars for entry 451 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:14,360 Speaker 1: of no need water rising twist at this first this 452 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 1: first event, uh and yes. The bakeoff moved to every 453 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:20,880 Speaker 1: two years in nineteen seventy six, and then switched back 454 00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:27,440 Speaker 1: to annual in and then took a hiatus from I 455 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,880 Speaker 1: didn't see anything about the pandemic, but I'm assuming there's 456 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 1: been a yeah. Yeah it was. I Oh, I didn't 457 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:39,840 Speaker 1: check whether it was on, but it was definitely so. Yeah. 458 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 1: And with technological developments of the fifties and sixties and 459 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:49,120 Speaker 1: the American preference for convenience that happened in those decades, 460 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,080 Speaker 1: Pillsbury sought to cash in on all of that, with 461 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 1: things like the nineteen sixty seven purchase of fast food 462 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:58,520 Speaker 1: chain Burger King, which I did not know. I had 463 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:04,160 Speaker 1: no idea. By the following year, the company owned interest 464 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:07,360 Speaker 1: in a wide range of industries, from life insurance to 465 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:13,360 Speaker 1: computer time sharing. Yes, under new leadership. In nineteen seventy three, 466 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 1: non related food interests were sold off so that the 467 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 1: company could focus solely on food products. Over the seventies 468 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 1: and eighties, the company acquired Totino's Finer Foods and Green 469 00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:29,840 Speaker 1: Giant UH Steak in Ale Hogendes von de camp which 470 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:33,200 Speaker 1: is the seafood kind of kind of thing. Um Diverse 471 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 1: of Foods Incorporated and quick Walk Incorporated and restaurants provided 472 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 1: this huge chunk of cash and growth through them during 473 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:47,200 Speaker 1: this time. UH these purchases significantly increased the company's sales. 474 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:51,960 Speaker 1: By the nineteen eighties, Pillsbury provided ten percent of America's 475 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:56,560 Speaker 1: Flower Yeah. From nineteen seventy two to nineteen eighties six, 476 00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: the company's sales and earnings continued on an upward trajector. 477 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:05,520 Speaker 1: It was like truly amazing, Yeah, They're earnings almost doubled 478 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:09,479 Speaker 1: from nineteen eighty to nine five. By four their products 479 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:16,920 Speaker 1: were available in fifty five countries. And speaking of technological developments, 480 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:21,880 Speaker 1: Pillsbury food scientists Dr Howard Bauman was involved in developing 481 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 1: edible cubes for astronauts in the nineteen sixties. When astronauts 482 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:30,200 Speaker 1: Scott Carpenter snacked on the cubes in. In nineteen sixty two, 483 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:33,320 Speaker 1: he became the first person to eat solid food in space. 484 00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:38,280 Speaker 1: Oh if we if we mentioned that Pillsbury was part 485 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:40,120 Speaker 1: of that in our space food episode, I do not 486 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:44,080 Speaker 1: remember us doing it. That is, that's fascinating, it is 487 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 1: And you know we love a good space food fact. 488 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:49,240 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, oh yeah. Oh, but this also brings us 489 00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:55,400 Speaker 1: to something else. We love mascots. So one piece of 490 00:33:55,440 --> 00:34:00,560 Speaker 1: Pillsbury's success was indeed advertising. In nineteen sixty five, the 491 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:04,720 Speaker 1: company debuted Poppin Fresh, a k a. The tills Very 492 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:08,280 Speaker 1: dough Boy. The dough Boy was created by the Leo 493 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:14,839 Speaker 1: Burnett ad agency and first voice by actor Paul Freeze. Yeah. 494 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:20,600 Speaker 1: Mr Poppin Fresh was apparently created by UM, a guy 495 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:24,960 Speaker 1: who worked for this agency named Riddy Pears, and he 496 00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:28,640 Speaker 1: was he had this concept of this little bit of 497 00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:32,880 Speaker 1: anthropomorphic dough just kind of popping out of one of 498 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:38,560 Speaker 1: these canisters and coming to life. UM, and they they 499 00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:42,520 Speaker 1: worked on it. UM. The voice Paul Paul Freeze beat 500 00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:45,200 Speaker 1: out some fifty other actors who auditioned for the voice, 501 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:52,120 Speaker 1: including the voice of Tigger Paul Winchell m hm uh. 502 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:55,319 Speaker 1: The design and original drawing for this character was done 503 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:58,520 Speaker 1: by one Martin Nodle, who was employed by the agency 504 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:01,600 Speaker 1: at the time, but he's also behind the original Green 505 00:35:01,719 --> 00:35:04,400 Speaker 1: Lantern uh and earned a name for himself in the 506 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 1: comic book Rolls. To bring the Doughboy to life, the 507 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:11,080 Speaker 1: company employed a pioneer in the realm of computer graphics, 508 00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 1: Pacific Data Images. They formed this plan to create thirteen 509 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:19,760 Speaker 1: stop motion ads like immediately like. It was an aggressive campaign, 510 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 1: um and within three years it worked like s of 511 00:35:24,239 --> 00:35:31,440 Speaker 1: American consumers recognized the doughe boy. Dang, that's fast. According 512 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:35,360 Speaker 1: to inventors dot org quote, his formal name is Poppin Fresh. 513 00:35:35,719 --> 00:35:38,320 Speaker 1: The only music he ever performed was rap. He is 514 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:41,239 Speaker 1: all dough, He has blue eyes. He always wears a 515 00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:44,799 Speaker 1: baker's hat and scarf. He originates from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He 516 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:46,920 Speaker 1: loves to bake, and twenty years ago he had a 517 00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:53,120 Speaker 1: wife and two pets. I'm sorry, it's funny. Now it's 518 00:35:53,239 --> 00:35:57,920 Speaker 1: very It's there's yep, I was. I was laughing a 519 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:01,160 Speaker 1: lot considering the kind of like like dryness of some 520 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:05,879 Speaker 1: of this material. Um. Yeah, inventors dot org, I will 521 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:11,000 Speaker 1: say is missing a few details, including the other musical 522 00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:16,400 Speaker 1: stylings of our friend Poppin Fresh. According to General Mills, 523 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:19,399 Speaker 1: he's also appeared as an opera singer and a rock 524 00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:24,360 Speaker 1: star and has played instruments ranging from the harmonica to 525 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:30,400 Speaker 1: the violin, to the bugle to the accordion. Oh very challenged, 526 00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:36,399 Speaker 1: I see. And as the early nineties seventies, we were 527 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:39,880 Speaker 1: also introduced to the Popin Fresh doll that was so 528 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:43,320 Speaker 1: popular the company released dolls for the whole family, including 529 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:49,080 Speaker 1: wife Poppy Fresh, kids Popper and Bun Bun Dog, Flapjack, 530 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:54,279 Speaker 1: Cat Biscuit, and grandparents grand Mom Er and grand Papper 531 00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:58,640 Speaker 1: and Uncle Rowlie. Never forget, Never forget. I think there 532 00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 1: were finger puppets and they was like a little Vinyl 533 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 1: playhouse set. Oh my gosh. I did read that they 534 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:08,879 Speaker 1: were collector's items. Now, yeah, there was. There was also 535 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:12,560 Speaker 1: a family teddy bear by the name of Cupcake. And 536 00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:16,160 Speaker 1: yes there was a stuffed animal. Oh my gosh. Uh 537 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:18,879 Speaker 1: and a few young actors appeared in these commercials before 538 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:26,120 Speaker 1: they got big, including Michael Sarah, Kirsten Dunce, and Drew Barrymore. Yeah. Also, 539 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:29,400 Speaker 1: according to the Pillsbury site, at one point, Popping Poppin 540 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:34,000 Speaker 1: Pop and Fresh was receiving two d fan letters a week. 541 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:38,080 Speaker 1: Oh and according to mental Floss, the original stop motion 542 00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:41,960 Speaker 1: animation called for five bodies and fifteen heads. And as 543 00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:44,440 Speaker 1: I said, I literally was just talking to somebody about this, 544 00:37:44,520 --> 00:37:49,520 Speaker 1: so you know, the universe was sending me a sign again. Yeah, 545 00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:55,440 Speaker 1: it's all points converge on popping fresh. Oh gosh, oh gosh. 546 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:03,680 Speaker 1: But this growth that we've been describing for Pillsbury could 547 00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:07,840 Speaker 1: not continue forever, and by the mid nineteen eighties it 548 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:10,400 Speaker 1: had begun to slow. They tried a few things to 549 00:38:10,440 --> 00:38:13,040 Speaker 1: combat this um, some that worked and some that didn't, 550 00:38:13,160 --> 00:38:16,440 Speaker 1: including developing concept restaurants and a line of frozen and 551 00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:21,080 Speaker 1: microwavable foods. However, the company's progress continued to slow in decline, 552 00:38:21,120 --> 00:38:24,280 Speaker 1: so the higher ups decided to reduce their restaurant division 553 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:29,560 Speaker 1: by their earnings dropped to half that of the year before, 554 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:32,880 Speaker 1: around seven million dollars. That same year, the new president 555 00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:37,120 Speaker 1: tried unsuccessfully to fight off a takeover, and in nine 556 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:42,480 Speaker 1: the company was absorbed by the British distilling company Grand Metropolitan. Uh. 557 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:44,960 Speaker 1: This catapulted the Grand met as it was called, to 558 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:47,959 Speaker 1: become the eighth largest food manufacturing company in the world. 559 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,920 Speaker 1: And this is another like it was very business ee 560 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:54,000 Speaker 1: stock market marketing, so I didn't go into it. It 561 00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:58,160 Speaker 1: was interesting UM, but I was like, okay, this is 562 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:04,279 Speaker 1: a little two technical huh. Right. So the Grand Net 563 00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:07,239 Speaker 1: did some shuffling and reorganizing and profits increased. In the 564 00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:10,680 Speaker 1: early nineteen nineties, they moved away from staple products and 565 00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:15,000 Speaker 1: focused more on branded items and international expansion, acquiring more 566 00:39:15,040 --> 00:39:22,000 Speaker 1: companies along the way. In they introduced eighty new products. UM. 567 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:25,680 Speaker 1: As of ninety six, Pillsbury was only available in the 568 00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:31,160 Speaker 1: United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico, and South Africa. UM and Right. 569 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:35,359 Speaker 1: Grand Mett was looking to expand UM back into the 570 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:38,239 Speaker 1: United Kingdom at the time, as well as other international 571 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 1: markets UM and in the UK specifically UM, even though 572 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:46,960 Speaker 1: the brand had previously failed to catch on a couple 573 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:52,200 Speaker 1: of different times. A representative for the company said of 574 00:39:52,280 --> 00:40:02,600 Speaker 1: Pillsbury and the dough Boy, there's a latent awareness it does. 575 00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:06,080 Speaker 1: It sounds kind of menacing. I don't know. All points 576 00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:10,680 Speaker 1: converge on the Doughboy. We're uncovering something here. I don't know. 577 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:19,920 Speaker 1: In the Grand Met merge with Guinness to form Dago. 578 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:22,000 Speaker 1: That is another I knew there was something else our 579 00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:26,799 Speaker 1: Guinness episode, UM you could also check out oh yeah, yeah, yes. 580 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:30,320 Speaker 1: And through this merger, alcohol became their most profitable sector, 581 00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:33,320 Speaker 1: and the food side of the business, including Pillsbury, just 582 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:36,120 Speaker 1: wasn't the focus and it wasn't keeping up. So in 583 00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:41,080 Speaker 1: two thousand one, Dago sold Pillsbury to General Mills and 584 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:44,279 Speaker 1: a really complicated deal that yeah, I'm not going to 585 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:47,520 Speaker 1: go into. UM. The sale was valued at ten point 586 00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:51,960 Speaker 1: five billion dollars, but the next few years were pretty 587 00:40:52,040 --> 00:40:57,000 Speaker 1: rocky with decreasing sales and payouts. Yeah, this this deal 588 00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:01,240 Speaker 1: was a lot um. You know, Like we've been talking about, 589 00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:05,400 Speaker 1: the two companies had been local competitors, literally across the 590 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:09,359 Speaker 1: river for forever. UM. They had gone to court over 591 00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:12,840 Speaker 1: patent infringement at least once. I only found one record, 592 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:15,680 Speaker 1: but I honestly assume it's more than that. UM. And 593 00:41:16,640 --> 00:41:20,759 Speaker 1: also during this deal, UM, General Mills was looking to 594 00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:25,080 Speaker 1: shave some four hundred million dollars in costs by consolidating 595 00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:29,960 Speaker 1: across Pillsbury General Mills UM. So there was there was 596 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:33,680 Speaker 1: some controversy, there were some opinions to be had UM 597 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:38,759 Speaker 1: while acquiring Pillsbury. There there was like a bunch of 598 00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:41,960 Speaker 1: hubbub in the news about whether General Mills was going 599 00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:46,400 Speaker 1: to need to sell their Betty Crocker shelf Stable baking 600 00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:51,080 Speaker 1: mixed line and so not to get hit with antitrust suits. 601 00:41:51,719 --> 00:41:53,919 Speaker 1: Um and they were It sounded like planning on doing 602 00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:57,720 Speaker 1: that for a minute, but wound up instead selling Pillsberries 603 00:41:58,040 --> 00:42:02,879 Speaker 1: making mixed division to another company called the International Multi 604 00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:06,919 Speaker 1: Foods Corporation that was for three hundred and four point 605 00:42:07,040 --> 00:42:12,680 Speaker 1: five million dollars in cash that same year two thousand one. Yeah, 606 00:42:12,880 --> 00:42:15,200 Speaker 1: I'm so right. So that is that is where upon 607 00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:19,320 Speaker 1: anything that's in the baking aisle became part of a 608 00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:23,279 Speaker 1: different company, the cake mixes, the frosting, etcetera. The fun 609 00:42:23,320 --> 00:42:26,520 Speaker 1: Fetti brand was part of the deal. Multi Foods already 610 00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:28,520 Speaker 1: had a bunch of other baking aisle brands and its 611 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:32,560 Speaker 1: portfolio um and they were bought by Smuckers in two 612 00:42:32,600 --> 00:42:38,960 Speaker 1: thousand four, UM who then turned around and sold um 613 00:42:39,080 --> 00:42:43,800 Speaker 1: It's baking aisle brands to a newly formed private company 614 00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:49,279 Speaker 1: called Hometown Food Company. In that total deal was worth 615 00:42:49,360 --> 00:42:52,880 Speaker 1: three d seventy five million dollars UM and apparently the 616 00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:56,600 Speaker 1: Pillsbury division was worth some two hundred million a year 617 00:42:57,080 --> 00:43:05,319 Speaker 1: at the time. Yeah, yeah, Um what what a web 618 00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:10,359 Speaker 1: we weave? Um? But back to the dough Boy. Dough 619 00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:15,360 Speaker 1: Boy update Uh, pop and Fresh was number six in 620 00:43:15,480 --> 00:43:20,680 Speaker 1: Advertising Ages list of top ad icons of the twenty century. Um. 621 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:24,720 Speaker 1: He's been a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade 622 00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:35,240 Speaker 1: since two thousand nine. Um was the dough Boys Birthday anniversary. Anyway, 623 00:43:35,440 --> 00:43:39,799 Speaker 1: he now appears on packaging and over twenty countries. Mm 624 00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:46,239 Speaker 1: hmmm um. Throughout the twenty teens, though, um, back to 625 00:43:46,320 --> 00:43:50,240 Speaker 1: the general mills side, sales of refrigerated does were dropping 626 00:43:50,760 --> 00:43:55,239 Speaker 1: as consumers moved away from products that require even that 627 00:43:55,400 --> 00:43:58,839 Speaker 1: amount of work in favor of ready made products um. 628 00:43:58,920 --> 00:44:02,680 Speaker 1: And also away from sugar and other carbs in general. Um, 629 00:44:03,000 --> 00:44:06,400 Speaker 1: Even sales of convenience um, frozen baked goods like like 630 00:44:06,520 --> 00:44:12,680 Speaker 1: those toaster stroodles were dropping. Um I know, I know. Um, 631 00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:18,480 Speaker 1: so in Pillsbury started selling refrigerated kits to make it 632 00:44:18,640 --> 00:44:21,720 Speaker 1: even easier to make those like like pull apart garlic 633 00:44:22,200 --> 00:44:25,279 Speaker 1: or or or garlic rolls or monkey bread. Yeah. Um 634 00:44:25,760 --> 00:44:30,680 Speaker 1: and similar like half homemade classics or previously you would 635 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:35,200 Speaker 1: have had to have brought the garlic oil or cinnamon 636 00:44:35,280 --> 00:44:38,000 Speaker 1: sugar to your own party. Now it's all packaged up 637 00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:41,560 Speaker 1: there in a kid. UM. Also, they debuted cookie dough 638 00:44:41,680 --> 00:44:45,360 Speaker 1: specifically meant to be snacked on without baking. Like. Not 639 00:44:45,560 --> 00:44:49,600 Speaker 1: only did they make it safe or safer anyway to 640 00:44:50,200 --> 00:44:53,200 Speaker 1: to to eat their rale cookie dough, they also they 641 00:44:53,320 --> 00:44:55,720 Speaker 1: just sold it in little started selling in little tubs, 642 00:44:56,800 --> 00:44:59,919 Speaker 1: little balls of it pre just just ready to pop 643 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:10,160 Speaker 1: in your mouth, popping frozen or popping refrigerated. Yeah gosh. Um. 644 00:45:11,400 --> 00:45:17,400 Speaker 1: Also also from they debuted ready to eat snap cakes 645 00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:19,839 Speaker 1: and cookies and the snack aisle for the first time, 646 00:45:20,800 --> 00:45:26,480 Speaker 1: including a confetti cookie because they can't use fun fetty. 647 00:45:26,960 --> 00:45:30,240 Speaker 1: Oh gosh, I love this. I know what's so steepid? 648 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:35,719 Speaker 1: I love it? Yeah me too, Um yeah ready ready made. 649 00:45:35,880 --> 00:45:39,480 Speaker 1: UM Snack sales have been up during the pandemic, and 650 00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:43,440 Speaker 1: General Mills seems real dedicated to making the business work. Um. 651 00:45:44,719 --> 00:45:48,799 Speaker 1: They announced a sixty five million dollar upgrade to UM 652 00:45:49,040 --> 00:45:52,920 Speaker 1: the plant in Tennessee that makes yo Play and Pillsberry 653 00:45:53,239 --> 00:46:00,120 Speaker 1: refrigerated products. So mhm mm hmm um. However, pandemic mix 654 00:46:00,160 --> 00:46:05,800 Speaker 1: supply chain shortages have affected the brand apparently. UM. Apparently, 655 00:46:05,840 --> 00:46:11,280 Speaker 1: General Mills usually stocks it's refrigerated stuff to night percent 656 00:46:11,520 --> 00:46:15,560 Speaker 1: plus of the demand rate, but as of February to March, 657 00:46:16,760 --> 00:46:21,120 Speaker 1: Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough, for example, was down to around 658 00:46:22,560 --> 00:46:25,520 Speaker 1: of the demand rate. Um A company reps said that 659 00:46:25,520 --> 00:46:28,880 Speaker 1: the issue was ingredient shortages fats and oils and starch 660 00:46:28,960 --> 00:46:33,880 Speaker 1: and packaging. Yeah. Um. Wheat prices also are currently rising, 661 00:46:34,280 --> 00:46:37,759 Speaker 1: with futures up by five point three as of the 662 00:46:37,800 --> 00:46:42,000 Speaker 1: beginning of March um and Rushi's attack on Ukraine, as 663 00:46:42,120 --> 00:46:45,760 Speaker 1: those two countries produced some fourteen percent of the world's wheat. 664 00:46:46,120 --> 00:46:49,880 Speaker 1: So everyone is kind of keeping an eye on brands 665 00:46:49,920 --> 00:46:54,000 Speaker 1: like this that deal with products like that. Yeah. Yeah, 666 00:46:55,960 --> 00:46:59,560 Speaker 1: and this has been really interesting. It was, as you said, 667 00:46:59,560 --> 00:47:01,759 Speaker 1: a lot of like kind of dryer stuff and like 668 00:47:02,160 --> 00:47:08,160 Speaker 1: a lot of like business e stuff. But I mean 669 00:47:08,320 --> 00:47:11,560 Speaker 1: it was interesting to see how many companies got involved. Um, 670 00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:15,440 Speaker 1: if you're curious, like the companies um that I was 671 00:47:15,520 --> 00:47:18,520 Speaker 1: mentioning kind of my list during the seventies and eighties, 672 00:47:18,600 --> 00:47:23,320 Speaker 1: they don't own all of those anymore. Uh. Yeah, everything 673 00:47:23,360 --> 00:47:27,400 Speaker 1: has changed hands so many times at this point, yes, Uh, 674 00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:32,799 Speaker 1: which I do legitimately find fascinating. I know, it's kind 675 00:47:32,840 --> 00:47:36,880 Speaker 1: of like one of those heavy I gotta sit with 676 00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:38,520 Speaker 1: this in my brain. Make sure you know what it means, 677 00:47:38,640 --> 00:47:43,480 Speaker 1: but I do find it interesting. Oh, yes, absolutely, yes, 678 00:47:44,160 --> 00:47:46,359 Speaker 1: well I think that's what we have to say about 679 00:47:46,360 --> 00:47:50,400 Speaker 1: Pillsbury for now. It is. We do have some listener 680 00:47:50,440 --> 00:47:52,319 Speaker 1: mail for you, but first we've got one more quick 681 00:47:52,320 --> 00:48:02,799 Speaker 1: break for a word from our sponsor, and we're back. 682 00:48:02,840 --> 00:48:05,719 Speaker 1: Thank you, sponsor, Yes, thank you, and we're back with 683 00:48:14,880 --> 00:48:19,880 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, that was adorable. We both kind of 684 00:48:19,920 --> 00:48:26,120 Speaker 1: panicked about the opening up the canister, you know, fresh 685 00:48:27,120 --> 00:48:34,080 Speaker 1: fresh um Dale wrote, most military units have to undergo 686 00:48:34,160 --> 00:48:38,279 Speaker 1: readiness inspections, which often include simulated disasters. To fix in 687 00:48:39,400 --> 00:48:42,439 Speaker 1: my submarine was no exception. Twice a year we would 688 00:48:42,480 --> 00:48:45,239 Speaker 1: come in and pick up our writers, then slip back 689 00:48:45,280 --> 00:48:47,640 Speaker 1: out to sea. For the next three to four days. 690 00:48:47,680 --> 00:48:51,520 Speaker 1: We would endure oral and written examinations and said disaster drills. 691 00:48:52,000 --> 00:48:54,239 Speaker 1: During this evolution, you felt lucky to get more than 692 00:48:54,320 --> 00:48:57,000 Speaker 1: three hours of sleep but day, sometimes even all in 693 00:48:57,120 --> 00:48:59,719 Speaker 1: one shot. Of course, our captain had prepared us for 694 00:48:59,800 --> 00:49:03,360 Speaker 1: this by running his own training sessions, leaving us already exhausted. 695 00:49:03,920 --> 00:49:06,239 Speaker 1: We had come to the end of one such inspection. 696 00:49:06,360 --> 00:49:08,520 Speaker 1: I don't remember a specific grade, but we had passed 697 00:49:08,960 --> 00:49:11,040 Speaker 1: Um on our way back to Port, where I would 698 00:49:11,040 --> 00:49:12,800 Speaker 1: see my wife and daughters for the first time in 699 00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:14,759 Speaker 1: three months. I had a few minutes to sit before 700 00:49:14,800 --> 00:49:17,759 Speaker 1: going onto my next watch station. Someone had put a 701 00:49:17,800 --> 00:49:20,160 Speaker 1: cassette tape into the ship's player and I heard this 702 00:49:20,239 --> 00:49:24,200 Speaker 1: awesome song that express so well my current mental state. 703 00:49:24,880 --> 00:49:27,440 Speaker 1: I failed to check who the singer was, and though 704 00:49:27,480 --> 00:49:31,120 Speaker 1: I looked often, I never could find the song. Years later, 705 00:49:31,280 --> 00:49:34,760 Speaker 1: a lovely thing called the Internet finally made that searches 706 00:49:35,080 --> 00:49:38,480 Speaker 1: more possible, typing in the few words I remembered into 707 00:49:38,520 --> 00:49:41,440 Speaker 1: the iTunes search bar I was rewarded as those lyrics 708 00:49:41,560 --> 00:49:45,120 Speaker 1: came alive again. I want cold pizza for breakfast and 709 00:49:45,280 --> 00:49:49,800 Speaker 1: to Pincho, cold spaghetti would do the songs by Christine 710 00:49:50,040 --> 00:49:55,080 Speaker 1: Lavin and should definitely give it a lesson. Okay, yes 711 00:49:55,200 --> 00:49:59,279 Speaker 1: this is in response to our call cold Pizza. We 712 00:49:59,440 --> 00:50:03,120 Speaker 1: love it here. Yes, I've never heard this song, but 713 00:50:03,200 --> 00:50:07,839 Speaker 1: I love that. You know, sometimes she just wake up 714 00:50:07,880 --> 00:50:09,319 Speaker 1: in the morning you don't want to eat anything up. 715 00:50:09,400 --> 00:50:13,600 Speaker 1: You're like, well, yeah, it's gonna be great cold convenience foods, right, 716 00:50:15,440 --> 00:50:23,400 Speaker 1: so good? Okay, um, Barbie wrote, when I listened to 717 00:50:23,520 --> 00:50:26,640 Speaker 1: your podcast about mangoes. I was instantly transported back to 718 00:50:26,680 --> 00:50:28,920 Speaker 1: my childhood in South Florida, where we lived in a 719 00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:32,480 Speaker 1: house with two mango trees. My mother loved the mangoes 720 00:50:32,520 --> 00:50:35,560 Speaker 1: from her trees and ate them often throughout their growing season. 721 00:50:35,960 --> 00:50:38,040 Speaker 1: They were so juicy that each time she had one, 722 00:50:38,400 --> 00:50:40,520 Speaker 1: she would say, these are so juicy, I should eat 723 00:50:40,560 --> 00:50:43,120 Speaker 1: them in the bathtub. I don't know if she ever 724 00:50:43,239 --> 00:50:45,480 Speaker 1: did that, but I saw her frequently leaning over the 725 00:50:45,560 --> 00:50:50,080 Speaker 1: kitchen sink enjoying one of her beloved juicy mangoes. During 726 00:50:50,080 --> 00:50:52,839 Speaker 1: your Black Pudding episode, you mentioned that people sometimes make 727 00:50:52,960 --> 00:50:55,920 Speaker 1: negative comments about the foods that other people eat. When 728 00:50:55,960 --> 00:50:58,239 Speaker 1: my husband's sixteen year old son came to live with us, 729 00:50:58,360 --> 00:51:00,800 Speaker 1: he had eating preferences there were so different from ours, 730 00:51:00,840 --> 00:51:03,400 Speaker 1: and our eating habits were strange to him. One of 731 00:51:03,480 --> 00:51:05,520 Speaker 1: the first house rules we made was that no one 732 00:51:05,600 --> 00:51:08,600 Speaker 1: could comment on anyone else's food. It went a long 733 00:51:08,680 --> 00:51:14,279 Speaker 1: way to create harmony in our home. Right. Oh yeah, 734 00:51:14,320 --> 00:51:19,399 Speaker 1: that can get so personal so fast. You can feel attacked. Yeah, 735 00:51:20,040 --> 00:51:22,279 Speaker 1: you're like, no, this is delicious, and it's also part 736 00:51:22,360 --> 00:51:26,680 Speaker 1: of my childhood and also new Yeah right, yeah, yeah, exactly. 737 00:51:26,800 --> 00:51:31,040 Speaker 1: I think that's a good that's a pretty good rule. Um. Also, 738 00:51:31,120 --> 00:51:33,880 Speaker 1: I love the eating the mangoes in the o s. 739 00:51:34,480 --> 00:51:36,400 Speaker 1: I do stuff like that. Sometimes the fruit that I 740 00:51:36,480 --> 00:51:38,279 Speaker 1: know is just gonna be so messy. You're just like, 741 00:51:38,400 --> 00:51:40,680 Speaker 1: oh yeah, screw it. Just this is where I live now. 742 00:51:40,880 --> 00:51:46,439 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, that makes me happy. Absolutely. Yes. Um well, 743 00:51:46,560 --> 00:51:48,880 Speaker 1: thanks to vote that those listeners whore writing. If you 744 00:51:48,920 --> 00:51:50,640 Speaker 1: would like to write to us that you can our 745 00:51:50,680 --> 00:51:53,600 Speaker 1: emails hello at savor pod dot com. We're also in 746 00:51:53,719 --> 00:51:56,640 Speaker 1: social media. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and 747 00:51:56,840 --> 00:51:59,520 Speaker 1: Instagram at sabor pod, and we do hope to hear 748 00:51:59,560 --> 00:52:02,120 Speaker 1: from you. Savor is production of I Heart Radio. For 749 00:52:02,280 --> 00:52:04,360 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my Heart Radio, you can visit the 750 00:52:04,440 --> 00:52:07,520 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 751 00:52:07,640 --> 00:52:10,160 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows. Thanks as always to our super 752 00:52:10,160 --> 00:52:13,480 Speaker 1: producers Dylan Fagan and Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, 753 00:52:13,640 --> 00:52:15,239 Speaker 1: and we hope that lots more good things are coming 754 00:52:15,280 --> 00:52:15,640 Speaker 1: your way