# Europe Forum > European Culture & History > European food and recipes >  Pre-20th century food companies that have survived to this day

## Maciamo

Quite a few famous European food companies were founded in the 1800's, some even earlier. In fact, a good deal of the most famous names on the market have a relatively long history, which they do not forget to remind consumers by indicating the founding date on their packaging.

Dallmayr (delicatessen) : 1671
Twinings (tea) : 1706
Fortnum & Mason (tea) : 1707
Douwe Egberts (coffee) : 1753 
Schweppes (tonic) : 1783
Evian (water) : 1826
Lea & Perrins (sauce) : 1838
Cointreau (liquor) : 1849
Gancia (liquor) : 1850
Gervais (dairy) : 1852
Vittel (water) : 1854
Mariage Fr&#232;res (tea) : 1854
Neuhaus (chocolate) : 1857
Bertolli (pasta) : 1865
Nestl&#233; (baby food) : 1866
C&#244;te D'Or (chocolate) : 1870
Martini & Rossi (liquor) : 1879
Grand Marnier (liquor) : 1880
Tiptree (jam) : 1885
Fauchon (delicatessen) : 1886
Taylor's of Harrogate (tea) : 1886
De Cecco (pasta) : 1887
Materne (jam) : 1888
Lipton (tea) : 1890
Rombouts (coffee) : 1896
Perrier (water) : 1898
San Pellegrino (water) : 1899


Naturally, a lot of famous wines, whiskys and beers have a much longer history, particularily beers (anc cheeses) that often go back to the Middle Ages.

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## Minty

I know the following:

Twinings (tea) : 1706
Schweppes (tonic) : 1783
Evian (water) : 1826
Nestl&eacute; (baby food) : 1866
Martini & Rossi (liquor) : 1879
Grand Marnier (liquor) : 1880
Lipton (tea) : 1890
Perrier (water) : 1898

Nestl&eacute;'s baby foods are very popular in Malaysia and Perrier is extremely expensive in Malaysia.

Besides Schweppes and Lipton the other brands don't seem to be so well known in Australia.

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## Maciamo

In France you should be able to find all these brands in any supermarket, except Fauchon, Fortnum & Mason and Dallmayr which have their own department stores (respectively in Paris, London and Munich).

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## Minty

> In France you should be able to find all these brands in any supermarket, except Fauchon, Fortnum & Mason and Dallmayr which have their own department stores (respectively in Paris, London and Munich).



I didn't say those that you listed are not available here. I said I know only some of the brands you listed. I actually don't know all the brands that are available here in our hypermarkets. I don't spend that much time looking carefully at each brand when I shop.

But it is true when I first got here I did spend a lot longer to search for products because almost all the products brands here are different than the ones in Australia. :Haihai:  

We were in Australia not long ago, we went shopping in the 24 hours convenience store my husband took a look and didn't know what to buy, in the end he picked a European brand biscuit he saw and it was gLuh... :Laughing:

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## misa.j

You got two of my favorites on your list there, Maciamo.
Twinings tea is the best tea comes in a teabag, and Evian is the only bottled water that tastes actually better than the natural spring water I can get here. 




> Naturally, a lot of famous wines, whiskys and beers have a much longer history, particularily beers (anc cheeses) that often go back to the Middle Ages.


Gin from the Leyden Distillery in Holland goes back to the Renaissance period. Its first recipe was created by Dr. Franciscus Sylvius in 1650 while searching for a treatment for kidney ailments.

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## Maciamo

> I didn't say those that you listed are not available here. I said I know only some of the brands you listed. I actually don't know all the brands that are available here in our hypermarkets.


Maybe not in all the brands in a Carrefour hypermarket, but these are all very famous brands found even in small supermarkets. I could even find most of them in my local supermarket in Japan (yes, even Materne jam from Belgium !).



> I don't spend that much time looking carefully at each brand when I shop.


That explains one difference between you and me. I am very observative, even of products I don't care about (e.g. beer, as I don't drink it).



> We were in Australia not long ago, we went shopping in the 24 hours convenience store my husband took a look and didn't know what to buy, in the end he picked a European brand biscuit he saw and it was gLuh...


Lu is a Franco-Belgian brand by the way.  :Poh:

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## ricecake

Trader Joes is one nationwide American franchise sells directly imported European goodies,I shop there often for European snack-foods.

I haven't bothered look at brand names or labels.I like French and Belgian cholcolate bars,Italian pastry cookies,plus German rum cakes.

I think the place stocks Bertillo pasta,I now recall once purchased a tall tin can of linguini pasta there.

Nestle has strong presence in US food consumer market,I like having Nestle's cocoa for breakfast drink in cold winter mornings.

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