The world in 1952: Duncan Hines brand cake mixes introduced
1954
Keith Sr. establishes Keith Stewart Fruit Products, Inc. The Depression-era difficulties endured by his father still fresh in his mind, Keith Sr. set out to provide ingredients to wholesale and industrial bakeries rather than retail.
Inspired by one of E.W.’s ingredient innovations, Keith Sr. made a jelly concentrate the cornerstone offering for Keith Stewart Fruit Products for bakery use as a cost efficient alternative to prepared jellies for jelly roll cakes, danish and sweet goods.
1956
KSFP introduces a full line of fruit-based bakery fillings and toppings utilizing cross-linked modified starch, providing for superior sheer and bake-stability.
The world in 1957: Soviet Union launch Sputnik 1, the first satellite to orbit Earth
1958
KSFP develops Mrs. Stewart’s Jelly Base, the first retail market product for the company.
Mrs. Stewart’s Jelly Base combined pectins and fruit concentrates under specific process and packaging requirements. The end user would combine boiling water and sugar under recipe creating a firm table jelly. It was cost effective, but did not sufficiently value the emerging premium put on household convenience. It was a short-lived, but enlightening retail foray.
The world in 1959: The Twilight Zone premieres on CBS
