Manufactured by a company called Spillers, Homepride flour began life in the Midlands. Until 1965, the flour was advertised by real-life chefs performing cooking demonstrations.
In the 1960s, the company was approached by two American advertising copywriters called Bob Geers and Bob Gross, who had the idea for an advertising campaign headed up by chief flour grader Fred. Their pitch resulted in the birth of an advertising icon.
The little bowler-hatted flour graders (under the supervision of Fred) first appeared on television in 1965 and kept actor John LeMesurier above the breadline for many years (following his death, actors Joss Ackland and Richard Briers took over). The job of the little graders was to sort out the grains “because graded grains make finer flour”.
Sales took off, and the little graders began to receive fan mail. By 1969, the first ever Fred merchandise was released (a flour shaker made by Airfix and sold for 3/6 and two special tokens). Half a million people sent off for them.
Fred became so popular that by 1979, he had his own collectables shop where you could buy everything from a Fred salt & pepper set to a Fred pocket radio and Fred oven gloves. Some of the original Fred items are now considered to be antiques.
