Our History

Established in 1913

1903

At just fourteen, young Richard Hellmann was already fostering a love of food as an apprentice at his local food market. But it wasn’t until he moved to New York that he found true success.

1913

It was here that Richard met his wife, Margaret, who just happened to be the daughter of two deli owners. And in 1913, Richard and Margaret realized their dream of setting up shop and the Hellmann’s Delicatessen was born.

1920

The deli that would become our birthplace opened its doors right in the very heart of New York: Columbus Avenue, Manhattan. And Richard began creating his now legendary mayonnaise. Jars were filled to the brim with a delicious blend of ingredients picked to create the ultimate creamy texture and taste.

1925

Originally, two versions of the recipe were sold, and to distinguish between them, Hellmann put a blue ribbon around one. He believed his creation was the best mayonnaise ever. And his customers thought so too. The "ribbon" version was in such high demand that Hellmann designed what is today the iconic "Blue Ribbon" label, to be placed on larger glass jars.

2019

Hellmann’s reputation for being delicious spread across the country, making our mayo a staple in American kitchens for generations since. The brand's flagship product, Hellmann's® Real Mayonnaise, is the best-selling mayonnaise in the United States, thanks to its unmistakable taste.

Good from farm to fork

100% CAGE-FREE EGGS

We make a lot of mayo every year. Which means we use a lot of eggs. And our commitment to cage-free makes a huge difference to the quality of life of literally millions of hens. So we’re proud to say we reached our goal of using 100% cage-free eggs 3 years early.

RESPONSIBLY SOURCED OILS

How we pick our farms starts with how they pick their crops. And we’re doing everything we can to ensure that the farms who supply our oils are dedicated to responsible farming practices that preserve and protect their land for future generations.

BLUE RIBBON FARMS

We’re on a mission to make our responsibly sourced ingredients the Blue Ribbon Standard for the industry, and we can’t do this without our farmers. Our incredible Blue Ribbon Farm families proudly supply Hellmann's® with responsibly sourced soybean oil.