|
|
The Blue Plate logo lights up the Mid-City sky, although no mayonnaise is produced inside the building with the big neon sign.
|
Hey Blake,
I have a great love of Blue Plate Mayonnaise, the real stuff! When was Blue Plate invented and by whom? How long has it been at its same location?
Jacqueline
Dear Jacqueline,
About 100 years ago in Philadelphia, an enterprising deli owner began producing in the back of his store the first commercial mayonnaise. He put it in jars and sold it under the name of "Mrs. Schlorer’s." And by the mid-1920s, mayo – which before had only been concocted by gourmet chefs and cooks – began to appear on other store shelves.
In the late 1920s, Mr. J. B. Geiger, a chemical engineer, was working for a subsidiary company of Wesson-Snowdrift Oil. When they bought out another company, the new employees were assigned to produce mayonnaise, which was growing in popularity. Mr. Geiger headed the research team, and within three years the plant was up and running. The plant soon had its own label – Blue Plate – and had expanded to include other products such as peanut butter, jams and jellies. The mayo itself was made in a Gretna warehouse.
In 1941, it was decided that the new division of the Wesson-Snowdrift Company needed its own home. A site was found at 1315 S. Jefferson Davis Parkway. The first piling was driven only a month before Pearl Harbor was bombed. Because of the war, steel and other materials were hard to get, and although construction continued, it was quite a challenge. The method chosen resulted in a monolithic concrete structure. The continuous pour concrete method produced a building that is very strong with walls, floors, ceilings all one piece.
In 1974, Blue Plate Foods was purchased by the Wm. B. Reily company that bought the Jefferson Davis site as well. Reily Foods, another New Orleans tradition, also produces CDM coffee and Luzianne Tea.
However, it may come as a shock to you that inside the 60-year-old art deco building with its big neon sign there is no mayo being made. That’s right! Since early 2000, all Blue Plate mayo has been made in Knoxville, Tenn. But fear not. The plant and its employees are still working on other products, the lighted sign will stay on, and we will still be able to buy our "ma-nez" by the gallon.
