When it comes to secrets they don’t get bigger – or more valuable – than the trade secrets that companies keep. Such is the value of these multi-million pound top-secret blends, mixes and formulae that they’re kept under state-of-the-art lock and key and guarded as closely as is technologically and humanly possible. Here are eight of the biggest:
Made in Scotland from girders - Irn-Bru
Robin Barr, the 71-year-old chairman of AG Barr, goes to the Irn-Bru factory once a month and mixes the 32 ingredients for the soft drink in a sealed room. Since it was invented by his great-grandfather 108 years ago, the recipe is unchanged. Barr will eventually pass on the recipe to his daughter, but he plans to carry on doing the mixing himself for the time-being. Irn-Bru rivals Coke as the biggest-selling soft drink in Scotland; selling 12 cans every second.
The Real Thing - Coca-Cola
Such is the power of the Coca-Cola's secret recipe that former employees have ended up in jail after trying to sell it to Pepsi. To this day it’s said that only two company executives know the formula - and only half of it each. How much the exact recipe really needs protecting is debatable, but the world’s most recognisable brand has certainly come a long way since John Pemberton, a former soldier-turned-drug store owner, marketed it as a “patent medicine” in 1885.
The monks’ elixir - Bénédictine
First formulated in 1510 by Dom Bernardo Vincelli, a Benedictine monk, the secret blend of 27 herbs and spices was almost lost during the French Revolution. In 1791, a Fécamp dignitary bought the 16th century manuscript containing the formula for the elixir. He put it away into his library and forgot about it. In 1863, Alexandre Le Grand, a distant relation came across the book of spells by chance and discovered the secret recipe. He modernised the recipe and mass-market production of Bénédictine began.
From Jamaica to the Dragon’s Den - Reggae Reggae Sauce
When Levi Roots learned his grandmother's secret recipe of herbs and spices, he couldn't know the financial success Reggae Reggae Sauce would be. But in February 2007 Dragons’ Den was aired and the sauce became an instant hit. Sainsbury’s agreed an exclusive deal to stock Reggae Reggae Sauce and Levi took the secret recipe to a factory in Wales who worked to meet the orders of 607 Sainsbury’s supermarkets. The sauce soon became the supermarket’s fastest selling product.
The essence of the Emerald Isle, bottled - Guinness
Some say it’s the essence of Ireland, bottled. It’s certainly the Emerald Isle's most treasured export and one of the most famous beverages in the world. Centuries of speculation that Guinness uses a secret ingredient or a closely guarded brewing technique are still doing the rounds, while others insist there are actually only four natural ingredients that go into every pint. The secret "essence" of Guinness is still created in Dublin and shipped to nearly 50 stout breweries worldwide.
The smell of success - Chanel No 5
created by Ernest Breaux, a Russian parfumier living in Paris in the 1920s. Coco Chanel, the woman it’s named after, chose vial number 5 as her favourite and the world-famous parfum was born. Its longevity has been helped in no small part by Marilyn Monroe, who when asked what she wore in bed, famously replied: “Why, Chanel No. 5, of course.” Chanel estimates that a bottle is sold every 55 seconds.
What's the worst that could happen? - Dr Pepper
The sweet-but-spicy drink now owned by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, is made from a top-secret combination of 23 different ingredients, the exact combination of which is only made known to three senior employees of the firm at any one time. A battered notebook found in a Texas antique store claimed "D Peppers Pepsin Bitter" was originally made from a mixture containing mandrake root and a large quantity of syrup. It has been refuted as being "the" recipe by the company that makes Dr Pepper today.
The Colonel’s secret is safe - Kentucky Fried Chicken
For years, Colonel Harland Sanders carried the secret formula for his Kentucky Fried Chicken in his head. Today, only two company executives at any time have access to the recipe. KFC won't release their names or titles and it uses multiple suppliers who produce and blend the ingredients. One company blends a formulation that represents part of the recipe while another spice company blends the remainder. As a final safeguard, a computer processing system is used to blend the products to ensure neither company has the complete recipe. The original recipe, written in pencil and signed by Harland Sanders, is protected round the clock by an array of high-tech security gadgets.
Made in Scotland from girders - Irn-Bru
Robin Barr, the 71-year-old chairman of AG Barr, goes to the Irn-Bru factory once a month and mixes the 32 ingredients for the soft drink in a sealed room. Since it was invented by his great-grandfather 108 years ago, the recipe is unchanged. Barr will eventually pass on the recipe to his daughter, but he plans to carry on doing the mixing himself for the time-being. Irn-Bru rivals Coke as the biggest-selling soft drink in Scotland; selling 12 cans every second.
The Real Thing - Coca-Cola
Such is the power of the Coca-Cola's secret recipe that former employees have ended up in jail after trying to sell it to Pepsi. To this day it’s said that only two company executives know the formula - and only half of it each. How much the exact recipe really needs protecting is debatable, but the world’s most recognisable brand has certainly come a long way since John Pemberton, a former soldier-turned-drug store owner, marketed it as a “patent medicine” in 1885.
The monks’ elixir - Bénédictine
First formulated in 1510 by Dom Bernardo Vincelli, a Benedictine monk, the secret blend of 27 herbs and spices was almost lost during the French Revolution. In 1791, a Fécamp dignitary bought the 16th century manuscript containing the formula for the elixir. He put it away into his library and forgot about it. In 1863, Alexandre Le Grand, a distant relation came across the book of spells by chance and discovered the secret recipe. He modernised the recipe and mass-market production of Bénédictine began.
From Jamaica to the Dragon’s Den - Reggae Reggae Sauce
When Levi Roots learned his grandmother's secret recipe of herbs and spices, he couldn't know the financial success Reggae Reggae Sauce would be. But in February 2007 Dragons’ Den was aired and the sauce became an instant hit. Sainsbury’s agreed an exclusive deal to stock Reggae Reggae Sauce and Levi took the secret recipe to a factory in Wales who worked to meet the orders of 607 Sainsbury’s supermarkets. The sauce soon became the supermarket’s fastest selling product.
The essence of the Emerald Isle, bottled - Guinness
Some say it’s the essence of Ireland, bottled. It’s certainly the Emerald Isle's most treasured export and one of the most famous beverages in the world. Centuries of speculation that Guinness uses a secret ingredient or a closely guarded brewing technique are still doing the rounds, while others insist there are actually only four natural ingredients that go into every pint. The secret "essence" of Guinness is still created in Dublin and shipped to nearly 50 stout breweries worldwide.
The smell of success - Chanel No 5
created by Ernest Breaux, a Russian parfumier living in Paris in the 1920s. Coco Chanel, the woman it’s named after, chose vial number 5 as her favourite and the world-famous parfum was born. Its longevity has been helped in no small part by Marilyn Monroe, who when asked what she wore in bed, famously replied: “Why, Chanel No. 5, of course.” Chanel estimates that a bottle is sold every 55 seconds.
What's the worst that could happen? - Dr Pepper
The sweet-but-spicy drink now owned by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, is made from a top-secret combination of 23 different ingredients, the exact combination of which is only made known to three senior employees of the firm at any one time. A battered notebook found in a Texas antique store claimed "D Peppers Pepsin Bitter" was originally made from a mixture containing mandrake root and a large quantity of syrup. It has been refuted as being "the" recipe by the company that makes Dr Pepper today.
The Colonel’s secret is safe - Kentucky Fried Chicken
For years, Colonel Harland Sanders carried the secret formula for his Kentucky Fried Chicken in his head. Today, only two company executives at any time have access to the recipe. KFC won't release their names or titles and it uses multiple suppliers who produce and blend the ingredients. One company blends a formulation that represents part of the recipe while another spice company blends the remainder. As a final safeguard, a computer processing system is used to blend the products to ensure neither company has the complete recipe. The original recipe, written in pencil and signed by Harland Sanders, is protected round the clock by an array of high-tech security gadgets.
