HP Sauce is the British condiment named with the initials of the Houses of Parliament.
The sauce was created in the late nineteenth century by Frederick Gibson Garton, a grocer from Nottingham. Its original label featured an image of the Houses of Parliament, leading to the name “HP”, an abbreviation for Houses of Parliament.
HP Sauce is a brown sauce made from ingredients including tomatoes, vinegar, sweeteners, dates, tamarind and spices. Its sweet, tangy flavour makes it a familiar accompaniment to cooked breakfasts, bacon sandwiches and other savoury foods.
The brand’s production later moved from Nottinghamshire to Birmingham and then, after ownership changes, outside Britain. HP Sauce is often confused with generic brown sauce, but HP is a specific branded product.