# Mrs. Butterworth's
**Mrs. Butterworth's** is an American brand of table syrups and pancake mixes, sold in a bottle molded in the shape of a matronly woman with a long skirt and a bun. The syrup was introduced in 1961 and the brand is currently owned by [Conagra Brands](https://www.edgepedia.org/conagra-brands).[1](https://www.mrsbutterworths.com/) • [2](https://madegooddesigns.com/mrs-butterworths-brand-guidelines/) The figure on the bottle doubles as the brand's mascot, and advertising has consistently involved the bottle "talking" to consumers.[3](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/uncle-ben-cream-of-wheat-chef-and-mrs-butterworth-all-under-review-for-ra/580086/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1961, as a maple-flavor syrup pre-mixed with butter[1](https://www.mrsbutterworths.com/) • [4](https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn99063813/1961-09-12/ed-1/seq-5.pdf) |
| Trademark | MRS. BUTTERWORTH'S filed July 14, 1960 by Lever Brothers Company; registered October 10, 1961[5](https://trademarks.justia.com/721/00/mrs-butterworth-s-72100852.html) |
| Signature packaging | Bottle shaped like a woman with a long skirt and a bun; squeeze bottle since 1999[3](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/uncle-ben-cream-of-wheat-chef-and-mrs-butterworth-all-under-review-for-ra/580086/) • [2](https://madegooddesigns.com/mrs-butterworths-brand-guidelines/) |
| Ownership chain | Lever Brothers/Unilever; Aurora Foods (1996); Pinnacle Foods (2004); Conagra Brands (2018)[6](https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/aurora-foods-inc) • [2](https://madegooddesigns.com/mrs-butterworths-brand-guidelines/) |
| Product line | Original, Extra Buttery, Lite, and Sugar Free syrups; Original and Buttermilk pancake mixes[1](https://www.mrsbutterworths.com/) |
| Nutrition (Original, 2 tbsp) | 110 calories, 22 g total sugars (22 g added), 80 mg sodium, 0 g fat[7](https://directionsforme.org/product/178655) |
| 2020 review | Conagra announced a complete brand and packaging review on June 17, 2020[8](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/conagra-brands-announces-mrs-butterworths-brand-review-301079007.html) |
## Origins and early advertising
The Mrs. Butterworth's trademark was filed with the [United States Patent and Trademark Office](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-patent-and-trademark-office) on July 14, 1960 by Lever Brothers Company and registered on October 10, 1961 for table syrup.[5](https://trademarks.justia.com/721/00/mrs-butterworth-s-72100852.html) The brand's own history dates its start to 1961, when it became a family favorite with its sweet, rich flavor and iconic bottle.[1](https://www.mrsbutterworths.com/) [Newspaper](https://www.edgepedia.org/newspaper) advertising from September 1961 promoted it as "the only maple-flavor syrup with butter in it," a maple-flavor syrup pre-mixed with golden melted butter that stayed smoothly blended without refrigeration, sold in 12 oz. and 24 oz. sizes by Lever Brothers Company of New York.[4](https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn99063813/1961-09-12/ed-1/seq-5.pdf)
From the start, the brand spoke in the character's voice. Pinnacle Foods, a later owner, described the bottle as "talking" in its company history, and the brand's website has told the story in the first person.[2](https://madegooddesigns.com/mrs-butterworths-brand-guidelines/)
## The bottle and the character
The bottle is the brand's defining asset. Its container takes the form of a matronly figure wearing a full-length skirt with her hair in a bun, and the brand's central advertising approach has long centered on bottle-to-consumer dialogue.[3](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/uncle-ben-cream-of-wheat-chef-and-mrs-butterworth-all-under-review-for-ra/580086/) The character has not been portrayed as any particular race; the bottle is dark brown, though most syrup bottles are dark to prevent light damage. Black actress Thelma "Butterfly" McQueen reportedly was the model for the original bottle.[3](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/uncle-ben-cream-of-wheat-chef-and-mrs-butterworth-all-under-review-for-ra/580086/)
**A first name.** For decades the character's first name was kept internal. In 2009, Pinnacle Foods ran a public contest to guess it, after an employee's son asked what it was; the winner received $500 and a case of syrup.[9](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-may-09-fi-butterworth9-story.html) A later design-history account reports the winning name as Joy.[2](https://madegooddesigns.com/mrs-butterworths-brand-guidelines/)
The bottle has also been used as a canvas for seasonal packaging. The design firm Workshop Branding created shrink-wrapped holiday and event-themed wraps for the bottle, extending the character across holidays, seasons, and promotions.[10](https://www.workshopbranding.com/mrsbutterworths)
## Corporate ownership
The brand has changed hands several times. In December 1996, the Dartford Partnership, Fenway Partners, and McCown De Leeuw & Co. formed Aurora Foods Holdings and bought the Mrs. Butterworth's brand of syrups and pancake mixes from Unilever United States for $114.1 million. A few months later Aurora bought the Log Cabin syrup brand from [Kraft Foods](https://www.edgepedia.org/kraft-foods) for $222 million; together the two brands held a combined 34 percent share of the syrup market.[6](https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/aurora-foods-inc) Aurora Foods merged with Pinnacle Foods in 2004, and Conagra Brands acquired Pinnacle Foods in 2018, providing the brand's current corporate home.[2](https://madegooddesigns.com/mrs-butterworths-brand-guidelines/)
Under Aurora, the packaging changed materially. In August 1999 the 24-ounce syrup moved from glass to a three-layer polypropylene squeeze bottle with a nylon barrier to protect flavor, the first step in phasing out glass across the range; the company cited parents' requests for a durable, lightweight bottle.[2](https://madegooddesigns.com/mrs-butterworths-brand-guidelines/)
## Products and nutrition
The current syrup line comprises Original, Extra Buttery, Lite, and Sugar Free varieties, paired with Original and [Buttermilk](https://www.edgepedia.org/buttermilk) pancake mixes.[1](https://www.mrsbutterworths.com/) Original Syrup is sold in 12 oz., 24 oz., and 36 oz. squeeze bottles.[11](https://www.mrsbutterworths.com/syrup/original-syrup) The leading ingredients are high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, and water, with 2 percent or less of cellulose gum, salt, cane syrup, caramel color, preservatives, natural and artificial flavors, citric acid, molasses, lactic acid, and mono and diglycerides.[7](https://directionsforme.org/product/178655) A 2-tablespoon serving of the retail Original Syrup contains 110 calories, 27 g of carbohydrate including 22 g of added sugars (44 percent of the Daily Value), and 80 mg of sodium; refrigeration is not required, and the label warns against microwaving the bottle.[7](https://directionsforme.org/product/178655) A foodservice formulation lists 110 calories, 23 g of sugars, and 70 mg of sodium per 39.69 g serving, with a 540-day shelf life stored at 50 to 85 degrees [Fahrenheit](https://www.edgepedia.org/fahrenheit).[12](https://www.conagrafoodservice.com/products/mrs-buttersworths-original-syrup)
Like other pancake syrups, the product is a table syrup rather than maple syrup; pancake syrups are typically made with corn syrup and caramel color rather than boiled maple sap.[13](https://www.consumerreports.org/health/maple-syrup/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-maple-syrup-a4641022671/)
## Reception in taste tests
The syrup has performed well in blind comparisons. In Epicurious's 2013 blind taste test of five nationally available pancake syrups, Mrs. Butterworth's ($5.49 for 24 ounces) was the overall winner, praised as "very well balanced, not too sweet or overpowering" with rich flavor and buttery notes, though some tasters found it a bit too thick.[14](https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/the-best-maple-syrup-and-pancake-syrup-a-taste-test) A 2018 CBS Boston taste test of four brands ranked it the runner-up behind Log Cabin, describing a buttery, well-balanced blend with hints of molasses.[15](https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/phantom-gourmet-pancake-syrup-food-chain-ranking/)
## The 2020 brand review
In June 2020, following PepsiCo's announcement that it would retire the [Aunt Jemima](https://www.edgepedia.org/aunt-jemima) brand and Mars's announcement of a brand evolution for [Uncle Ben](https://www.edgepedia.org/uncle-ben)'s, Conagra Brands announced a complete brand and packaging review of Mrs. Butterworth's. The company stated that the brand, including its syrup packaging, was intended to evoke the images of a loving grandmother, but acknowledged that its packaging "may be interpreted in a way that is wholly inconsistent with our values."[8](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/conagra-brands-announces-mrs-butterworths-brand-review-301079007.html) Critics have long associated the shape of the bottle with the mammy caricature of Black women, and the bottle's dark color when filled with syrup has contributed to that reading.[3](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/uncle-ben-cream-of-wheat-chef-and-mrs-butterworth-all-under-review-for-ra/580086/) • [16](https://blackwiki.org/index.php?title=Mrs._Butterworth%27s) As of a 2022 design-industry follow-up, the bottle silhouette remained in use.[17](https://thedieline.com/conagra-brands-said-they-would-change-the-mrs-butterworths-bottle-so-what-happened/)
## References
1. [Mrs. Butterworth's official site, "History of a Beloved Brand"](https://www.mrsbutterworths.com/)
2. [Mrs. Butterworth's Brand Guidelines: The 1961 Syrup Sold in a Grandmotherly Bottle, Made Good Designs](https://madegooddesigns.com/mrs-butterworths-brand-guidelines/)
3. [Uncle Ben, Cream of Wheat chef and Mrs. Butterworth all under review for racist imagery, Marketing Dive](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/uncle-ben-cream-of-wheat-chef-and-mrs-butterworth-all-under-review-for-ra/580086/)
4. [Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup advertisement, The Oregon Statesman, September 12, 1961, Historic Oregon Newspapers](https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn99063813/1961-09-12/ed-1/seq-5.pdf)
5. [MRS. BUTTERWORTH'S Trademark, Serial Number 72100852, Justia Trademarks](https://trademarks.justia.com/721/00/mrs-butterworth-s-72100852.html)
6. [Aurora Foods Inc., Encyclopedia.com, International Directory of Company Histories](https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/aurora-foods-inc)
7. [Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup, Original, Directions for Me](https://directionsforme.org/product/178655)
8. [Conagra Brands Announces Mrs. Butterworth's Brand Review, PR Newswire, June 17, 2020](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/conagra-brands-announces-mrs-butterworths-brand-review-301079007.html)
9. [Mrs. Butterworth's first name is . . ., Los Angeles Times, May 9, 2009](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-may-09-fi-butterworth9-story.html)
10. [Workshop Branding: Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup](https://www.workshopbranding.com/mrsbutterworths)
11. [Original Thick & Rich Pancake Syrup, Mrs. Butterworth's official site](https://www.mrsbutterworths.com/syrup/original-syrup)
12. [MRS BUTTERSWORTHS Original Syrup, Conagra Foodservice](https://www.conagrafoodservice.com/products/mrs-buttersworths-original-syrup)
13. [Is Maple Syrup Good for You?, Consumer Reports](https://www.consumerreports.org/health/maple-syrup/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-maple-syrup-a4641022671/)
14. [The Best Maple Syrup and Pancake Syrup: A Taste Test, Epicurious, April 12, 2013](https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/the-best-maple-syrup-and-pancake-syrup-a-taste-test)
15. [Phantom Gourmet: Pancake Syrup Taste Test, CBS Boston, May 6, 2018](https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/phantom-gourmet-pancake-syrup-food-chain-ranking/)
16. [Mrs. Butterworth's, blackwiki](https://blackwiki.org/index.php?title=Mrs._Butterworth%27s)
17. [What Happened With the Mrs. Butterworth's Bottle Change?, The Dieline, September 6, 2022](https://thedieline.com/conagra-brands-said-they-would-change-the-mrs-butterworths-bottle-so-what-happened/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Food, customs, and everyday culture › Food, cooking and hospitality › Food industry, science, safety, and policy › Food industry, companies and commerce › Snack, confectionery, and packaged-food manufacturers › Frozen, chilled, and packaged meals*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license