Hero

For over 130 years, Hero has been producing a premium fruit spread from Lenzburg, Switzerland.  Hero consistently creates the most delicious and high quality fruit spreads on the market. The goal of the two founders, Gustav Hecknell and Charles Roth was, “to make fruit and vegetables long-lasting without losing their flavor.” After nearly a century and a half, this goal continues to drive Hero’s passion for excellence and quality.

Make no mistake: Hero is not a jam or a jelly – it’s a fruit spread. The distinction of “fruit spread” is imperative, because it is a marker of quality. The disrinction of fruit spread is only given to a product that isat least 50% real fruit pieces and puree. When a spread is labeled “jam,” “jelly,” or “preserve,” it means the product only contains 42-45% real fruit. Thus, when purchasing any Hero fruit spread, it is guaranteed that it contains the highest quality and most natural ingredients.

Hero fruit spreads are naturally gluten free and vegan. While being vegan was never the intention, it is a label that comes along with using only the highest ingredients and most natural processes. With fruit sourced and selected based on quality and flavor, it’s impossible to have anything less than a delicious Hero experience. 

The strawberries, which are integral to the Hero brand, are grown in Poland, the world’s second largest strawberry producer.  Hero works directly with producers to ensure the best of the annual crop is procured. The commitment to having the best crops is not exclusive to strawberry procurement in Poland. The Hero procurement team is on-site during harvest of black cherries in Greece. The rocky soil and Grecian climate are important factors in growing the best and most mouth-watering cherries. The red raspberry spread has raspberries that are sourced from Serbia and Eastern Europe. Across all of its products, Hero shows dedication to offering fruit spreads made from the finest ingredients.

Hero creates premium fruit spreads that are sent to North America directly from Europe. The European levels of quality and excellence are the keys to Hero’s success both globally and regionally. Globally, Hero is the ranked #2 in the Jams/Jellies/Preserves core product category. It is #2 in North America and #3 globally in the Infant Nutrition category and #1 in North America for decorating products. The reception isn’t just in the numbers. In October 2010, Real Simple named Hero Strawberry Classica and Hero Raspberry Classica the number one and number two fruit spread in an unsponsored taste test. Furthermore, Women’s Day named Hero Strawberry Classica as the “Women’s Day Pick” in their strawberry category. The acclaim is not surprising. 

For over 130 years Hero has been producing the best fruit products with all natural ingredients and absolutely no high fructose corn syrup. These ingredients are able to maintain their bountiful flavor through a special vacuum cooking process on low heat. The low heat is proven to maintain the natural and nuanced flavors of the fruit instead of the shocking fruit flavor other fruit spreads have. These two distinctions set Hero apart from its competitors.

In 1886, Gustav Henckell (an experienced conserve factory employee) and Gustav Zeiler (a fruit farmer) came together with a silent partner to found  Conservenfabrik, Henckell & Zeiler, a space to preserve fruits and vegetables. When Gustav Zeiler died unexpectedly in 1889, Charles Roth became a public partner. Together, Henckell and Roth created the Hero brand in 1910. The name came from combining the first two letters of their respective last names.

By 1914, Hero joined the Swiss Stock Exchange. From 1910 until 1939, the brand continued to grow and produce high quality fruit products. When the war broke out, Hero refused to close shop. After being asked for their assistance, Swiss housewives would clean empty Hero jars and return them to the factory where the jars would be repackaged with new spreads. The war also forced Hero to create one of their most successful lines—Hero Delicia. Because of a sugar shortage during the war, the spreads could not be produced using the original recipe. The Hero Delicia line featured 60% fruit and lower sugar levels than the average spread. After the war, Hero found immense success with their Classic line. They expanded their product lines and moved into other countries.

In 1995, Hero was purchased by the Oetker family, a family with roots in business since 1899, and the Northern American market. By 2002, Hero became an international group of brands.Today, the company still has the same commitment the original founders had: to create a fruit spread that could last without losing its flavor.