Lea & Perrins, the maker of the Worcestershire sauce, has told consumers they have been using the condiment the wrong way on a British staple: cheese on toast. The company said the sauce should be spread on the bread before the cheese is added so it can caramelise the toast and deliver more flavour.
"For 190 years we've known where the sauce belongs — directly on the toast," Thiago Rapp, described by the firm as its director of taste elevation, said in a statement accompanying the guidance. The company also announced a limited-edition label intended to remind purchasers of the recommended order: toast, then sauce, then cheese.
Celebrity chef Gizzi Erskine backed the suggestion, saying she had long used the sauce under the cheese and that reversing the order "really does unleash so much more flavour." Erskine said applying the sauce to the toast prevents it from sliding off the finished cheese and allows it to soak into the bread.
Lea & Perrins released consumer research alongside the recommendation that found a large proportion of the public enjoy the dish. The company said 85% of British respondents reported they like cheese on toast. Of those who add Worcestershire sauce, the firm said 58% admitted to putting it on after the cheese and complained it often spills off the sides; around four in 10 respondents said they preferred the snack with Worcestershire sauce.
The company framed the instruction as a return to an older practice. "This isn't a new trick. It's the original one. We just forgot to mention it," Rapp said. The firm said the heat from the grill or under‑the‑grill element helps the sauce caramelise on the surface of the bread before the cheese melts on top, producing a different texture and intensified umami notes.
The announcement is the latest entry in a long-running conversation about culinary technique for simple comfort foods, in which established brands and chefs occasionally issue preparation tips aimed at improving flavour or presentation. Lea & Perrins positioned the label change and advice as a modest reminder to consumers rather than a formal cooking directive.
The company did not publish detailed methodology for its consumer polling in the material released with the statement, and spokespeople did not immediately provide further technical data about temperature or timing for the recommended method. Retailers and supermarket listings were not expected to change the product formulation as a result of the guidance.