H and H Coffee

Dedicated to the history of the Hoffmann-Hayman Coffee Co. est. 1899 in San Antonio, Texas.

Master Chef Food Products (also “Master Chef Food Products Corp.”) was the Continental Coffee Company subsidiary that operated the Master Chef brand at the 601 Delaware Street plant after Continental’s 1962 acquisition of Hoffmann-Hayman. It is the corporate successor under which the H&H-descended Master Chef line carried forward into the late 1960s — documented running at 601 Delaware through at least 25 March 1968.

On post-1962 materials, “Master Chef Food Products” branding (with no Hoffmann-Hayman footer) is itself the marker of the Continental era, distinguishing these from the earlier Hoffmann-Hayman-imprinted Master Chef packaging.

Officers and figures

The December 1966 San Antonio press cluster documents the subsidiary’s leadership and a plant modernization:

  • Jack Moore — president of Master Chef Food Products Corp. (22 Dec 1966 Light, “Master Chef Color Provides Key,” HH-CLIP-1966-0002; 30 Dec 1966 Express, “Master Chef Expanding,” HH-CLIP-1966-0003).
  • Warren Burns — sales manager.
  • The 30 December 1966 “Master Chef Expanding” feature documents the plant at 601 Delaware “expanded and modernized,” new color-keyed cans, and the brand mascots Jordan Sawyer (“the Master Chef”) and Karla Kreft (“the Master Chef girl”).
  • John C. Burkholder — VP of sales from the 1960 Hoffmann-Hayman leadership transition — is one of the few non-Menger officers documented serving continuously through the H&H → Continental / Master Chef Food Products transition.

Significance

Master Chef Food Products is the bridge entity between the family-owned Hoffmann-Hayman company and the national Continental Coffee organization: it kept the Master Chef brand, its dedicated mascot personas, and the 601 Delaware plant in operation under Continental ownership, with its own San Antonio officers. It is the corporate name to look for on post-1962 Master Chef packaging, grocery ads, and trade copy.

Open questions

  • How Master Chef Food Products related to Continental’s Chicago headquarters — a standalone San Antonio managing-directorship, a reporting subsidiary, or a national-board arrangement — is not yet documented.
  • The end date of the subsidiary and the Master Chef brand’s final retail attestation (latest documented: 25 March 1968) remain open; the window to the August 1972 sale of the 601 Delaware real estate is the next bracket to close.

See also