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Tulip Thetford started its first production 40 years ago on July 12, 1965.

The link between Denmark and Thetford began around 1,000 years ago when King Sweyn Forkbeard (Svend Tveskaeg) invaded East Anglia and fought several battles around Thetford. Fast forward nine centuries to July 12, 1965 when, once again, the Danes invade the town – by opening a bacon factory on an industrial site on the outskirts of Thetford. The factory was intended to supplement production at the factory in Selby, Yorkshire, which had been opened by the Danish Bacon Company in 1958.

In Selby, bacon production took place inside four Nissen huts dating back to the Second World War. With the increasing availability of middle bacon in Denmark and the growing popularity of Danepak bacon, there was a clear need for greater production capacity. The solution was Thetford.

Thetford was chosen as a production site because of its good access to London and Harwich and the availability of labour.

Tulip saw continuous growth from the start, installed new lines, took on new people and saw sales grow rapidly. In those days the main competitor was bacon sold loose, usually from the butcher. All the bacon that left the factory was Danepak bacon. Five or six years later Tulip began producing its own brand bacon and soon after began producing for Marks & Spencer and other supermarkets.