Worcestershire Sauce - The Rivals. Lea and Perrins has not been the only Worcestershire sauce to be made. Its early success encouraged other firms to copy the recipe in competition. In 1906, Lea and Perrins took legal action against a Birmingham sauce manufacturer called Holbrooks, to try and restrict the use of the name "Worcestershire Sauce". The court decided that the name could be used by anyone, but only Lea and Perrins had the right to call theirs 'Original and Genuine'
Sauces were particularly popular during the 19th and 20th centuries as they gave flavour to otherwise plain food and helped tenderise tough cuts of meat. They were also useful for disguising the flavour of foods that were past their best.
