America's Breakthrough Baking Mix Reshaped Biscuits & Dozens of Family Favorite Recipes while
Blazing a Trail in the Convenience Category

Minneapolis (September 7, 2006) – In 1931, a pocket of spare change added up to a movie ticket for 25 cents, a gallon of gas cost 20 cents, a 2-cent postage stamp and a box of new Bisquick Baking Mix for just 35 cents.

General Mills introduced revolutionary Bisquick as a time-saving produce trusted by homemakers of the Great Depression era – pre-blended, quality ingredients that delivered consistently on convenience and flavor. As hairstyles, handbags and hem lengths evolved, the Bisquick promise remained true. The brand’s cutting-edge technology was applied to other handy mixes while home cooks continued to reach for the identifiable yellow and blue box. Favorite recipes have been served countless times in endless ways over 75 years – from pancakes and shortcake to impossibly easy pies and pigs in a blanket.

“Generations of families have enjoyed delicious homebaked meals and desserts that start with a cup or two of Bisquick,” said Maggie Gilbert, Manager of the Betty Crocker Kitchens. “It is one of General Mills’ most endearing and enduring brands and it’s easy to see why when you look at how the mix continues to deliver on its mainstay promise day after day, decade after decade.”

On Track to Measure Up to Scratch

Carl Smith was about to cause quite a stir as he returned to General Mills’ Minneapolis headquarters in 1930. The sales executive, while traveling the West Coast on the Southern Pacific Railroad, stumbled upon a revolutionary idea – pre-mixed baking ingredients blended and boxed for grocery stores that could transform in to piping hot biscuits. He’d seen it done on a smaller scale in the galley where the train’s chef showed smith his quick trick. Lard, flour, baking powder and salt were combined, stored in the ice chest and ready to
bake-to-order at a moment’s notice.

Smith took this idea to Charlie Kress, the company’s head chemist. Kress was tasked to develop the right combination of ingredients that would enable consumers to prepare biscuits as good as – or better than – homemade. This significant challenge came with added hurdles, such as how to keep the shortening fresh
on the grocery shelf or in pantry cupboards and retaining the power and consistency of the leavening agent.
Kress discovered and perfected the right formula under top-secret testing conditions as growing concern over competitor biscuit mixes headed up. Bisquick, however, was first on the market. Just six months after the product’s launch, there were 95 more biscuit mixes from which to choose. Only six withstood consumer scrutiny just a short year later, but non matched or toped Bisquick’s lead.

Bisquick Popularity Early to Rise

A key ingredient to Bisquick’s immediate success was ongoing recipe testing and development in the reputable Betty Crocker Kitchens. The first box introduced in 1931 featured six versatile options, and in 1933 the company introduced the first branded recipe booklet – Betty Crocker’s 101 Delicious Bisquick Creations.

Favorite slogans of the day included, “A World of Baking in a Box” (circa 1940s) and in the ‘50s a “12-in-1 Mix” showcased how one mix could transform into biscuits, coffee cake, meat pies – and more. Impossible pies (now known as Impossibly Easy Pies) took home cooks by storm starting in the ‘60s and still remain popular today. In the 1970s, Bisquick was all about versatility – from breakfast bakes and quick breads to casserole dinners and easy desserts.

The brand turned 50 in 1981, and to celebrate, Bisquick launched a special Betty Crocker’s Creative recipes with Bisquick cookbook and a recipe club. Hundreds of thousands of baking fans signed on to receive the “Bisquick Banner” newsletter.

“Bisquick bakers tend to enjoy sharing their favorite recipes,” explained Gilbert. “Usually it’s because they’ve been passed down from a friend or family member – and they’re easy to make and they taste great.” Gilbert and her team continue to test and develop new recipes to use on the box, on the web site (www.Bisquick.com) and in cookbooks.

By 1990, Americans yearned to return to simplicity and Bisquick was there – quick, delicious and a little more nutritious with the debut of Bisquick Light. Today, Bisquick Heart Smart™ and Shake ‘n Pour™ are two recent examples of how the product continues to evolve to meet consumers’ cooking needs.