Traveling salesman, clever chef, led to Bisquick
It was a late evening in 1930. The train's dining car was closed.
A hungry General Mills salesman named Carl Smith was on that train to San Francisco. A clever cook soon produced hot biscuits for him.
Smith was amazed that the man could deliver fresh biscuits in such a short time.
So they went to the galley.
The chef showed how he had blended lard, flour, baking powder and salt, then stored the mixture in an ice chest.
From that batter the chef had quickly made the biscuits to order.
In was a fresh idea in the Depression-era 1930s.
There were few of the shortcuts that are available today. No cake mix. No muffin or biscuit mix.
Sky's the limit
Smith recognized the potential of a mixed baking product and took it to a smart food expert at General Mills. The challenges were significant.
Most important was the creation of the proper blend of ingredients to make the biscuits as good as - or better than - homemade.
It took a while, but a breakthrough was made.
Although the original recipe has changed, for over half a century the product in the familiar yellow and blue package has been used by cooks to create an ever-changing and growing variety of delicious foods.
Today, Bisquick™ remains the country's premiere convenience baking mix, with a leading share of the grocery category it created.
In 1981, the World’s Largest Peach Shortcake was created at the South Carolina Peach Festival. It was five layers, measured 25 1/2 feet in diameter, and contained more than four tons of Bisquick™ and nine tons of peaches.