The beginning of Jaka
In 1951 a group of 19 Danish slaughterhouses from Jutland decided to work together to build a factory that could produce cans to put their meat in. They saw big potential in exporting meat in cans and together they could make this happen on a big scale. The cannery was built in Brabrand, Aarhus. They already canned some of their meat before in a factory all the way in Nykøbing Falster. But to save on transportation costs and time they decided to build their own factory close by. The location they found was perfect, since it was placed next to the railway and there was a good and steady water supply. In 1954 the factory was completed and ready to start production. 190 workers were hired and ready to cut and process pork into the now well-known Jaka Bov.
Successful company for years
The press was very impressed about this new factory, because it had all the latest machinery and it was good for the economy. So the papers were filled with positive articles only. The factory did very well from the start and was growing quick. In 1959 they had over 450 employees in total. Around that same time they accounted for about 10% of the total Danish canned exports. All these workers needed a living close by their work and therefore the local community built extra housing. Also transportation was looked after since there was installed a bus line direct from Aarhus to the factory so the workers could come to work on time at their workplace. Jaka was top of its golden years in 1960 when they had 550 employees and produced 600 ton of finished goods per week.
The downfall of Jaka
The factory became less popular in 1960 due to a mistake that happened in the water waste system. A big amount of wastewater was filled with fat and blood and ended up in the Brabrand Lake. This lake was so clean that people frequently used it to swim in, but after this accident happened it was polluted so much that it was called ‘Det røde hav’ aka. ‘The red sea’. The people who lived in Brabrand were not happy at all. From 1960 to 1990 Jaka products were sold a lot both in Denmark and in other countries. But from 1990 the business started to experience struggles because of the rising competition in the world. The same year the company merged together with a number of other companies to, which became Tulip International A/S. Eight years later Tulip became a part of Danish Crown. Since then Jaka was really struggling. In 2008 they closed down the factory in Brabrand. But that did not mean you could not buy Jaka products anymore. Still today you can find it in the shelves of the supermarkets in Denmark. Are you craving Jaka, but not living in Denmark? Shop Jaka online at NORDIC EXPAT SHOP and get it delivered worldwide.
Shop Jaka products online with Worldwide Delivery
The most famous Jaka product is Jaka Bov. This product is the oldest of the product line and is still a bestseller. Jaka Forloren Skildpadde is another popular product. As the name indicates, the dish originally contained true turtle meat, but as the turtle in 1973 became a threatened animal species, more sustainable replacements were found for the turtle meat. The recipe still contains fish in the form of fishballs in memory of the fact that the dish is derived from a marine reptile. If you like beef you should try out Jaka Hakkebøffer, this delicious canned food also includes brown sauce – a Danish food classic. And at last but definitely not the least Jaka Cocktailpølser. This all time favorite is perfect for any stew or just as a snack. All these products keeps forever, so stock up, fill up your cupboards with your favorite Jaka products now! Shop Jaka online at NORDIC EXPAT SHOP.
