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It is the start of a new day: Aunt Jemima is now Pearl Milling Company. Though the Brand is new to store shelves, the name itself has been a part of our story for over 130 years. Pearl Milling Company was a small mill located at 214 North 2nd St. in the bustling town of St. Joseph, Missouri. Using a pearl milling technique, they produced flour, cornmeal, and, beginning in 1889, the famous self-rising pancake mix that would go on to be known as Aunt Jemima. Our pancakes have been bringing smiles to the breakfast table ever since.
In June 2020, PepsiCo and The Quaker Oats Company made a commitment to change the name and image of Aunt Jemima, recognizing that they do not reflect our core values. While the name on the box has changed, the great-tasting products – the “pearl” inside the familiar red box – remains the same, with a mission to create joyful breakfast moments for everyone. We will have future announcements regarding our community impact initiative.
We want to thank everyone who has made us part of their family over the years and look forward to starting a new chapter as the Pearl Milling Company.
Scroll through the timeline below to learn more about key moments in our brand’s history.
| Year | Caption |
| 1888 | The Pearl Milling Company in St. Joseph, MO was incorporated and produced a range of milled products |
| 1889 | Our famous pancake mix originated at Pearl Milling Company, and was later branded “Aunt Jemima”. |
| 1925 | The Quaker Oats Company entered into a contract to purchase the Aunt Jemima brand |
| 1957 | Launch of Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix. |
| 1966 | Launch of pancake syrup with the campaign, “What took you so long?” |
| 1968 – 1979 | New product launches such as Complete Pancake + Waffle Mix and Lite Syrup |
| 1989 | The brand’s icon was updated |
| 1991 | Launch of new Butter Rich syrup |
| 2001 | PepsiCo acquired The Quaker Oats Company, bringing the Aunt Jemima brand into the PepsiCo portfolio |
| 2020 | Quaker announced it will remove the Aunt Jemima icon from its packaging and change the name of the brand |
| 2021 | Quaker announces new brand name, with new packaging hitting the shelves starting that summer |