Long Live Taste
WHEN KING OSCAR II TASTED OUR SARDINES IN 1902, SOMETHING WONDERFUL HAPPENED. HE DIDN’T JUST APPROVE, HE GAVE US HIS NAME.
We hand-select every fish from cold waters, pack the tin with simple ingredients, and follow the craft that started it all.
Each tin reflects this legacy. Norwegian tradition, respect for the sea, and the joy of truly good seafood.
Our first 125 years
Our roots go all the way back to the 1870s and the small fishing canneries of Stavanger Norway.
1873 – 1900
Where It All Began
In 1873, four men founded the Stavanger Preserving Company in what locals called "Canning Town." At the time, they had no idea they were starting something that would last over a century. By 1893, their sardines had made it all the way to the Chicago World's Fair. Not bad for a small operation in a faraway fishing town.
1900 – 1920
The Name on the Tin
In 1902, it became official. By special royal permission, we could put the King's name on our sardines. Exports to the United States began the following year. By 1920, after a few portrait revisions, his face had settled into the one you still see today. In 1950, the sardines earned kosher certification, a distinction reserved only for the purest products.
1965 – 2001
Going Places
In 1965, we arrived in Japan. Today, we're still the country's most popular imported sardine. Through the decades that followed, we kept expanding: Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia. The little tins from Stavanger had become a familiar sight in kitchens around the world.
2002 – Now
Still Going Strong
In 2002, we celebrated our centennial. Six years later, production moved to a new facility in Poland, but the methods stayed the same: wood smoking ovens, hand-packing lines, the Norwegian way. In 2014, we joined Thai Union, one of the world's leading seafood companies. The reach got bigger. The standards didn't change.
Sourcing
What the North Taught Us
King Oscar comes from Norway, where the sea is respected, craft is prized, and the idea of compromise has never quite caught on. That Northern spirit of integrity shapes everything we do. Whether our seafood comes from Norwegian fjords or waters beyond, it's all held to the same standards we learned in those cold Northern waters.
Sustainability
For Oceans, For Generations
Our respect for the sea has been a way of life for generations. We've always believed that taking care of the waters means taking care of the craft. We learned that in Norway, and we carry it with us wherever we go. And now, as part of Thai Union, that commitment runs even deeper.
