Back in the early 1980s Hedgehog flavour crisps were released in the United Kingdom! Do you remember them?
Who Made Hedgehog Flavour Crisps?
The traditional country fare cooked crisps were made by Hedgehog Foods Ltd and first produced in 1981 as a joke. The quirky title for the flavour of the crisps intrigued the public making the crisps a popular snack.
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Were Hedgehog Crisps Made of Real Hedgehogs?
No the title was merely a joke based on the name of the company making them (Hedgehog Foods Limited). The potato chips were actually flavoured with pork fat to get their taste rather that of a real hedgehog.
The Crisps were cooked the old fashioned without harming single a single spike of a hedgehog.
Hedgehog Crisps Court Case
In 1982 Hedgehog Foods Ltd found themselves in court on a charge of false advertising. This was brought about by the office of fair trading. Eventually a settlement was reach but not before…
- Mr Phillip Lewis of Hedgehog foods interviewed members of the gypsy/travelling community in the UK who did eat hedgehogs (baked by the way).
- The above helped Hedgehog Foods Ltd to establish the flavour of hedgehog to aid the manufacturing process of the crisps.
- A flavouring firm was then contracted to duplicate the flavour.
- The labelling of the crisps was also changed from Hedgehog Flavoured to Hedgehog Flavour and the office of fair trading was satisfied with the results.
Crisp Origins
The tales mentioned above of the gypsy community eating baked hedgehogs was actually the inspiration for the range of snacks. Philip Lewis was a pub landlord (Vaults Public House in Welshpool) and he created them as a joke inspired by the local tales of the gypsy community baking hedgehogs in clay and eating them.
These tales lead the locals of Phillip Lewis’ pub to often ask for Hedgehog flavoured crisps as a joke. This joke lead to the crisps being created.
Other flavours were also added to the range but none of them would gain the notoriety of the original crisps.
Can You Still Buy These Crisps?
Sadly, you can longer by the crisps. By 1991 Hedgehog Foods had sales turning over millions of pounds which was also benefitting hedgehog conservation as the company was a major donor to the Tiggywinkles charity.
The company was purchased by Bensons (another potato chips manufacturer) and would go on sale in Canada and the United States before being discontinued.
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