Crunchie facts for kids
Crunchie is a super popular chocolate bar known for its yummy, crunchy center! This center is made of something called honeycomb toffee. You might hear it called "sponge toffee" in Canada, "honeycomb" or "cinder toffee" in the UK, or even "hokey pokey" in New Zealand.
This delicious treat is made by Cadbury. But guess what? It was first created in the UK way back in 1929 by a company called J. S. Fry & Sons. That's almost 100 years ago!
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Crunchie Sizes and Fun Flavors
Crunchie bars come in different sizes, so there's one for every craving! You can find small "snack size" ones or even "king size" bars for a bigger treat. The most common size is about 1 inch wide and 7 inches long.
Limited Edition Crunchies
Over the years, Crunchie has released some really cool limited edition flavors. In the late 1990s, people in the UK could try a lemonade flavored bar or a Tango Orange one. Imagine chocolate with a fizzy orange taste! For New Year's Eve in 1999, they even made a special champagne-flavored bar.
In South Africa, there used to be a white chocolate Crunchie, which came in a blue wrapper. How cool is that?
Other Crunchie Treats
Just like other famous chocolate brands, Crunchie isn't just a bar! You can also find Crunchie brand ice cream bars and even cheesecake in some countries. These yummy desserts have little pieces of honeycomb mixed in.
In 2006, a special "Crunchie Blast" bar came out. It had "popping candy" inside, which made your mouth tingle! It didn't stay around for long, but you can still find a "Crunchie Blast" ice cream. This ice cream is shaped like a Magnum (ice cream) bar, with honeycomb ice cream and popping candy, all covered in milk chocolate.
In 2010, Cadbury launched "Crunchie Rocks." This was a mix of chocolate, cornflake pieces, and bits of Crunchie. Sounds like a crunchy party in your mouth!
Where Crunchies are Made
For a long time, Crunchie bars were made in a factory in Somerset, UK. But in 2010, the production moved to a new Cadbury factory in Skarbimierz, Poland. If you look at the labels on these products, they usually say "Made in the EU."
Similar Sweets Around the World
Did you know there are other sweets similar to Crunchie? In Australia, there's a very similar product called Violet Crumble. It was invented even earlier, in 1913! It's still made there and sent to a few other countries. In the United States, you might find something called sponge candy, which is also honeycomb, sometimes with chocolate and sometimes without.
Where to Find Crunchie Bars
Crunchie bars are super popular and easy to find in many countries. You can buy them in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. They are also available in places like Cyprus, Hong Kong, Malta, Nigeria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Tahiti. You might even find them in the United States, though they are less common there.
How Crunchie Bars Are Made
Making the crunchy honeycomb center of a Crunchie bar is pretty interesting! First, the honeycomb toffee is made in big, flat slabs. Then, these slabs need to be cut into bar shapes.
Instead of using a regular knife, which would break the honeycomb, they use a special method. They use a super strong, focused jet of oil to cut the slabs! In Canada, they use spinning saws. Why oil? Because water would dissolve the honeycomb, and a blade would make it crumble. Oil keeps the honeycomb perfect, creating nice, sharp edges. After being cut, the honeycomb pieces are covered in chocolate, cooled down, and then wrapped up, ready for you to enjoy!
Crunchie Advertising Fun
Crunchie bars have had some memorable advertisements over the years!
In Australia and New Zealand, there was a famous TV ad called the "Crunchie Train Robbery." It was so popular that it ran for over 20 years without changing! It even won many awards.
In Ireland and the United Kingdom, Crunchie has been advertised since the 1980s with the catchy slogan, "Get that Friday feeling." Before that, in the 1980s, the slogan was "Crunchie makes exciting biting." In 1991, Cadbury started a TV ad campaign that used the song "I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters. These ads were animated and made by Aardman Animations, the same studio that created Wallace and Gromit! This campaign was one of the longest-running TV ad campaigns ever, lasting until 2008.
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