Kit Kat facts for kids
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Standard four-finger Kit Kat
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| Owner | Nestlé Hershey's (US licence) |
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| Introduced | September 1935 |
| Related brands | Rolo |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | Rowntree (1935–1988) |
| Tagline | "Have a break...Have a Kit Kat!" (Worldwide) "Gimme a break, Gimme a break, Break me off a piece of that Kit Kat Bar!", "Break time, anytime" (US only) |
Kit Kat (sometimes written as KitKat) is a popular chocolate-covered wafer bar. It was first created by a company called Rowntree's in York, United Kingdom.
Today, Kit Kat is made all over the world by Nestlé. However, in the United States, it is made by the Hershey Company. This is because Hershey has a special agreement with Nestlé.
A standard Kit Kat bar usually has two or four "fingers." Each finger has three layers of crispy wafer, all covered in a delicious outer layer of chocolate. You can easily snap each finger off the bar. Kit Kat comes in many different flavors, like milk, white, and dark chocolate.
The idea for the original four-finger bar came from a worker at Rowntree's factory. They suggested a chocolate bar that "a man could take to work in his pack up." It was first sold in the UK in September 1935. Back then, it was called Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp. The famous slogan, "Have a break... have a Kit Kat," first appeared in a TV ad in 1958.
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The Story of Kit Kat
The name Kit Kat has a long history. It goes back to the 1700s! At that time, there was a political club in London called the Kit-Cat Club. They served small mutton pies known as "Kit Kats."
The modern Kit Kat brand started in 1911. That's when Rowntree's, a candy company in York, England, registered the names Kit Cat and Kit Kat. The names weren't used right away. In the 1920s, Rowntree's sold a box of chocolates called Kit Cat. Later, they stopped making Kit Cat chocolates to focus on other brands.
The idea for the famous four-finger bar came from a factory worker. They suggested a snack that someone could easily take to work. This new bar was launched in September 1935. It was called Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp and was sold in London and southern England.
In 1937, Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp was renamed Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp. During World War II, there were food shortages. Because of this, the recipe for Kit Kat changed to dark chocolate. The packaging also changed from red to blue. After the war, the name became simply Kit Kat. The original milk chocolate recipe and red packaging returned.
Kit Kat became very popular in the UK. In the 1940s, it started being sold in Canada, South Africa, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. In 1957, the famous advertising slogan "Have a Break, Have a Kit Kat" was created. In the 1970s, Kit Kat expanded even more. Rowntree made a new factory in Germany and made deals with Hershey in the US and Fujiya in Japan to sell Kit Kats there.
In 1988, a Swiss company called Nestlé bought Rowntree's. This meant Nestlé now owned Kit Kat around the world, except in the US. Production grew, with new factories opening in Japan, Malaysia, India, and China.
The Hershey Company has a special agreement to make Kit Kat bars in the United States. This agreement started in 1970. Because of this, even though Nestlé owns Kit Kat globally, Hershey still makes them in the US.
New flavors of Kit Kat started appearing in 1996. Kit Kat Orange was the first new flavor in the UK. After that, flavors like mint and caramel came out. In 1999, the bigger Kit Kat Chunky was launched and became very popular. Many new Kit Kat flavors and types have been created since then. In September 2010, Kit Kat celebrated its 75th anniversary! Nestlé said that Kit Kat is sold in more countries than any other chocolate brand.
The traditional Kit Kat bar has four fingers. Each finger is about 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) wide and 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) long. A two-finger bar was launched in the 1930s and is still very popular. The Kit Kat Chunky (called Big Kat in the US) has one large finger. Kit Kat bars come with different numbers of fingers depending on the country. For example, Japan has tiny "Petit" Kit Kats, while Australia and France have large twelve-finger family-size bars.
Kit Kat Around the World
Kit Kat bars are made by Nestlé in 16 different countries. These include Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, and many others. As mentioned, Kit Kat bars in the United States are made by The Hershey Company.
In the early 2000s, sales of Kit Kat and other candies slowed down. This was partly because of new diets and people wanting to eat healthier. To keep sales strong, Nestlé and other companies started making many new and unique flavors. These were often sold as "limited editions" for only a few months. This strategy helped Kit Kat sales grow again.
In 2006, Nestlé announced plans to improve its factory in York, UK. This would help them make even more Kit Kat bars. In 2010, a new production line opened in York, able to make over one billion Kit Kat bars each year!
Because dark chocolate became more popular, a four-finger Kit Kat Fine Dark was launched in the UK in 2006. Nestlé now makes two-finger Kit Kats with natural flavors. In 2021, they even announced the first vegan Kit Kat, called "KitKat V." In 2014, Kit Kat was the third best-selling chocolate bar in the United Kingdom.
Kit Kat's Look
When Kit Kat first came out in the UK in 1935, it had a red wrapper. For a short time between 1945 and 1947, it was blue. The Kit Kat logo was added in 1937. During the time of rationing in the UK after World War II, dark chocolate was used instead of milk chocolate.
Since it came to the US in the 1970s, Hershey's Kit Kat packaging and advertising have been different from other countries. In 2002, Hershey's Kit Kats started using a similar slanted logo to Nestlé's, but with a red background and white text. The US version of "Kit Kat Chunky" is called "Big Kat."
In the United Kingdom, Kit Kats used to be wrapped in silver foil with a paper band. In 2001, this changed to plastic wrapping. However, Kit Kats sold in multi-packs still use foil and paper.
How Kit Kat is Advertised
Advertising Slogans
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When it first launched, Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp was advertised with slogans like "the biggest little meal." During World War II, Kit Kat was shown as an important food for wartime, with the slogan "what active people need." The first Kit Kat poster appeared in 1951, and the first TV ad was in 1958.
Since 1957, the famous slogan for Kit Kat in the UK and many other places has been "Have a break... have a Kit Kat." This slogan is very well-known!
In the United States, a different jingle has been used in TV ads since 1986: "Gimme a break, Gimme a break, Break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar!" This jingle is so catchy that a researcher found it was one of the top ten "earworms" – melodies that get stuck in your head!
Many Kit Kat ads have been popular worldwide. One famous UK ad from 1989 showed a photographer taking a break from waiting for pandas. While he was on his break, the pandas started dancing, and he missed it! This ad was even ranked among the "100 Greatest TV Ads."
From 2004 to 2006, Nestlé Rowntree sponsored the English football club York City F.C.. Because of this, their home stadium, Bootham Crescent, was even renamed KitKat Crescent!
In 2012, Kit Kat ran a campaign in the UK. They asked people to vote for their favorite new Chunky Kit Kat flavor. The choices were white chocolate, double chocolate, peanut butter, and orange. Peanut butter won with 47% of the votes!
Kit Kat and Android
In September 2013, Google announced that a new version of its Android mobile operating system would be named "KitKat." Google got permission to use the name from Nestlé, and no money was exchanged. There was even a special promotion where people could win Nexus 7 devices and Google Play Store credit by finding specially branded Android Kit Kat bars.
Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance
In 2009, Kit Kat announced that its four-finger bar in Britain and Ireland would start using Fairtrade chocolate. This means the cocoa farmers get a fair price for their crops.
However, in 2020, Nestlé changed its partnership. Kit Kat now gets its cocoa from farms that have a Rainforest Alliance accreditation. This organization helps protect the environment and supports farmers.
Golden Ticket Contest
In 2006, a TV show called Big Brother in the UK had a special contest with Kit Kat. They hid 100 "golden tickets" inside Kit Kat bars. People who found a ticket had a chance to become a housemate on the show, just like in the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory story!
Different Types of Kit Kat
Flavors
Many different flavors of Kit Kat have been made, some for a short time and some permanently. In Japan, Nestlé has created over 300 different flavors since 2000! These include unique ones like hot sauce, soy sauce, wasabi, Ice cream, and even flavors that need to be baked in an oven! These flavors are popular with younger buyers and are often bought as good-luck gifts. This is because the name "Kit Kat" sounds similar to the Japanese phrase "Kitto Katsu," which means "surely win."
The first new flavor in the UK was Kit Kat Orange in 1996. After that came Kit Kat Dark and Kit Kat Mint. Other flavors like Kit Kat White and Kit Kat Cookies & Cream have also been popular. There has also been a Kit Kat Caramel.
In 2020, Kit Kat introduced new flavors in the United States: Lemon Crisp and Raspberry Creme. Also in 2020, Nestlé launched Scotch whisky Kit Kats, available only in Japan. These use chocolate aged in whisky barrels! In 2021, the company announced a vegan, dairy-free version called KitKat V.
Forms and Shapes
Kit Kat bars come in many different sizes and shapes. There are small two-finger mini bars, the standard four-finger bars, and sometimes three-finger bars.
Larger "monster size" bars with five or eight fingers have also been made. The large single-fingered "Chunky Kit Kats" were launched in the UK in 1998 and come in flavors like White Chocolate, Caramel, and Peanut Butter.
Other forms include small, round "Pop Choc" pieces, square "Kubes," and even Kit Kat ice cream cones. In the 1980s, a Kit Kat with five shorter fingers was sold in vending machines in the UK. In 2014, Japan launched "Bake 'N Tasty Mini Kit Kats Custard Pudding Flavor." You actually have to bake these in an oven before eating them!
In 2015, a special luxury Kit Kat called Kit Kat Rubies was launched in Malaysia. These bars are made with fancy chocolate truffle cream and roasted hazelnuts.
In 2023, a Kit Kat breakfast cereal was even launched in the United Kingdom.
Kit Kat Chocolatory
Kit Kat has special stores called "Chocolatories." You can find them in places like Melbourne, Australia, and Sydney. At these shops, customers can use touch screens to create their very own Kit Kat bars! You can choose different chocolates and ingredients. The bars are made right there while you wait.
There are also Chocolatory locations in Brazil, Japan, and Canada.
What's Inside a Kit Kat?
The filling inside a Kit Kat bar is actually made from crushed up Kit Kat! This was shown on a TV show called Inside the Factory.
The main ingredients in an original Kit Kat are: milk chocolate (made from sugar, milk, cocoa butter, and cocoa mass), wheat flour, sugar, palm oil, cocoa, and other ingredients like sodium bicarbonate and yeast.
Ingredients in Different Countries
The exact ingredients can be a little different depending on where the Kit Kat is made.
In the United Kingdom, a four-finger Kit Kat had about 233 calories in 2006. A two-finger Kit Kat had about 107 calories in 2009.
In the United States, Hershey's Kit Kat Crisp Wafers in Chocolate contain sugar, wheat flour, cocoa butter, nonfat milk, chocolate, and palm kernel oil, among other things.
In Canada, the milk chocolate Kit Kat includes sugar, milk ingredients, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, and wheat flour. Dark chocolate Kit Kats in Canada have cocoa mass, sugar, wheat flour, and various oils.
In Japan, Kit Kats are made in Nestlé factories. Most of the cocoa beans used for Kit Kats come from West Africa.
See also
In Spanish: Kit Kat para niños
