Monster Munch facts for kids
Monster Munch are super popular baked corn snacks from Britain. They were first made by Smiths in 1977 and are now made by Walkers. These crunchy snacks are mostly for kids and are eaten a lot in the United Kingdom. You can find them in yummy flavours like Roast Beef, Pickled Onion, and Sweet and Spicy Flamin' Hot.
People often wonder if the snacks look like monster claws or tiny monsters. Walkers, the company that makes them, said that they think of them as "monsters' feet." But they also said it's fun for people to imagine their own ideas! Good news for vegetarians: Monster Munch snacks are suitable for them.
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Smiths Monster Munch (1977–1995)
Monster Munch snacks first came out in Britain in 1977. Smiths, the company that made them, first called them "The Prime Monster." This was a fun play on words, like "The Prime Minister." But in 1978, they changed the name to "Monster Munch."
They were advertised as "The Biggest Snack Pennies Can Buy." This was because the snacks were really big! Each pack had a different monster picture on the front. There was even a "Monster Munch Club" for fans. Members got a special pack with a membership card, a pen, story books, and a story tape.
Original Monster Flavours
By the late 1980s, four main monsters were on the packets. But six monsters were shown in the early adverts.
| Colour | Description | Flavour |
|---|---|---|
| Pink Monster | A tall, pink, wobbly creature with a long tongue and wheels for feet. | Roast Beef |
| Blue Monster | A blue creature with a blue nose, four feet, four arms, and long floppy ears. He wears a hat. | Saucy/Sizzling Bacon/Salt and Vinegar |
| Yellow Monster | A yellow, one-eyed creature with a red nose, green mouth, and different-looking arms and legs. | Pickled Onion/Cheese and Onion/Saucy |
| Orange Monster | A big, orange creature with pink hair. | Giant Prawn/Pickled Onion |
The first Monster Munch flavour was Roast Beef. Pickled Onion came out a year later. Saucy flavour was added in 1981. In the mid-1980s, Sizzling Bacon was introduced. Cheese & Onion, Giant Prawn, and Salt & Vinegar flavours came out in 1986.
Snack Shapes and Drinks
The first Monster Munch snacks had two different shapes. One shape, called a "monster paw," is still used today. People used to argue if it was a paw or the Yellow Monster's eye. The other shape looked like the Pink Monster. It was round with two bumps for eyes, bits on the sides, and a dangling tongue.
In the 1980s, there were even Monster Munch drinks called "Monster Fizz." They came in flavours like orangeade, cola, and lemonade.
In 1993, the Monster Munch brand moved from Smiths to Walkers. The packets got a new look with bigger pictures of the monsters eating the snacks. The Sizzling Bacon flavour changed to "Smokey Spiders." These snacks were shaped like spiders instead of paws. In 1994, "Mega Monster Munch" was launched. These were bigger bags in a Flamin' Hot flavour.
Walkers Monster Munch (1995–2008)
In 1995, Walkers relaunched Monster Munch. They brought out four new flavours and new monsters. The snack shapes also changed to a smaller paw shape. The ingredients were updated to 100% maize, and they used less salt.
| Monster | Years | Description | Flavour Mascot for: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pink Monster | 1995-1997 | A tall, pink creature with a wide mouth. | Beef Burger |
| Blue/Yellow Monster | 1995-2000 | A furry creature with an upside-down head. He turned yellow in 1997. | Spaghetti Sauce (1995-1997) Cheesy (1997-2000) |
| Red Monster | 1995-2008 | A large, red ogre-like creature. | Flamin' Hot (1997-2008) |
| Orange Monster | 1995-2008 | An orange ogre-like creature. | Pickled Onion |
| Purple Monster | 2000-2002 | A tall creature with a wide mouth. | Spicy |
| Pink Monster | 2002-2008 | A pink ogre-like creature. | Roast Beef |
| Fabrizio | 2003 | A large monster that looks like melted Vanilla Ice Cream with a wafer and cherry. | Vanilla Ice Cream |
Pickled Onion and Flamin' Hot (from Mega Monster Munch) returned. Two new flavours, Beef Burger and Spaghetti Sauce, were added. Each bag came with a Tazos collectible featuring the monsters.
Over time, the packaging changed, and new flavours appeared. Monster Munch was part of Walkers' "Snackshack" range in 1997–1998. Cheesy flavour replaced Spaghetti Sauce, and the Blue Monster became Yellow. Flamin' Hot also joined the multipacks, replacing Beef Burger.
In April 1998, Monster Munch got a new logo and packaging when Walkers updated their own logo. A Spicy flavour came out in August 2000, replacing Cheesy. A new Purple Monster became the mascot for this flavour.
Fun Flavours and Relaunches
In August 2001, Walkers launched a special Halloween Pickled Onion flavour. It could turn your tongue blue! This was promoted with The Beano and The Dandy comics. On September 28, 2002, the "Tongue" variant returned as "Mystery Tongue." This time, it could turn your tongue blue or green. On the same day, Roast Beef flavour came back after seven years, replacing Spicy.
In February 2003, a "Baked Bean" flavour was released for Comic Relief. It was only in multipacks with Baked Bean crisps. On April 21, a limited edition "Vanilla Ice Cream" flavour was sold for 16 weeks. Most people didn't like it much. It was sweet, not savoury, and had sugar instead of salt.
In September 2004, the Tongue variant returned as "Spooky Tongue" for Halloween. It turned tongues blue again. This version also came back in 2005.
In February 2007, Walkers announced a relaunch for their snack range, including Monster Munch. They added Sunseed Oil to the product. The packaging and logo changed, but the monsters (now in computer-generated animation) and flavours stayed the same. In 2008, Monster Munch started being baked instead of fried.
2008 Relaunch
In August 2008, Walkers relaunched the brand again as "Mega Monster Munch." They wanted to bring back the original feel and appeal to adults who remembered them. The crisps went back to their original larger size. The packs had retro designs like the old ones. A "Find Our Monsters" campaign started to look for the original costumes from the adverts.
A special website was launched for Mega Monster Munch.
| Monster | Description | Flavour |
|---|---|---|
| Pink Monster | A tall, pink, wobbly creature with a floppy tongue. | Roast Beef |
| Yellow Monster | A yellow, one-eyed creature with a red nose, green mouth, and different-looking arms and legs. | Pickled Onion/BBQ Sauce |
| Blue Monster | A hat-wearing blue creature with a blue nose, four feet, long floppy ears, and four arms. | Sweet and Spicy Flamin' Hot |
"Mega Monster Munch Webs" started being sold for Halloween in September 2013. These were bacon-flavoured snacks shaped like webs. They have been so popular that they come out every Halloween.
In 2016, Monster Munch Pickled Onion won the "World Cup of Crisps" vote!
In August 2019, the packaging was updated. This was to show that less plastic was used in the packets. The Walkers logo also returned to the front of the packaging. The flavours and monsters stayed the same.
In 2019, the TV show Snackmasters on Channel 4 had chefs try to recreate Pickled Onion Monster Munch. The show also looked at how Monster Munch is made at the Walkers factory. It showed the ingredients, how they are shaped, and how the flavour is added. The show also mentioned that the Pink Monster is called 'Lily' by the factory staff.
In February 2021, Walkers launched "Monster Munch Giants." These are bigger versions of the snacks, like "Wotsits Giants." They come in Pickled Onion and Roast Beef flavours.
In March 2024, the Flamin' Hot flavour was renamed "Sweet and Spicy Flamin' Hot." This was to avoid confusion with Walkers' "Extra Flamin' Hot" brand. On July 1, Walkers announced the "Yummy With" range of lower-salt snacks. These are made with chickpea flour. A new Monster Munch flavour, BBQ Sauce, was introduced as part of this range.
International Variants
In Ireland, a snack brand called Tayto made a spicy corn snack named "Monster Munch." When Walkers came to Ireland in the 1990s, they bought the "Monster Munch" name from Tayto. So, Tayto changed their snack's name to "Mighty Munch." This helped people tell the two snacks apart.
In France, a snack brand called Intersnack makes potato chip snacks called "Monster Munch." These come in flavours like ready salted, ham & cheese, barbecue, ketchup, pizza, and cream cheese. The monsters on these packs are smaller than the UK ones. They are thinner and shaped like smiling ghosts.
In New Zealand, a snack brand called Eta has made a baked corn snack called "Monster Munch" since the late 1980s. Like the Irish version, the New Zealand version first had similar monsters to the British ones. It had flavours like crispy bacon, chicken rings, and burger bones. Later, it was updated to be different from Walkers snacks. The current flavours include cheesy bacon and burger flavour.
