Monster Munch facts for kids
Monster Munch are super popular baked corn snacks from Britain. They were first made by Smiths in 1977 and now Walkers makes them. These crunchy snacks are a big hit with kids and teens across the United Kingdom. You can find them in yummy flavours like Roast Beef, Pickled Onion, and spicy Flamin' Hot.
People often wonder if the snacks look like monster claws or tiny monsters. Walkers says they think of them as "monsters’ feet," but they want everyone to use their own imagination! Good news for many: Monster Munch snacks are also suitable for vegetarians.
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The Early Days: Smiths Monster Munch (1977–1995)
Monster Munch snacks first appeared in Britain in 1977, launched by the company Smiths. They were actually called "The Prime Monster" at first! This was a fun play on words, sounding like "The Prime Minister". But in 1978, they got their famous name, "Monster Munch".
They were advertised as "The Biggest Snack Pennies Can Buy" because the snacks were really large! Each packet showed a different monster 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.
Meet the Original Monsters of the 1980s
By the late 1980s, four main monsters were featured on the packets. However, six monsters were originally shown in the advertisements.
| Colour | Description | Flavour |
|---|---|---|
| Pink Monster | A tall, pink, stretchy creature with a floppy tongue and wheels for feet. | Roast Beef |
| Blue Monster | A blue creature with a blue nose, four feet, four arms, long floppy ears, and a hat. | Saucy/Sizzling Bacon/Salt and Vinegar |
| Yellow Monster | A yellow, one-eyed creature with a red nose, green mouth, and different-sized limbs. | Pickled Onion/Cheese and Onion/Saucy |
| Orange Monster | A big, orange creature with pink hair. | Giant Prawn/Pickled Onion |
Original Flavours and Shapes
When Monster Munch first launched, the main flavour was Roast Beef. Pickled Onion flavour came out a year later, and Saucy flavour joined in 1981. In the mid-1980s, Sizzling Bacon was added. Then, in 1986, Cheese & Onion, Giant Prawn, and Salt & Vinegar flavours were introduced.
The original Monster Munch snacks came in two different shapes. One shape, known as a "monster paw," is still used today. People still debate if it's a paw or the Yellow Monster's single eye with eyelashes! The other shape looked like the Pink Monster: it was round with two bumps for eyes, side parts, and a dangling tongue. For a short time in the early 1990s, you could even find spider-shaped Monster Munch in the Sizzling Bacon flavour.
In the 1980s, there were also Monster Munch themed drinks called Monster Fizz. These included orangeade, cola, and lemonade. In 1994, bigger bags of Monster Munch called Mega Monster Munch were released in a Flamin' Hot flavour.
Walkers Takes Over Monster Munch (1995–2008)
In 1995, the Monster Munch brand was taken over by Walkers. They relaunched the snacks with new flavours. The original shapes were changed to a smaller paw shape. The ingredients were updated, and the salt content was lowered. The monster characters also got a new look!
New Monsters of the 1990s and 2000s
| 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 inverted head. He turned yellow in 1997 for the Cheesy flavour. | 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 looked like melted Vanilla Ice Cream with a wafer and cherry. He was the only monster with a proper name. | Vanilla Ice Cream |
Flavour Changes and Special Editions
When Walkers took over, Pickled Onion and Flamin' Hot (only in Mega Monster Munch) returned. Two new flavours, Beef Burger and Spaghetti Sauce, were also introduced. Each bag even came with a Tazos featuring the monsters!
Later, the Spaghetti Sauce flavour was replaced by a new Cheesy flavour. The Blue Monster was then recoloured yellow. Flamin' Hot also became available in multipacks, replacing Beef Burger. In 1998, Walkers updated their logo, and Monster Munch packaging got a new look too.
In August 2000, a Spicy flavour was released, replacing Cheesy. A new Purple Monster became the main monster for this flavour. In August 2001, Walkers launched a special Halloween Pickled Onion flavour that could turn your tongue blue! This was promoted with The Beano and The Dandy comics.
In September 2002, the "Tongue" variant of Pickled Onion came back as "Mystery Tongue." This time, it could turn your tongue either blue or green! On the same day, the Roast Beef flavour returned after seven years. In February 2003, a "Baked Bean" flavour was released for Comic Relief, but only in multipacks. In April, a very unusual "Vanilla Ice Cream" flavour was sold for 16 weeks. Unlike other crisps, this one was sweet, not savoury!
In September 2004, the Tongue variant returned again as "Spooky Tongue" for Halloween. It turned tongues blue, just like the 2001 version. This special version came back for one more year in 2005. In 2007, Walkers relaunched their snack range, including Monster Munch. The snacks started using Sunseed Oil. In 2008, Monster Munch began to be baked instead of fried.
Original Monster Munch Relaunched (2008–Present)
In August 2008, Walkers announced another big relaunch for Monster Munch. This time, it was called "Mega Monster Munch" again, focusing on bringing back the classic feel for adults. The crisps returned to their original larger size, and the packets had cool retro designs.
A "Find Our Monsters" campaign started to find the original monster costumes used in old adverts, which had been lost! There was also a T-shirt giveaway in 2009. A special Mega Monster Munch website was also launched.
| Monster | Description | Flavour |
|---|---|---|
| Pink Monster | A tall, pink, stretchy creature with a floppy tongue. | Roast Beef |
| Yellow Monster | A yellow, one-eyed creature with a red nose, green mouth, and different-sized limbs. | Pickled Onion |
| Blue Monster | A hat-wearing blue creature with a blue nose, four feet, long floppy ears, and four arms. | Flamin' Hot |
New Flavours and Updates
A product called "Mega Monster Munch Webs" first appeared for Halloween in September 2013. These came in a bacon flavour and have been so popular that they are released every Halloween!
In 2016, Monster Munch Pickled Onion was voted the champion of the World Cup of Crisps! In August 2019, the packaging was updated to show that less plastic was being used. The Walkers logo also returned to the front of the packets after 11 years. 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. They even suggested that the Pink Monster's name is 'Lily'!
In February 2021, Walkers launched Monster Munch Giants. These are much bigger versions of the snacks, similar to Wotsits Giants. You can find them in Pickled Onion and Roast Beef flavours.
Monster Munch Around the World
Tayto Monster Munch (Ireland)
In Ireland, a big crisp brand called Tayto used to make a spicy corn snack also called "Monster Munch." When Walkers came to the Irish market in the 1990s, they bought the "Monster Munch" name from Tayto. So, Tayto changed their snack's name to "Mighty Munch" to avoid confusion.
Intersnack Monster Munch (France)
In France, a major crisp brand called Intersnack also sells snacks named "Monster Munch." These are potato chip-based snacks. They come in flavours like ready salted, ham & cheese, barbecue, ketchup, pizza, and cream cheese. The French monsters are smaller and thinner than the UK ones, shaped like smiling ghosts.
Eta Monster Munch (New Zealand)
In New Zealand, a crisp brand called Eta has made a baked corn snack called Monster Munch since the late 1980s. Like the Irish version, the New Zealand Monster Munch first had similar monsters to the British ones. It came in 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.
