Phileas Fogg snacks facts for kids
Phileas Fogg is a popular brand of snack foods in the United Kingdom. It was first created in 1982 by a company called Derwent Valley Foods. The brand gets its name from Phileas Fogg, a famous character from Jules Verne's adventure novel, Around the World in Eighty Days. These snacks are made in Consett, a town in County Durham, England. After being sold in 1993, the brand changed its look, which made it less popular. However, it was brought back with a new launch in 2009.
How Phileas Fogg Snacks Started
The Phileas Fogg snack range began in 1982. It was launched by Derwent Valley Foods. This company was started by four people: Roger McKechnie, Keith Gill, Ray McGhee, and John Pike. They put £67,000 of their own money into the business. Their main goal was to create snacks for adults. They wanted a brand with a character that people would easily recognize. The snacks offered many different flavors from around the world. These included small garlic breads and crispy tortilla chips.
Changes and Decline in the 1990s
Between the late 1980s and early 1990s, Phileas Fogg snacks became very successful. The company earned more than £30 million. In 1993, a larger company called United Biscuits bought the brand. They paid £24 million for it. After the sale, the four original founders left the company. United Biscuits then made big changes to the snack packaging and how the brand looked. These changes were not well-liked by customers. This caused the brand's popularity to drop a lot.
Phileas Fogg Relaunches in 2009
United Biscuits decided to bring the brand back in 2009. They did some research and found that many British people still remembered Phileas Fogg snacks. This showed there was still interest in the brand. As of 2016, the snacks are still sold today. The brand is now owned by KP Snacks. The types of snacks and flavors available have changed quite a bit since the early days.
