Pot Noodle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pot Noodle

Chicken and mushroom flavour Pot Noodle made up according to instructions
Owner	Unilever
Introduced	1977; 48 years ago (1977)
Previous owners	Golden Wonder

Chicken and mushroom flavour "King" (large) Pot Noodle before water and soy sauce sachet added.

Pot Noodle is a popular brand of instant noodles from the United Kingdom. It comes in many different flavours and types.

This quick meal is made from dried noodles, mixed dried vegetables, and flavouring powder. To prepare it, you just add boiling water. The hot water quickly softens the noodles and mixes with the powdered sauce.

The noodles come in a plastic pot, so you can eat them right away! Many flavours also include a small sachet of sauce, like soy sauce, to make them even tastier. Some Pot Noodle flavours come in "King" sizes, which are bigger pots for when you're extra hungry!

The Story of Pot Noodle

How Instant Noodles Began

Instant noodles were first invented in 1958 by a person named Momofuku Ando. Later, his company, Nissin Food Products, created "Cup Noodles" in 1971. These were instant noodles sold in a cup, much like Pot Noodle.

Pot Noodle's Journey

The Pot Noodle brand was first launched in the United Kingdom in 1977 by a company called Golden Wonder.

Over the years, Pot Noodle changed owners a few times. In 1995, a company called Best Foods bought the Pot Noodle business. Best Foods is known for making Hellmanns mayonnaise.

Then, in 2000, a very large company called Unilever bought Best Foods. Unilever decided to keep the Pot Noodle brand and its factory. In 2006, Unilever relaunched Pot Noodle. They introduced new flavours and made the product healthier by reducing the amount of salt.

Golden Wonder, the original creator, later started making their own pot noodles called "The Nation's Noodle." This was a direct competitor to their old brand!

Making Pot Noodles

Pot Noodle harvest festival offerings at St Andrew's Southgate Church in London.

Pot Noodles are made in a factory in Croespenmaen, near Crumlin, Caerphilly, in Wales. This factory is very busy! It makes about 175 million pots every year.

Around 2006, the recipe for Pot Noodle was changed. This was done to make the noodles a bit healthier, mainly by using less salt.

Later, a "GTi" version was introduced. This Pot Noodle could be cooked in a microwave instead of needing boiling water. It was also the first Pot Noodle to contain real meat. The Pot Noodle logo has also changed a few times over the years, in 2007, 2014, and 2023.

Fun Promotions

Pot Noodle has sometimes given away fun gifts with their products. These have included a special "horn" and a "spinning fork."

In 2008, Unilever even sponsored a musical show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This musical was set in a Pot Noodle factory!

Eco-Friendly Pots

Unilever, the company that owns Pot Noodle, is working to be more environmentally friendly. Because of this, about half of the Pot Noodle range is switching to paper pots instead of plastic ones. This includes about 80% of the most popular flavours.

Pot Noodle Flavours

Pot Noodle has many different flavours for you to try! Some flavours have even been stopped and then brought back later because people missed them.

There are four main types of Pot Noodle products available today:

• Pot Noodles (the classic ones)
• Pot Noodle Fusions (with more exotic flavours)
• Lost The Pot Noodles (noodles without the pot)
• Pot Pasta (pasta in a pot!)

Classic Pot Noodle Flavours

Pot Noodle Fusions

These flavours offer a taste of different cuisines from around the world.

Lost the Pot Noodle

These noodles come in loose plastic packaging instead of a pot.

Pot Pasta

If you love pasta, you might enjoy these!

Other Products from Pot Noodle Makers

Over the years, the makers of Pot Noodle have also created other quick meals in a pot.

Pot Rice

In the 1980s, Golden Wonder introduced "Pot Rice." This was similar to Pot Noodle but made with dried rice, vegetables, and flavourings. Pot Rice was later made by Unilever and Knorr. It was stopped in the early 2000s but had a small return in 2018. Flavours included "Chicken Risotto" and "Beef & Tomato."

Other Pot Snacks

• Posh Noodle: This was a fancier version of Pot Noodle launched in 2003. It had thinner, ramen-like noodles and Asian-inspired flavours.
• Pot Mash: This was a mashed potato snack sold in a pot in the late 1990s.
• Pot Casserole: Introduced in the 1980s, this had dried vegetables and soya protein. It was stopped before the year 2000.
• Pot Spaghetti: This combined dried pasta with a sachet of Parmesan cheese in the 1990s.
• Pot Sweet: A dessert range with four varieties, introduced in the mid-1980s but stopped soon after.

See also