Twiglets facts for kids
Twiglets are a popular crunchy snack from the United Kingdom. They are made mostly from wheat and have a unique "knobbly" shape, which means they look a bit like tiny, bumpy tree twigs! They are a speckled brown color over a pale base. Twiglets have a special taste that many people compare to Marmite, a savory spread. This flavor comes mainly from the yeast extract used in their coating. You can find Twiglets in different sized bags, like 24g, 45g, 105g, and 150g, or in larger 200g round containers.
Contents
The Story of Twiglets: How They Began
Twiglets were invented a long time ago, in 1929. A French baker named J. Rondalin created them. He was a manager at a factory called Peek Freans in Bermondsey. One day, he had some leftover dough from making a product called Vitawheat. He decided to add some brewer's yeast to it, and that's how Twiglets were born!
The company Peek Freans first started selling Twiglets to people in 1932. Today, a company called Jacob's makes Twiglets in a place called Aintree. Jacob's is part of a bigger company called United Biscuits.
Twiglets for the Holidays
For many years, especially around Christmas, Twiglets were sold in special round tin boxes. These were seen as a fancy snack to serve at parties from the 1930s all the way up to the 1970s. Nowadays, you'll usually find them in large cardboard tubes decorated for the holidays instead of tins.
Different Twiglet Flavors
Over the years, Twiglets have tried out a few different flavors:
- In the early 1990s, they made a tangy Worcester Sauce flavor.
- From 1999 to 2001, they even had a curry flavor! They worked with some Indian restaurants in Northern England to create it.
- The Tangy Twiglets with Worcester Sauce flavor came back for a short time between 2010 and 2012. This was a special limited edition to celebrate Twiglets' 80th birthday!
How Twiglets Get Their Crunch
For a long time, part of the process to make Twiglets involved special machines called hammer mills. These machines were at a place called Parker Brothers Lark Roller Mills. They used water power from the River Lark to break up grains. This process helped create the broken, uneven grains that give Twiglets their unique crunchy and irregular shape. This water-powered mill was used for making Twiglets until the late 1990s.
Celebrating Twiglets' Birthday
In August 2014, Twiglets turned 85 years old! To celebrate, United Biscuits held a special event called Camp Twiglet. It took place on a farm owned by Blur's musician, Alex James. At the event, there were three wigwams (tent-like structures) that were said to be made from Twiglets! A local artist named Mrs. Cakehead was given credit for making them.
See also
- Allsorts
- Cheetos
- Nik Naks (British snack)
- Pirouline
