Wagon Wheels facts for kids
A classic Wagon Wheel biscuit
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| Type | Snack food |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Australia, Canada, United Kingdom |
| Created by | Arnott's Biscuits, Burton's Foods |
| Invented | 1948 |
| Main ingredients | Marshmallow, chocolate-flavoured coating |
| Variations | |
Wagon Wheels are a popular sweet snack enjoyed in countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Ireland. It's a tasty treat made of two round biscuits with a soft marshmallow filling in the middle, like a sandwich. The whole thing is then covered in a chocolate-flavoured coating.
The snack was first created in 1948. The inventor, William Peschardt, came up with the idea and sold the rights to Garry Weston. Weston took two Marie biscuits, put a marshmallow filling between them, and dipped it all in chocolate. The name "Wagon Wheels" was chosen because the round shape looked like the wheels of a wagon. This name was also a great fit for the times, as movies and stories about the Wild West were very popular.
Production of Wagon Wheels
Different companies make Wagon Wheels depending on where you live.
- In the United Kingdom, they are made by Burton's Foods. The factory that makes them is in Llantarnam, South Wales.
- In Australia, Wagon Wheels are produced by Arnott's Biscuits.
- In Canada, they were first made by a company called McCormick's but are now made by Dare Foods Limited. Canadian Wagon Wheels come in several flavours, including Original, Fudge, Choco Cherry, and Raspberry.
The Great Size Debate
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For many years, fans have debated whether Wagon Wheels have gotten smaller over time. Many people who ate them as kids remember them being much bigger.
The company in the UK, Burton's Foods, has said that the biscuits have not shrunk. One theory is that the snack seems smaller because people remember holding it in their smaller childhood hands.
However, in Australia, the company Arnott's admitted that some smaller versions were sold in multi-packs as "Mini Wagon Wheels." They later brought back the original, larger 48-gram size.
As of 2006, the Australian Wagon Wheel was measured at 88 millimeters across, which is 14 millimeters wider than the UK version. On the other hand, the UK version is 4 millimeters thicker than the Australian one.
See also
- Chocolate-coated marshmallow treats
- Weston family
- Choco pie
- Moon pie
- Alfajor
- Sandwich cookie
- List of chocolate-covered foods
