In the UK in 1981, Hedgehog Foods Ltd decided, as a joke, to produce Hedgehog flavoured crisps (potato chips). To everyone's surprise, the crisps were a huge success.
Hedgehog flavoured crisps were actually flavoured with pork fat and no hedgehogs were used in the manufacturing process. Consequently, it wasn't long before Hedgehog Foods Ltd was in court (1982), up against the Office of Fair Trading, on a charge of false advertising.
Bizarrely, a settlement was finally reached when Mr Lewis, of Hedgehog Foods, interviewed gypsies who actually did eat baked hedgehogs, to ascertain the flavour of hedgehogs. Mr Lewis then commissioned a flavourings firm to duplicate the flavour as closely as possible and changed the labels from "hedgehog flavoured" to "hedgehog flavour" and all interests were satisfied!
Do You Remember Hedgehog Flavoured Crisps?
Do You Remember Hedgehog Flavoured Crisps?
-
ron2hats
on
A most delicious flavour made by an inovative company who fell fowl of nit picking small minds in a government quango with nothing better to do, probably funded by Walkers or Smiths to make their life hell. I am sure the Fair Trading lawyers spent our money well and went on an all expences paid junket on the expence account of the major crisp giants
-
beautifulwelshcounty
on
I had these crisps at my local kwik save (now frsh express). It happens to be I know the gentleman who made these. He lived just up the road and he was my form tutor and french teacher in school. I vaguely remember the vaults pub where he used to be publican. e@e0109.prodigynet.co.uk
-
vic
on
I remember having hedgehog flavour crisps, though only a few times. I don't think they were around for very long. I think they came in a beige coloured bag with a cartoon hedgehog on the front, and I remember them tasting just like beef crisps.
-
Anonymous
on
The other day I dusted off an old scrapbook of vintage aircraft pictures which I had compiled as a lad (sigh - simpler times). Remarkably, there, pressed flat in the back pages was an empty packet which once contained these hedgehoggy savoury treats! I recall that at the time I had considered them unusal enough to bother preserving the packet. I then promptly forgot all about them. Anyway the packet is photographed and immortalised for all time on Wikipedia (see filed under the entry on 'Crisps'). Incidentally, I can remember thinking they tasted rather like sausage with sage & onion stuffing...
-
Anonymous
on
my memory of hedgehog crisps is 'i was gutted as i never saw 1 packet!, although i was told by my best friend that they did exsist! ive never doubted him, Why I do not know?!! maybe it is because i was aware that gypsy 's would cook hegde hog on an open fire wrapped in clay, once the hedgehog was cooked they would peel the clay which would reveal the freshly cooked flesh!, as a delacacy.
-
Anonymous
on
I loved Hedgehog crisps as a kid! I was beginning to wonder whether I'd imagined them or not because everyone I mentioned them to had never heard of such a thing. My Dad always used to buy me a packet of Hedgehogs and a bottle of Pepsi with a straw in the pub, when I was tiny! Happy days.
-
Anonymous
on
They also sold yogurt and cucumber flavour. I bought these in 1988 in Wood St socialist club in Bolton. Every ten packs sent off built a ramp in a cattle grid so hedgehogs could climb out.
-
Anonymous
on
Does anyone know if they were still around in 1986?
-
Anonymous
on
I remember hedgehog crisps!,I also remember at one point irnbru flavoured crisps and chocolate flavour crisps which were strangely quite nice
-
Anonymous
on
Yep, Remember having to ride my motorbike into Otley, to a cafe by the river to buy these. This was the only place I ever saw them for sale, and then it was for a very limited time. Doubt very much they will ever come back, the world is far too PC nowadays, shame really.
Show previous comments