Hedgehog Flavour Crisps

Hedgehog Flavour Crisps was a British novelty snack brand developed in 1981 by Phillip Lewis, the landlord of the Vaults public house in Welshpool, Montgomeryshire, Wales. The product originated as a pub joke and local curiosity: customers asked for crisps with the flavour of hedgehog, while Lewis drew on stories about hedgehogs supposedly being baked in clay on travelling communities' campfires. The original product was marketed as Hedgehog Flavoured Crisps and was produced through Hedgehog Foods, a company Lewis established on an industrial estate in Welshpool. Despite its provocative name, the crisps did not contain hedgehog. Their initial flavour came from pork fat and herbs. The packet presented the product as a way to experience the flavour of traditional country cooking without injuring an actual hedgehog, but the unusual branding nevertheless attracted complaints from animal-rights supporters who believed the product might involve real animals. The European hedgehog was also protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, making the subject particularly sensitive in Britain. The brand became nationally and internationally notable after the Office of Fair Trading alleged in 1982 that the original name could breach the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 because the product did not contain hedgehog. The crisps were withdrawn while the dispute was resolved. Lewis argued that the description reflected reported similarities between the taste of the product and that of baked hedgehog, but ultimately reached an agreement with the OFT. Under the settlement, he commissioned an artificial flavouring based on interviews about the supposed traditional flavour and work conducted by Wolverhampton Polytechnic. The product was renamed Hedgehog Flavour Crisps, a formulation that avoided the same implication that the crisps contained the named ingredient, and returned to sale on 12 January 1984 with clear artificial-flavouring wording on the packet. Publicity surrounding the dispute helped the brand achieve attention well beyond its small Welsh manufacturing base. Comedian Billy Connolly and international media contributed to its notoriety, while the packaging's humorous presentation turned the product into a curiosity item as much as a conventional snack. Hedgehog Foods also produced other crisp flavours and several varieties of spread. The brand was distributed in Canada for a period, and plans were reportedly made for entry into the United States, although the available reference material does not establish that a sustained US launch occurred. By 1991, Hedgehog Foods was reported to have sales of $3.6 million and to be a significant donor to Tiggywinkles, a hedgehog conservation charity. The company was later acquired by crisp manufacturer Bensons, subsequently known as Snackhouse. Hedgehog Flavour Crisps continued to be sold until at least 1994 but are no longer available. Its legacy rests on the combination of novelty food branding, a highly unusual product-description case, and publicity-driven differentiation rather than on a lasting mass-market product line.

Hedgehog Flavour Crisps emerged from the Vaults public house in Welshpool, Montgomeryshire, where landlord Phillip Lewis developed the product in 1981. The idea combined customer banter with stories about hedgehogs allegedly being enclosed in clay and cooked over campfires. Lewis created Hedgehog Foods to manufacture the crisps on a Welshpool industrial estate. The original product was sold as Hedgehog Flavoured Crisps and used pork fat and herbs rather than any animal derived from a hedgehog. The name generated attention because it appeared to identify an unusual and potentially illegal ingredient. Some animal-rights supporters complained after assuming that real hedgehog might be used. That concern was especially sensitive because the European hedgehog was protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The product's packaging took a humorous position, describing it as a way to experience traditional country cooking without harming a real hedgehog. In 1982, the Office of Fair Trading brought the product into a dispute under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. The OFT alleged that the original description was misleading because the crisps contained no hedgehog, and the product was removed from sale during the proceedings. Lewis maintained that the description was defensible because people familiar with purported traditional preparations had said the flavour resembled hedgehog. He eventually agreed to a settlement rather than continue the dispute. The settlement required a change in presentation and led to the development of an artificial flavouring. Lewis commissioned work through Wolverhampton Polytechnic after arranging interviews about the supposed taste of baked hedgehog. The OFT permitted the product to return on 12 January 1984, provided that the packaging clearly disclosed the artificial flavouring. The name was changed from Hedgehog Flavoured Crisps to Hedgehog Flavour Crisps. This wording was intended to describe a flavour association rather than suggest that the product contained hedgehog. The legal story produced substantial publicity. Billy Connolly and media outlets outside Britain helped turn the crisps into an international curiosity. For a period, the brand was distributed in Canada, and the company considered a US launch. Hedgehog Foods broadened its activities beyond the signature crisps, developing other crisp flavours and several spread varieties. The company was reported to have sales of $3.6 million by 1991, although the cited material does not define the precise reporting period or provide a financial source beyond the encyclopedia account. Hedgehog Foods also became a major donor to Tiggywinkles, a hedgehog conservation charity, creating an ironic but commercially useful connection between the brand's theme and animal protection. The business was later acquired by Bensons, subsequently known as Snackhouse. The product remained available until at least 1994 and is now discontinued. Its principal historical significance lies in its use of novelty naming, publicity, and a regulatory dispute to distinguish a small snack brand in a crowded market.

• 1994

  Product sold until at least 1994

  [1]Hedgehog Flavour Crispsen.wikipedia.org

  Available reference material records the brand as continuing to be sold until at least 1994.

• 1991

  Hedgehog Foods reports substantial sales

  [1]Hedgehog Flavour Crispsen.wikipedia.org

  Hedgehog Foods was reported to have sales of $3.6 million and to support Tiggywinkles, although the reference does not specify the financial period.

• 1984

  Reformulated and relaunched under revised name

  [1]Hedgehog Flavour Crispsen.wikipedia.org

  The product returned to sale on 12 January as Hedgehog Flavour Crisps, using an artificial flavouring and explicit artificial-flavour labeling.

• 1982

  Product withdrawn during OFT dispute

  [1]Hedgehog Flavour Crispsen.wikipedia.org

  The Office of Fair Trading alleged that the original product description breached the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 because the crisps contained no hedgehog.

• 1981

  Brand developed in Welshpool

  [1]Hedgehog Flavour Crispsen.wikipedia.org

  Phillip Lewis developed the original Hedgehog Flavoured Crisps and established Hedgehog Foods to manufacture them.

• Hedgehog Foods acquired by Bensons

  [1]Hedgehog Flavour Crispsen.wikipedia.org

  The manufacturing company was purchased by Bensons, later known as Snackhouse; the acquisition date is not specified in the reference.

A novelty British snack positioned around humour, curiosity, and an unusual rural-food theme, with the product's name and legal controversy functioning as major sources of publicity.

• Potato crisps · 1981

  Hedgehog Flavour Crisps

  The signature novelty potato-crisp product associated with the Hedgehog Foods brand. The original recipe used pork fat and herbs and did not contain hedgehog. After the 1982 Office of Fair Trading dispute, the product was relaunched with an artificial flavouring and a revised name that did not imply the presence of the named animal. It was known for humorous packaging and broad media attention rather than for a conventional ingredient-led proposition.

• Potato crisps

  Other Hedgehog Foods crisp flavours

  Hedgehog Foods developed additional crisp flavours alongside its signature hedgehog-themed product. The available reference confirms their existence but does not identify the individual flavour names, recipes, launch dates, or distribution scale.

• Food spreads

  Hedgehog Foods spreads

  The company also produced several varieties of spread, extending Hedgehog Foods beyond crisps. The reference material does not provide the spread names, ingredients, packaging details, or current availability.

• 1982

  Office of Fair Trading trade-description dispute

  The OFT alleged that the name Hedgehog Flavoured Crisps could breach the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 because the product contained no hedgehog. The dispute led to a temporary withdrawal, a revised name, and an artificially developed flavouring before the product returned to sale.

  Source

Read more

• Novelty packaging and publicity campaign

  United Kingdom · International media

  The brand used humorous packaging and the unusual hedgehog concept to attract attention. Public discussion was amplified by comedian Billy Connolly and media coverage in several countries.

  Outcome. The publicity made a small Welsh snack brand widely recognizable as a novelty product, although no formal campaign dates or advertising expenditure are documented.

  Source
• Tiggywinkles charitable support

  United Kingdom

  Hedgehog Foods was reported to be a major donor to Tiggywinkles, a hedgehog conservation charity, linking the brand's animal-themed identity with wildlife protection.

  Outcome. The support reinforced the distinction between the product's humorous name and the absence of real hedgehog ingredients.

  Source

• 1984

  Rename and relaunch the productStrategy

  Background

  The original name was challenged by the Office of Fair Trading because the crisps did not contain hedgehog.

  Action taken

  Lewis agreed to use the name Hedgehog Flavour Crisps, commission an artificial flavouring, and identify the product as artificially flavoured on its packaging.

  Aftermath

  The crisps returned to sale on 12 January 1984 and continued to be sold until at least 1994.

  Source

• Hedgehog Foods acquired by BensonsM&A

  Background

  Hedgehog Foods expanded into additional crisp flavours and spreads before later becoming part of a larger crisp-manufacturing business.

  Action taken

  Bensons purchased Hedgehog Foods; Bensons was later known as Snackhouse.

  Aftermath

  The reference does not describe the transaction terms, ownership duration, or precise consequences for the brand.

  Source

1. 1Hedgehog Flavour Crispsen.wikipedia.org