I read it in the paper, so it must be true... According to the Daily Mirror, if you're on a diet and down the pub - if that's not a paradox I don't know what is - but if you are you must eat Twiglets. It's the law,
Twiglets are the best pub snack to go for, as they're relatively low in fat and calories (compared to crisps) and a good source of fibre, so they'll leave you fuller for longer.
I got an email the other day from a journalist on The Grocer magazine. he was desperately trying to find a picture of Curry Twiglets to accompany an article he was working on,
I am a journalist writing for The Grocer magazine. I am writing a feature about the snacks industry, part of which is taking a nostalgic look back at Curry Twiglets. I need an image though and the current brand team has none. I saw your blog and wondered if you had any pictures of the Curry Twiglets packaging you could email to me?
I don't have any. I had a hunt around and I couldn't find any either. But, what is it with United Biscuits and Twiglets? They appear to be so bloody useless. Zero web presence of any use. A brand team who take eight phone calls to respond to a simple request for information from a journalist and now they can't find an important artefact from Twiglets of yore. It's fairly clear, they simply don't give a toss about Twiglets.
News just in from South Essex...
A milkshake bar is coming to Southend with more than 100 flavours from Twiglets to peanut butter.Shake It milkshake bar is set to open on April 26 near the railway bridge in Southend High Street.
Steve Vincent and Sam Phillips, both from Westcliff, decided on the venture after seeing similar cafes elsewhere in the country.
Steve, 26, said: "Southend seemed to be missing out on a milkshake bar, so we decided two years ago to fill the gap. The town has lots of coffee shops but this is unique.
"We have been making up as many different flavours we could think of and testing them on our friends to see what works and what doesn't."
They have now come up with a menu of over 100 flavours, including Weetabix, jam doughnuts and blackjack, and seasonal offerings like Christmas pudding. link
Yep. That's the new message on the new bags of Twiglets about to be wheeled out of United Biscuits - whose online Twiglets presence remains utterly, utterly pitiful... As the regular reader will know the slogan has long bin 'A whole lot of CRUNCH in a WHOLEWHEAT MUNCH!' so, this is kinda big news, huh? Alors, the message changes, but the taste don't. Wholegrain or Wholewheat?? Lordy, you've gotta wonder how many marketing bucks went into that brainstorming session... Anyway, Talking Retail has more - much more - What the hell, I'll paste it in full. Just one question, What's an SKU? Normal people do read these things too, you know.
The new pack also sees a change in communication of the range’s principle ingredient, with the healthier snack now being positioned as a wholegrain product instead of whole-wheat. This message will be supported by the tagline: ‘A whole lot of CRUNCH in a WHOLEGRAIN MUNCH!’The new Twiglets pack will also inform customers that each 25g bag contains 41% of their wholegrain GDA, further reinforcing the health message.
Twiglets will have a striking new pack design across all SKUs, designed to highlight to consumers the snack’s health credentials. The new livery will also increase impact on shelf, in turn delivering increased sales and profit opportunities for retailers.
The pack will highlight the following information in a red, tick box format:• Less than 100 calories (per 25g serving)
• 79% Wholegrain
• No artificial colours
• No artificial flavours
• Baked not fried
• High in fibreNick Stuart, Commercial Manager, UBUK, commented: “UB remains committed to constantly improving their products and improving the nutritional communication to consumers. Twiglets is the latest brand to benefit from this.
“The Twiglets range already has a loyal following and those that are aware of the brand’s health credentials admit that this is a major reason for eating them.
“This new on-pack information has been designed to highlight that Twiglets are a healthier, tasty snack, and help increase the range’s sales, which have grown by 6% year on year.”
link
I love that line "UB remains committed to constantly improving their products and improving the nutritional communication to consumers" Why? Your customers couldn't give a monkey's second hand toss about nutritional information. The recipe works, they taste great. That's it. Don't try and intellectualize this and preach to the carrot munchers. Just keep making Twiglets, be innovative (for once), talk to your customers, have fun online and encourage that conversation malarkey. And, if you don't know how to do that drop me a line. I don't come cheap, but I do know how the internet works. One other thing I know from running a Twiglets blog is that there are TONNES of folk out there who talk about your product. How about talking to them?
That great bastion of solid British journalism The Daily Mirror takes an in depth look at snacks with an article titled Is snacking making you fat? - to which I will answer a resounding NO - largely because I can't get Twiglets in this 'ere country called France and even if I could, and I can't, it probably wouldn't be the Twiglets that'd lay the lard on my gut. That's because, as everyone with two brain cells knows Twiglets are very, very good for your health. And don't just take it from me, that's according to "nutrionist and author" - so she must really, really know her shit - Carina Norris,
"Pub snacks are generally fattening but if you choose wisely you can limit some of the damage," says Carina. "Twiglets contain 117 calories per bag, compared to crisps which contain close to 200 calories and peanuts which contain 300.
Go read more and find out if you are a social snacker, a drunk snacker, a bored snacker, a routine snacker or just a regular loser in this fascinating piece of investigative journalism.
Slice brings to our attention the fact that film stars chuck Twiglets. Not good...
Twiglets make a (very) brief cameo in Shaun of the Dead, when David becomes enraged at Shaun's plan to hole up in a pub.
"Oh look. We've got our Nibbles, our Mini Cheddars, our Twiglets. [throws them at Dianne, above] Oh, look: Hog Lumps."
Following the great British potato floods of 2007, the price of Twiglets is set to take a hike north according to The People,
The cost of Hula Hoops is rising by around 3p a pack - to around 38p - with the price of crisps, biscuits and cereals set to go up too. Snacks giant United Biscuits blames it on soaring potato and wheat prices due to flood-hit crops. Pub favourites McCoy's crisps and Twiglets are due to go up, with Kellogg's cereals set to follow. An industry source said: "Trade prices rise, shops have to fork out more - and that means the ordinary fan of crisps or biscuits will be hit in the pocket." Snacks lover Rachel Young, 23, of Maidstone, Kent, said: "Hula Hoops are supposed to be an affordable treat, not a luxury. "I hope some shops can keep the price down."
According to Talk Retail, United Biscuits introduce new 'sharing bags' for Twiglets, Skips, Hula Hoops Original and Mini Cheddars,
The introduction of these popular brands from the end of September in a sharing bag format is positive news for retailers looking to exploit the growing Everyday Sharing market segment.
The new format will appeal to consumers looking for a longer lasting snack which can be shared on the move, in the office or at home.
Available in cases of 16, Mini Cheddars (200g), Twiglets (150g), Hula Hoops Original (160g) and Skips (85g) sharing bags all have RRP’s of 89p.
Jessica Wylie, UBUK Trade PR & Communications Manager, comments: “The introduction of branded sharing bags proved extremely popular in consumer testing with people looking for tasty bagged snacks that are easy to share and we would advise retailers to stock up accordingly”. link
Just one question... What the hell is a 'sharing bag'?
Technorati Tags: Twiglets, United Biscuits, Hula Hoops, Skips, Mini cheddars, snackfood
She also told the Radio Times that she loves takeaways and greasy spoon cafes — and always carries MUSTARD in her bag. She said: “I need to take food with me everywhere. Being without it frightens me. I often have Twiglets in my bag, and always a tube of Colman’s mustard.” We'll forgive here the freak handbag content, mustard is good stuff and you can't beat Colman's...
News just in - from your Soaraway Sun - Nigella carries Twiglets everywhere she goes. That's right, Nigella Lawson - Britain's sauciest chef - is a Twiglets fiend. More power to her,
Intelligent analysis from errr... me on the Word of Mouth food blog. Give us back our crisps. The general theme being,
"It's a truth universally acknowledged that crisp manufacturers inTechnorati Tags: crisps, twiglets, word of mouth, observer food monthly
possession of stonkin' great fortunes couldn't give a monkey's toss
about you." more here.
Proof, if proof were needed, that shedloads more people talk about Twiglets than talk about The New York Times number one voted 'chip', Kettle Brand Lightly Salted. Omgili is a "what people are saying" search engine. Obviously, as such, they can't possibly be wrong.
America hasn't got a clue when it come to chips crisps - they don't even import Twiglets to every (or any) state :-O So, how they can have an opinion on what the best chips crisps are I really don't know. However... give them their due, the New York Times does bring up this one salient and savoury point,
Although chips are deceptively plain, they are powerful reminders of childhoods and hometowns. That’s why families send soldiers in Iraq their favorite local chips in care packages. Grow up in Detroit? It’s all about Better Made and a ginger soda pop called Vernors. In Ohio people claim Mike-sell’s chips as a birthright.
Jean Fuller is 71 and lives in Dallas with her husband, Dale. Anyone who visits from Iowa, her home state, must arrive with a bag or eight of Sterzing’s, which markets itself as the maker of “the most popular potato chips in southeast Iowa.” Cartons arrive for Christmas. Mr. Fuller got a supply for Father’s Day.
In case the article's already offline, here's a pdf with the text in full, but not the multimedia Top 10 slideshow.
According to a report by Greenpeace in 2004 Twiglets,
"may [have] contain[ed] GM ingredients or [have been] derived from animal fed on GM crops"
See the colour co-ordinated criteria above left and the standing of Twiglets on the right. Greenpeace later stopped producing the guide with the news that,
As part of a massive consumer backlash against GM food, most supermarkets and food manufacturers stopped using GM ingredients in their food. In addition, subsequent EU legislation means that all products containing GM material need to be clearly labelled, which has made our Guide pretty much defunct.
