Wotsits

Wotsits
Really Cheesy Flavour Wotsits
Product typeCheese puffs
OwnerWalkers
CountryUnited Kingdom
Introduced1971 (1971)
Markets
  • United Kingdom
  • Ireland
Previous ownersGolden Wonder

Wotsits is a British brand of cheese-flavoured baked corn puffs[1] produced by Walkers. Originally launched by Golden Wonder in 1971,[2] which sold the brand to Walkers in 2002,[3][4][5] the snack is primarily known for its cheese variant ("Really Cheesy"), although other flavours have been introduced over the years. They are known for their light, airy texture and orange hue, and are well known in Britain.[6]

Name

When Walkers purchased Wotsits, early plans were put in place in October 2002 to rebrand Wotsits under the Cheetos name (owned by their parent company PepsiCo).[7] Walkers previously released the Cheetos brand in Britain, but with little success.[7] However, nothing came to be of this planned change and Walkers kept the Wotsits brand as is with a new look, replacing Cheetos. Wotsits relaunched with a brand new look and advertising campaign on 3 January 2003,[8] and the main cheese flavour was named Really Cheesy.[9]

Varieties and flavours

As of September 2025, the Wotsits range consists of:[10]

Flavour Type
Original Giants Crunchy
Cheese
Sweet & Spicy Flamin' Hot
Cheese Toastie
Crispy Bacon
Prawn Cocktail
Flamin' Hot
Extra Flamin' Hot

Golden Wonder ownership

When first introduced by Golden Wonder, Wotsits were available in flavours such as Cheesy, Crispy Beef (later named Barbecue Beef and BBQ Beef), Cheese & Bacon, and Spicy Tomato. The latter two were discontinued in 1993. A Prawn Cocktail flavour was released in February 1998.[11]

In the late 1990s, Golden Wonder introduced various brand expansions of the product. The first brand extension was "Long Wotsits" in February 1995, which featured longer strands of corn. The second brand extension was "Weenie Wotsits" in November 1999, which was a smaller version of the snack.[12] This was followed up with the launch of the grid-shaped "Wotsits Wafflers" in May 2000[13][14] and the oven-based "Wotsits Mealtime Potato Shapes" in November 2000.[15][16]

In August 2001, "Whopping Wotsits" were introduced, which were larger versions of the regular variety.[17] The Mealtime Potato Shapes were later released at McDonald's restaurants across the country,[12] and were later expanded to Wotsits Wafflers as well. In November, "Wotsits Micro Snacks" were introduced, which were microwaveable versions of the snack.

In March 2002, Golden Wonder announced the launch of a football-shaped version of the product called "Wotsits Goalden Balls" to coincide with the 2002 FIFA World Cup.[18] The product was released to compete with Walkers' "Footballs" product.[3] In April 2002, Golden Wonder teamed up with British television duo Ant & Dec for the "Goalden Shootout" promotion. Numbered codes of the back were shown in special packs of Nik Naks, Wotsits, Wotsits Wafflers, and Wotsits Goalden Balls.[19]

Walkers ownership

A "Mild Cheese" flavour was added to the range in 2003 after the takeover of Wotsits by Walkers.[8]

On 1 April 2004, Walkers announced the launch of a new "Flamin' Hot" flavour of the product, replacing "BBQ Beef", and was promoted as such as a "HOT NEW FLAVOUR!"[20] On 26 July 2004, Walkers announced the launch of a new product expansion called "Wotsits Twisted", which contained twists of corn, and were available in BBQ and Really Cheesy flavours.[21] From February 2007, Wotsits (along with Walkers's Quavers, Squares, French Fries and Monster Munch) started being made with sunseed oil instead, decreasing saturated fat.[22]

In August 2012, Wotsits Wafflers were reintroduced, being available in Bacon flavour. In May 2013, it was reintroduced as simply "Wafflers" under the Smiths brand, alongside the relaunch of Wotsits Twisted, branded solely as "Twisted".[23]

A limited edition version Zombie Fingers was put on sale for Halloween in September 2013 and has returned at following Halloweens. These come in Flamin' Hot flavour and are longer and curlier than normal Wotsits.

On 9 January 2020, Walkers announced that the Flamin' Hot and BBQ Beef (renamed to "Sizzlin' Steak") would return to store shelves due to popular demand.[24] A new variety called "Wotsits Giants" was also introduced around the same time, containing larger pieces of corn double the size of standard Wotsits, and are sold in Really Cheesy and Flamin' Hot.[25]

On 18 February 2022, it was announced that the Prawn Cocktail flavour would return to store shelves as a Wotsits Giants flavour in March, once again due to popular demand.[26] At the same time, it was announced that Crunchy Wotsits would be introduced, in Really Cheesy and Flamin' Hot flavours.[27]

In June 2023, a "Wotsits Really Cheesy" flavour of Walkers Crisps was released for a limited time only.[28]

In March 2024, the Flamin' Hot flavour for all Wotsits varieties was renamed to "Sweet and Spicy Flamin' Hot" to avoid confusion with Walkers' "Extra Flamin' Hot" brand, of which a new Wotsits Crunchy flavour was released for the range.[29] On 1 July, Walkers announced the "Yummy With" range of lower-salt snacks made with chickpea flour. Two new Wotsits flavours - Crispy Bacon, and Cheese Toastie, are part of this range.[30]

Advertising

The brand was the first to introduce inserts into its packs in March 1996, with the insertion of "Pogs".[31] The brand was previously advertised with the strapline "you only get a whoosh with a Wotsit" from at least 1992.[32] In September 2001, Golden Wonder ran a "Footie Flikka" promotion, which included twenty Footie Flikkas and a Footie Flikka album.[33]

Wotsits were one of the sponsors of SMTV Live (alongside other Walkers snacks such as Monster Munch and Squares) from 4 January 2003 until the show's discontinuation on 27 December 2003.

In 2003, the advertising agency Abbott Mead Vickers made a public apology when the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health brought to light a private brief that it had made to Frito-Lay (Walkers' owners) where it proposed encouraging children (4 to 9 years old) to believe that "Wotsits are for me—I'm going to buy them when I get the chance and pester Mum for them when she next goes shopping".[34]

In December 2009, Quavers, Wotsits, Squares, and French Fries all changed their packaging again to coincide with a "99 Calories or Less" range with a consumers' focus on "New Year New Me".[35]

References

  1. ^ "Crunch time". The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group. 14 January 2000. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 October 2025. So we have products such as Wotsits made of extruded and baked corn.
  2. ^ "We are a nation of munchers and nibblers. During a year, in Compiled by this country, we consume 160 million...". Leicester Chronicle. 30 April 1971. p. 7.
  3. ^ a b "Walkers to move Wotsits to AMV.BBDO". Marketing Week. London: Centaur Media. 30 May 2002. ISSN 0141-9285. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Golden Wonder sold". The Argus. Brighton: Newsquest. 28 May 2002. Archived from the original on 10 March 2007. Retrieved 27 October 2006.
  5. ^ "Walkers puts its muscle behind Wotsits". The Grocer. Archived from the original on 15 July 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Snack factory jobs under threat". BBC News. BBC. 28 May 2002. Retrieved 5 October 2025. Up to 150 jobs could go if snack maker Golden Wonder sells off its factory in Northamptonshire. The company wants to sell its famous Wotsits brand - made at the Corby factory - to its rivals Walkers Crisps.
  7. ^ a b Mason, Tania (9 October 2002). "Walkers aims to relaunch Wotsits brand as Cheetos". Campaign. London: Haymarket Business Media. ISSN 0008-2309. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  8. ^ a b Solley, Sam (13 February 2003). "Wotsits brings in rapping school kids to revamp image". Adwatch. Campaign. London: Haymarket Business Media. ISSN 0008-2309. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  9. ^ Carmichael, Mary (30 November 2002). "Walkers puts its muscle behind Wotsits". The Grocer. Crawley: William Reed Business Media. ISSN 0017-4351. Retrieved 5 October 2025. Walkers has unveiled its first marketing plans for the Wotsits savoury snacks brand as it finally takes full control of its summer acquisition.
  10. ^ "Walkers Cheese Wotsits | Walkers UK". www.walkers.co.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  11. ^ "WEEKENDER Free vouchers offer for World Book Day". Burton Daily Mail. 7 February 1998. p. 10. WOTS new for 98? Wotsits Prawn Cocktail flavour that's wot. Packed in special limited edition shiny foil bags they hit the shelves this month
  12. ^ a b "McDonald's set to roll out Wotsits snack". Marketing Week. London: Centaur Media. 20 September 2001. ISSN 0141-9285. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  13. ^ Brech, Poppy (10 August 2000). "Golden Wonder TV campaign". Campaign. London: Haymarket Business Media. ISSN 0008-2309. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Launch talk". The Grocer. Crawley: William Reed Business Media. 22 April 2000. ISSN 0017-4351. Archived from the original on 15 July 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  15. ^ "The Wonder of potato". The Caterer. London: Jacobs Media. 1 November 2000. ISSN 0008-7777. Archived from the original on 15 July 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2007.
  16. ^ "Wotsits turn into potato". The Grocer. Crawley: William Reed Business Media. 16 September 2000. ISSN 0017-4351. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Wotsits' soccer collector drive". Campaign. London: Haymarket Business Media. 17 September 2001. ISSN 0008-2309. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  18. ^ "Goalden Balls to tackle Walkers' Footballs". Marketing Week. London: Centaur Media. 10 January 2002. ISSN 0141-9285. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  19. ^ "Ant and Dec get booted up". The Grocer. Crawley: William Reed Business Media. 23 March 2002. ISSN 0017-4351. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  20. ^ "Walkers unveils new Wotsits flavour and relaunches Squares". Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  21. ^ "leisure-kit.net: The search engine for leisure buyers". www.leisure-kit.net. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  22. ^ Chomka, Stefan (20 January 2007). "First crisps, now snacks slash the saturated fat". The Grocer. Retrieved 5 October 2025. From next month its Quavers, Wotsits, Monster Munch, Squares and French Fries products will be made with Sunseed oil
  23. ^ "New additions to Smiths snack range". Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  24. ^ Dawson, Abbie (10 January 2020). "Wotsits brings back two discontinued flavours - Flamin' Hot and BBQ Beef". The Grocer. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  25. ^ Dishman, Mark (8 September 2020). "Walkers gives it large with Wotsits Giants campaign". The Grocer. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  26. ^ Garrett, Lee (18 February 2022). "Walkers confirms return of Wotsits flavour after 20 years". LeicestershireLive. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  27. ^ "Wotsits adds duo of Crunchy snacks and prawn cocktail Giants". Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  28. ^ "Walkers launches Wotsits, Monster Munch and Doritos inspired crisp flavours".
  29. ^ "Extra Flamin' Hot flavour added to Doritos, Walkers MAX and Wotsits Crunchy ranges".
  30. ^ "Walkers debuts new 'Yummy With' non-HFSS range from Wotsits and Monster Munch".
  31. ^ "Wotsit all - Why Golden Wonder is spending millions on Pogs promotion". Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. East Midland Allied Press. 15 February 1996. p. 19. Wotsits, the cheesy corn snack, which will have the Pogs inside are being made at Corby. Packets of crisps with Pogs are being made by Golden Wonder at its Merseyside plant.
  32. ^ Daily Mirror. London. 14 May 1992. p. 48. And remember - you only get a whoosh with a Wotsit! {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  33. ^ "Wotsits' soccer collector drive". Campaign. London: Haymarket Business Media. 17 September 2001. ISSN 0008-2309. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  34. ^ Austin, John (27 November 2003). "Select Committee on Health". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 27 October 2006. In the media strategy for Walkers Wotsits they talk about "Wotsits are for me—I'm going to buy them when I get the chance and pester Mum for them when she next goes shopping".
  35. ^ "Walkers launches '99 Calories or less' banner". PotatoPro. 14 December 2009. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.