Tayto Crisps
Tayto Crisps
I find the whole British (count that Irish, Welsh, and Scottish) use of the term “Crisps” for “Chips” pretty humorous, but that’s probably because I’m American where crisps are called “chips”. You know, those “deeply fried” light slivers of potatoes we add to our calorie-infested food type called “junk food”. We serve them as a snack, appetizer, or side dish. They are cooked, salted, and “enhanced” with herbs, spices, chemicals, and artificial additives. Ok, and seasonings. The Americans, Australians, New Zealander’s, Canadians, Singapore, South African, and Jamaican English call them “potato chips” or “chips”, the British and Hiberno English call them “crisps”, and Indian English call them “chips” or “wafers”. But the terminology is not as funny to me as much as the iconography and slogans I’ve seen on Irish crisps. The first time I experienced Irish crisps was with the Hunky Dorys Crisps during my first trip to Ireland in 2010.
So upon my newly acquired Irish friendship circle, every one of them raved about “Taytos”. “Have you had Taytos?” they would say. I’d reply … “No I haven’t.” That was changed one day by my Irish fiancee who broadened my horizons on this dastardly deadly snack. I have to say, they are quite yummy, though high calorie and not good for you in any regard (as with all other “potato chips” … excuse me “crisps”.) The “Taytos” are considered a cultural phenomena of Ireland, so much that many Irish call these “chips” or “crisps” simply “taytos”.
These “Tayto” crisps are made in Ulster at the 500 year old infamous Tayto Castle where the mighty O’Hanlon clan once resided. After much turmoil, battles, siezes, and a very interesting history, the castle was bought in 1955 by Irish businessman Thomas Hutchinson. The following year, he decided to make a new potato product called “crisps” and began manufacturing them right there in that very castle. By 1964, Tayto created various different flavored crisps such as “Smoky Bacon” and “Prawn Cocktail” which became their most popular. To promote the crisps was invented the comical potato-head called “Mr. Tayto” who has become a well loved face across Northern Ireland (and the Republic of Ireland as well). If you ask me, seems to be a rip-off of Mr. Potatohead which was developed in 1949 and popularized by 1952. The mascot “Mr. Tayto” was used in numerous advertising campaigns, even up to this date. In 2007 during the Irish General Election, they ran a advertising campaign with Mr. Tayto as a fake election candidate and even claimed some really did vote for him, causing spoiled votes in the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency. This led to Tayto getting fined during the campaign for littering due to their fake election posters posted in public places. In 2009 Tayto Ltd. published the book “The Man Inside the Jacket” as a fictional autobiography of “Mr. Tayto”.
The company is split between a Northern Ireland plant and a Republic of Ireland plant. Both companies operate entirely separately even though they have a similar range of products. The Northern Ireland manufacturer is called “Tayto” Limited based out of Tandragee in County Armagh and was formed in 1956. They employ over 300 at their plant in the Tandragee Castle representing the largest and most popular “crisp” brand in Northern Ireland and the third largest in the United Kingdom. They licensed the name and recipes of “Tayto” in the Republic of Ireland. In 2006, the Northern Ireland Tayto acquired Corby and Scunthorpe sites of the former Golden Wonder business producing mini Pringles for Proctor and Gamble. By 2007 they acquired Sirhowy Valley Foods Ltd who make “Real Crisps” products. In 2008 they acquired Red Mill Snack foods pushing them to become the 3rd largest crisp manufacturer in the United Kindgom. In 2009 they acquired Jonathan Crisp, the trading name of Natural Crisps Ltd. They produce their signature brand of “Cheese and Onion” flavored crisps like their counterpart in Ireland. They also offer “beef & onion”, “ready salted”, “smoky bacon”, “salt & vinegar”, “worcester sauce”, “prawn cocktail”, “spring onion”, “roast chicken”, and “pickled onion” flavored crisps. The Republic of Ireland plant claims it was founded by Joe Murphy in 1954. This company was owned by Cantrell & Cochrane (based in Coolock County Dublin) then outsourced by Largo Foods in 2005 until they were purchased by Largo Foods in 2006 for €62.3 million euro. They too, offer the Tayto crisps in various flavors, as “Cheese & Onion”, “Salt & Vinegar”, “Smokey Bacon”, “Ready Salted”, “Prawn Cocktail”, and the limited edition “Tex Mex”. By the 2000′s they attempted to target the health food market with low fat and salt crisps they originally branded as “Honest” and currently refer to these as the “Happy and Healthy range”. In this range they also sell “Nuts and Popcorn Range”, “Popcorn Pleasure”, “Salted Peanuts”, “Dry roasted Peanuts”, “Bacon Fries”, “Snacks Range”, “Snax”, “Mighty Munch”, “Chipsticks”, “Ketchips”, “Waffles”, “Wheelies”, “Jonny Onion Rings”, “Snaps”, “Happy and Healthy Range”, “Treble Crunch Farmhouse Cheddar & Spring Onion”, “Treble Crunch Sour Cream & Onion”, “Velvet Crunch”, “Sharing Range”, “Bistro Cheese & Onion”, “Bistro Caribbean Chutney”, “Occasions Thai Sweet Chilli”, “Occasions Mature Cheddar Cheese and Red Onion”, “Occasions Tortillas Nacho Cheese”, and “Occasions Tortilla Original Cool”. They opened a theme park called “Tayto Park” in Ashbourne, County Meath.
Bibliography/Recommended reading:
- Baurley, Thomas; McGowan, Leaf; et al. “Hunky Dorys Crisps” 2010: Technogypsie.com Productions; Colorado Springs, Colorado. www.technogypsie.com.
- Tayto. Website referenced January 2012. http://www.tayto.com/.
- Tayto Crisps. Website referrenced January 2012. http://www.taytocrisps.ie/.
Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia ~ “Tayto”. Web site referenced January 2012. en.wikipedia.org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tayto_(Republic_of_Ireland) & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tayto_(Northern_Ireland)/
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