27 replies to this topic

[syco]

Golden Wonder in administration



Crisp manufacturer Golden Wonder has been placed in administration, putting about 850 jobs at risk.



The firm, whose brands include Golden Wonder, Nik-Naks and Wheat Crunchies, has suffered falling sales and fierce competition in recent years.

Administrators Kroll said the firm had made "significant" losses in 2005, on top of a £10.8m loss reported in 2004. Kroll said it hoped the firm could be rescued but warned that the own-label operation in Corby would close.


Full Story/Source: http://news.bbc.co.u...ess/4595678.stm
Golden Wonder: http://www.goldenwonder.com


Don't know about anyone else, but Nik-Naks have been my favourite crisp for years now!

[skabaz]

damn

i always buy golden wonder.

baz

[ady]

I heard this on the News earlier..............


Now what amazed me was I thought the Name is dying....eg as a massive %'age is the 'own-brands'...who has their stuff made by 'someone'.

Therefore I thought job losses would be Zilch...Just the Brand go......but no!


So who does make ASDA's, Sainsbury's and Tesco's stuff?...made somewhere, surely they arn't ALL the same?

[smoothielad]

Well we lost KP now Golden Wonder shame really but mainly down to people's eating habits and money grabbing Walkers.

Walkers have been offering supermarkets so much cash to sell there own brand and stop selling other brands. I did see a program about Golden Wonder a year ago telling us they are re-iventing themselves but I guess it just didn't work out.

However I heard a rumour that Golden Wonder also come under 'Nobby's'

Anyone know

[lincs1]

i can see why coz i guess walkers is a big company to compete with. plus walkers is mostly everybody's fave anyway

[jay2]

So who does make ASDA's, Sainsbury's and Tesco's stuff?...made somewhere, surely they arn't ALL the same?

GW did make a "selection" of the supermarket brand,but quiet a few companies had their hand in the franchise.
Let's just say Kelloggs only make cereals for Kelloggs and Walkers only make crisps for walkers(unless under licence)

[Bencrest]

Well we lost KP now Golden Wonder shame really but mainly down to people's eating habits and money grabbing Walkers.

Walkers have been offering supermarkets so much cash to sell there own brand and stop selling other brands. I did see a program about Golden Wonder a year ago telling us they are re-iventing themselves but I guess it just didn't work out.

However I heard a rumour that Golden Wonder also come under 'Nobby's'

Anyone know

From memory Nobbys is part of Walkers, although Walkers are not making that well known.

[gazza.r]

well thats bad news 4 my town of corby, 350 jobs will be lost at the plant here.

[chan]

i hope this isnt going to be more jobs lost in the uk to be farmed out to cheaper countries? like most of the other industries? i thought that food manufacture would be safe but obviously not

[Bencrest]

i hope this isnt going to be more jobs lost in the uk to be farmed out to cheaper countries? like most of the other industries? i thought that food manufacture would be safe but obviously not

IMHO products such as this will continue to be swallowed up by larger manufacturers - in this case, I'd be surprised if Walkers didn't take on the Golden Wonder brand, much like they did with Smiths.

[jay2]

IMHO products such as this will continue to be swallowed up by larger manufacturers - in this case, I'd be surprised if Walkers didn't take on the Golden Wonder brand, much like they did with Smiths.

GW are guilty of doing the same.
Wheat Crunchies and Nik Naks are not GW original products,they were from a company called Sooner Snacks(i think thats the name).

[Toddyuk]

much like they did with Smiths.

Ahh Smiths now that was a crisp delight (Bovril) mmmm.

Its a sad day .

Walkers are also Massive in USA , There name over there escapes me for now , Am sure someone will rem.

[wearecity]

A shame.

When I was a kid in the 70's and certainly the early 80's you never saw a bag of Walkers crisps down south.

Suddenly they started to appear a bit like DFS did and before you know it Golden Wonder crisps were harder to find. Their salt and vinegar flavour were the best, although sausage and tomato flavour was nice, until the last receipe change.

For a long time now Walkers have had a virtual monopoly on the standard crisp market (you know crisps that are crisps, not wotsits, nik naks, quavers etc), so I guess it was only a matter of time.

I'm pretty sure Walkers will eat up more trademark brand names and possible even buy Golden Wonder.

Walkers monopoly/success of the crisp market can be compared to Stagecoaches success in the bus/coach market. Both had humble beginnings and both were never seen down south, but now both are huge names over the whole of the uk.

From what I have heard Stagecoaches rise has been mainly due to them be extremely cut throat in the bus/coach business and it could well be the same with Walkers in the crisp market.

Never to good for one company to monopolies an industry, but lets face it, when has their ever been a cut price war within the crisp market.

[jay2]

EG...........
http://www.williamsm....uk/snacks.html

[Bencrest]

Frito-Lay appears to be the USA 'Walkers', both being owned by Pepsi (PepsiCo). http://www.fritolay.com/

[Gazeyre1966]

When I was growing up in Scotland....Tudor Crisps were the big brand....Aaah, those hedgehog flavour crisps, never to be forgotten. Does anyone know what happened to Tudor?

[jay2]

Not forgetting Quentin crisps,anyone remember them?

[Bencrest]

Snippet...

Situated in the North East Industrial Estate, Walkers' Peterlee plant has an interesting history in crisp production. Built in 1960 by Tudor Crisps who relocated from Newcastle, the site was taken over by Smiths Crisps, who were owned by Huntley and Palmer Biscuits. The Tudor brand dominated the North East snack market for many years with its reputation for introducing new flavours and producing the well remembered Salt & Shake brand with the little blue bag.

In 1989 the business was acquired by the American company Fritolay, part of the Pepsico Group, together with Walkers Crisps who were based in Leicester, and in 1993 Smiths Crisps and Walkers were merged and the Peterlee plant was re-equipped to support the launch of Walkers Crisps into Scotland.

Through the years the plant has continued to prosper as a result of the growth of the Walkers brand in the UK. Marketing's 2002 Biggest Brands survey compiled by AC Nielson highlighted that today Walkers dominates the British crisp market. Placed as the second top brand in Britain, 78% of UK households now buy the product. A fifth of all crisps consumed in the UK are manufactured in Peterlee, and the plant is also sole supplier of Walkers Crisps to Ireland since the company entered the market in 1990.

You learn something new everyday

[uya]

'Tudor' Feck I'd completely forgoten about them, cheers for the blast from the past Gazeyre. I do remember Hedgehog flavour though, were they not hedgehog brand, who also did youghurt and mint and things like that?
Anyway back to the topic, it's not too late Golden wonder could still be save, everyone go out find a shop that sells golden wonder, buy their entire stock, let's show the American giant that is Pepsico/Walkers where our loyalties lie!

[cliffc]

'Tudor' Feck I'd completely forgoten about them, cheers for the blast from the past Gazeyre. I do remember Hedgehog flavour though, were they not hedgehog brand, who also did youghurt and mint and things like that?
Anyway back to the topic, it's not too late Golden wonder could still be save, everyone go out find a shop that sells golden wonder, buy their entire stock, let's show the American giant that is Pepsico/Walkers where our loyalties lie!

HI

Tudor were made here in the north east in a factory in Peterlee and like Smiths were bought out by Walkers the Tudor Factory is now a Walkers plant here in sunny Peterlee.

CLiff C