Skips are a snack from the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
which were first launched in 1974 in
prawn cocktail flavour.
Skips are similar to
Indonesian prawn crackers, although they are smaller and have a finer texture that makes them fizz and melt on the tongue. The snacks are made by
KP Snacks under licence of the German snack food company
Intersnack. In the United Kingdom, they are made with
tapioca
Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the tubers of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North Region, Brazil, North and Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast regions of Brazil, but which has ...
starch and in Ireland with
maize
Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...
starch. Packets of Skips often have
joke
A joke is a display of humour in which words are used within a specific and well-defined narrative structure to make people laugh and is usually not meant to be interpreted literally. It usually takes the form of a story, often with dialogue, ...
s or
tongue twisters written on the back, which are aimed at
children
A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...
. Other flavours, such as
pickled onion
Pickled onions are a food item consisting of onions (cultivars of '' Allium cepa'') pickled in a solution of vinegar and salt, often with other preservatives and flavourings.[ReBoot
In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...]
Dots Doughnut (pink bag) and a ReBoot pizza flavour, Sweetcorn Relish (1985, yellow bag) and Sweet'n'Sour have been available in the past. In 2002, KP launched two new variations of Skips intended to offer a 'unique taste sensation'. Buzz Boltz featured a 'crunch-melt' experience and Tickle Pickle delivered a 'puff-melt' sensation. Both have since been discontinued.
Since early 2006, Skips have seen a 30% reduction in saturated fat and a 10% reduction in sodium and are made with 100% sunflower oil. Skips contain no artificial colours or flavourings.
In 2012, the brand and KP Snacks was sold by United Biscuits to German company Intersnack.
In the Republic of Ireland, Skips are sold under the
Tayto brand, which is also owned by
Intersnack.
Sponsorship and television adverts
The children's theme has been extended in previous years with the sponsorship of
Dragon's Fury, a popular attraction at
Chessington World Of Adventures.
Ex-''
EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...
'' actress
Daniela Denby-Ashe, who played Sarah Hills in the show and Janey Harper in ''
My Family'', appeared in a Skips advert as a teenager. Also in the 1980s, wrestler
Giant Haystacks appeared in a TV advert for Skips, with the closing line "Dainty aren't they?".
Action Biker, a mid-1980s budget computer game from
Mastertronic, featured the Clumsy Colin character from the then-current Skips adverts, as well as KP Skips branding on the case artwork.
Actor
Craig Charles voiced a series of ads as an anthropomorphic tongue, meant to be the viewer's. The ads aired with the closing line "Stick a Skip on your tongue; it asked for it!"
See also
*
List of brand name snack foods
References
{{Authority control
Products introduced in 1974
Brand name snack foods
British snack foods
United Biscuits brands