Percy pigs
Encyclopedia
Confectionery
Confectionery is the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well...
products made under licence in Germany for Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
. They first appeared in stores in the mid-nineties. The name "Percy Pigs" has now been trademarked by Marks and Spencer. More than £10,000,000 was grossed between June 2009 and 2010 in Percy pig sales in Marks and Spencer's UK branches alone. They are made up of just under 3.5% fruit juice.
Until 2008, Percy Pig sweets were available in 100, 200 and 400 grams. The packaging has not changed size, but the middle size now contains 170 grams and the large size now contains 340 grams.
History
Percy Pig was created in 1995 and was sold in strawberryStrawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
and raspberry
Raspberry
The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
flavours.
After a brief hiatus from the shelves in 1997, the brand returned, and in 2008 the sweets made UK Vogue's
Vogue (British magazine)
The British edition of Vogue is a fashion magazine that has been published since 1916.When British Vogue was launched, it was the first overseas edition of an existing fashion magazine. Under the magazine's first editor, Elspeth Champcommunal, the magazine was essentially the same as the American...
2008 hot list at number 11 on the top style bible's 40 hottest people and trends to watch over the coming months.
A Percy Pig appreciation society has been set up on Facebook and currently has 250,000 members. Their popularity was also boosted by their regular mention in Suzi Brent
Suzi Brent
Suzi Brent is an emergency medical dispatcher for London Ambulance Service and is the author of the blog Nee Naw. She currently lives in London.-Biography:Brent grew up in London. As a child she aspired to be a doctor...
's Nee Naw blog, which discussed life, and their fondness for Percy Pigs, in a busy London Ambulance Service
London Ambulance Service
The London Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the largest "free at the point of contact" emergency ambulance service in the world. It responds to medical emergencies in Greater London, England, with the ambulances and other response vehicles and over 5,000 staff at its disposal.It is one of 12...
control room.
Non-Vegetarian
Marks & Spencer Percy Pig sweets contain real pigPig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
in the form of pork gelatin
Gelatin
Gelatin is a translucent, colorless, brittle , flavorless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar...
, as opposed to pectin
Pectin
Pectin is a structural heteropolysaccharide contained in the primary cell walls of terrestrial plants. It was first isolated and described in 1825 by Henri Braconnot...
, a common natural vegetarian alternative found widely in sweets and jellies.
Veggie Percy
As of 2 August 2011 a vegetarian variety of Percy Pig sweets that uses pea protein will be available from Marks & SpencerMarks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
. They have a green ear to indicate them being vegetarian.
Variations
In August 2009, "Phizzy Pig Tails" was added to the range. Reversy Percys are also now available - primarily the dark pink jelly as opposed to the light pink foam. In May 2010, Marks and Spencer launched a limited edition Piglet's Big Match for the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
.
Other retailers
Similar sweets are available from other retailers. One variation is Eric the Elephant produced by Sainsbury's, Tesco's sporting the Cool Cats name, while AsdaAsda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
have another similar products called Stanley Snail and Fredrick Frog.
International versions
The Canadian variant of Percy Pigs are called "Juiced Up", although they are not produced by Marks and Spencer. They are simply a very close match for the same product and are produced by R. Weale corporation. Since 18 March 2009, "Juiced Up" in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
are produced and distributed by the Saegert&Rowse company, who also hold the name to other confectioneries such as "Sour Bombz", "Devilish Dahns" and "Crafty Cats."
In Germany the sweet is sold under the name "Fred Ferkel". The Dutch variant are called Katja Biggetjes, also not produced by Marks and Spencer but are identical to the British Percy Pig sweets.
In France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, a sweet very similar to the British Percy Pig, "Petit Cochon", was launched by the K. Boughton Company in November 2007.
In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, supermarket Coles launched the sweet as 'Peggy pig and pals' in 2009.
Merchandise
Marks and Spencer has developed Percy Pig into a brand in its own right. New Percy-themed lines have included; Percy Pig socks, ties, toy cars, biscuit barrels, advent calendars, bed linen, cushions, pencil cases, birthday cakeBirthday cake
The birthday cake has been an integral part of the birthday celebrations in Western cultures since the middle of the 19th century. Certain rituals and traditions, such as singing of birthday songs, associated with birthday cakes are common to many Western cultures. The Western tradition of adding...
candles and children's books. Recently a Percy Pig piggy bank
Piggy bank
Piggy bank is the traditional name of a coin accumulation and storage receptacle; it is most often, but not exclusively, used by children. The piggy bank is known to collectors as a "still bank" as opposed to the "mechanical banks" popular in the early 20th century. These items are also often used...
was added to the line, with a festive hat for the Christmas period. Also available is a Percy Pig mug which emits a piggy sound when lifted. Percy pig piggy banks also come in limited edition ranges which vary from time to time. Penny Pig was relaunched in the UK and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in the festive season of 2010-2011.
Here is a (near) complete list of Percy Pig edible products:
- Original Percy Pigs
- Percy Pig and Pals
- Percy Piglets
- Penny Pigs
- Captain Pig
- Squeezingly Fizzy Piglets (D)
- Percy Pig Cupcakes (D)
- Percy Pig Organic Biscuits (D)
- Phizzy Pig Tails
- Piglet Party; Piglet Big Match (SC) (S)
- Percy Pig Easter EggEaster eggEaster eggs are special eggs that are often given to celebrate Easter or springtime.The oldest tradition is to use dyed or painted chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to substitute chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs filled with confectionery such as jelly beans...
(S) - Reversy Percy
- Percy Pig MousseMousseMousse is derived from the French word mousse which means "lather" or "foam". A mousse is a prepared food that incorporates air bubbles to give it a light and airy texture...
- Percy Pig Biscuits (Version 2)
- Percy Pig Rations
- Percy Pig Ice Cream
- Percy Pig Rosy Noses
- Veggie Percy
D= Presently discontinued
SC= Have same contents but with different theme
U= Upcoming
S= Seasonal, available at a certain time