Tunnock's
Encyclopedia
Thomas Tunnock Limited, commonly known as Tunnock's, is a family baker
in Uddingston
, Scotland.
The company was formed by Thomas Tunnock as Tunnock's in 1890, when he purchased a baker's shop in Uddingston. The company expanded in the 1950s, and it was at this time that the core products were introduced to the lines. The company has continued to expand, and now employs 550 staff. It is currently headed by Boyd Tunnock CBE, grandson of Thomas. It began exporting in 1957 and now sells its products in about 30 countries; the largest importer is Saudi Arabia
.
Factory tours have become so popular that the firm now keeps a year-long waiting list to manage demand.
Since 2005, Tunnock's has sponsored The Tour of Mull, an annual car rally held on the Isle of Mull
.
The product consists of a small round shortbread
biscuit covered with a dome of Italian meringue, a whipped egg white
concoction similar to marshmallow
. This is then encased in a thin layer of milk or dark chocolate
and wrapped in a distinctive red and silver foil paper for the more popular milk chocolate variety, with blue, black, and gold wrapping for the dark.
The name tea cake is somewhat confusing as generally a teacake
is taken to mean a sweet bread roll
with dried fruit
added to the mix, which is usually served toast
ed and butter
ed. A Tunnock's Tea Cake bears no relation to this product.
. The bar itself is coated in chocolate, made from condensed milk
. The wafers are wrapped in red and gold coloured foil. Dark chocolate wafers, wrapped blue and gold, are also available.
An individual wafer is devoid of a sell-by date, though the multipacks do have one. However, in many small outlets they are available separately. The wrappers of the milk chocolate version bear the wording "more than 5,000,000 of these biscuits made and sold every week".
St. Andrews University has a Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Appreciation Society, founded in 1982.
to the outside of the bar. Wafer Creams and Florida Orange have chocolate and orange
flavoured cream in place of the caramel.
A Snowball is similar to the Tea Cake, with the addition of grated coconut to the exterior of a soft chocolate shell but with no biscuit base.
Despite pressure to do so, Tunnock's does not make any own label
biscuits for supermarket
s.
Baker
A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
in Uddingston
Uddingston
Uddingston is a small town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the north side of the River Clyde, about seven miles south-east of Glasgow...
, Scotland.
The company was formed by Thomas Tunnock as Tunnock's in 1890, when he purchased a baker's shop in Uddingston. The company expanded in the 1950s, and it was at this time that the core products were introduced to the lines. The company has continued to expand, and now employs 550 staff. It is currently headed by Boyd Tunnock CBE, grandson of Thomas. It began exporting in 1957 and now sells its products in about 30 countries; the largest importer is Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
Factory tours have become so popular that the firm now keeps a year-long waiting list to manage demand.
Since 2005, Tunnock's has sponsored The Tour of Mull, an annual car rally held on the Isle of Mull
Isle of Mull
The Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute....
.
Teacakes
The Tunnock's Teacake is a sweet food popular in the United Kingdom. They are often served with a cup of tea or coffee.The product consists of a small round shortbread
Shortbread
Shortbread is a type of unleavened biscuit which is traditionally made from one part white sugar, two parts butter, and three parts oatmeal flour. The use of plain white flour is common today, and other ingredients like ground rice or cornflour are sometimes added to alter the texture...
biscuit covered with a dome of Italian meringue, a whipped egg white
Egg white
Egg white is the common name for the clear liquid contained within an egg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms around either fertilized or unfertilized egg yolks...
concoction similar to marshmallow
Marshmallow
The marshmallow is a confection that, in its modern form, typically consists of sugar, corn syrup, water, gelatin that has been softened in hot water, dextrose, vanilla flavourings, and sometimes colouring, whipped to a spongy consistency. Some marshmallow recipes call for egg whites...
. This is then encased in a thin layer of milk or dark chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
and wrapped in a distinctive red and silver foil paper for the more popular milk chocolate variety, with blue, black, and gold wrapping for the dark.
The name tea cake is somewhat confusing as generally a teacake
Teacake
This article is about a type of bread or cake. Tea cake can also be used to describe Compressed tea. For the chocolate-covered teacake, see Chocolate-coated marshmallow treats....
is taken to mean a sweet bread roll
Bread roll
A bread roll is a piece of bread, usually small and round and is commonly considered a side dish. Bread rolls are often used in the same way as sandwiches are—cut transversely, with fillings placed between the two halves.-Various forms:...
with dried fruit
Dried fruit
Dried fruit is fruit where the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to the fourth millennium BC in Mesopotamia, and is prized...
added to the mix, which is usually served toast
Toast
Toast is bread that has been browned by exposure to radiant heat. This browning reaction is known as the Maillard reaction. Toasting warms the bread and makes it firmer, so it holds toppings more securely...
ed and butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
ed. A Tunnock's Tea Cake bears no relation to this product.
Wafers
The Tunnock's Wafer, correctly known as the Tunnock's Milk Chocolate Coated Caramel Wafer Biscuit, is a bar consisting of five layers of wafer, interspersed with 4 layers of caramelCaramel
Caramel is a beige to dark-brown confection made by heating any of a variety of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, and as a topping for ice cream, custard and coffee....
. The bar itself is coated in chocolate, made from condensed milk
Condensed milk
Condensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. The two terms, condensed milk and sweetened...
. The wafers are wrapped in red and gold coloured foil. Dark chocolate wafers, wrapped blue and gold, are also available.
An individual wafer is devoid of a sell-by date, though the multipacks do have one. However, in many small outlets they are available separately. The wrappers of the milk chocolate version bear the wording "more than 5,000,000 of these biscuits made and sold every week".
St. Andrews University has a Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Appreciation Society, founded in 1982.
Other products
The other products in Tunnock's lines are largely based on the core products. The Caramel Log is similar to the Caramel Wafer, but with the addition of roasted coconutCoconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
to the outside of the bar. Wafer Creams and Florida Orange have chocolate and orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
flavoured cream in place of the caramel.
A Snowball is similar to the Tea Cake, with the addition of grated coconut to the exterior of a soft chocolate shell but with no biscuit base.
Despite pressure to do so, Tunnock's does not make any own label
Store brand
Store brands are a line of products sold by a retailer under a single marketing identity. They bear a similarity to the concept of House brands, Private label brands in the United States, own brands in the UK, and home brands in Australia and generic brands...
biscuits for supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s.
Iconography
The distinctive cheeky face of the Tunnock's Boy appears on nearly all Tunnock's products. The boy is based on no one and was chosen by Thomas Tunnock because of the clean, friendly image his face brings to the Tunnock's business.See also
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- Fox's Biscuits
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- Jacob Fruitfield Food GroupJacob Fruitfield Food GroupThe Jacob Fruitfield Food Group is an Irish food company. It was formed by Fruitfield Foods' acquisition of the Irish portion of Jacob's Biscuit Group in 2004 from Groupe Danone. The CEO and part-owner is Michael Carey. Other major shareholders include Lioncourt with a 36% stake.It is the owner of...
- United BiscuitsUnited Biscuits__FORCETOC__United Biscuits is a British multinational food manufacturer, makers of the BN biscuits, McVitie's biscuits, KP Nuts, Hula Hoops, The Real McCoy's crisps, Phileas Fogg snacks, Jacob's Cream Crackers, and Twiglets...