Cheese and onion crisps feel like such an obvious combination that it's easy to assume they've always existed. They haven't — and the company that invented them started out making doughnuts.
From doughnut fryers to crisp empire
Golden Wonder was founded in 1947 by William Alexander, who ran a bakery in Stockbridge, Edinburgh. He began producing crisps simply to make use of spare capacity in the deep-fat fryers he already used for doughnuts, naming the new venture after the Golden Wonder potato variety he rated highly for the job. By the 1960s, the company had overtaken Smith's to become Britain's most popular crisp brand.
1962: the year flavoured crisps arrived
Until the early 1960s, crisps in Britain were sold plain, often with a small twist of salt included separately. Golden Wonder changed that permanently by launching Cheese and Onion in 1962 — the first flavoured crisp sold in the UK, and the template for salt and vinegar, smoky bacon, and every flavoured crisp that followed.
Where the brand is today
Golden Wonder has changed hands several times since, and the brand now sits within the Tayto Group. Cheese and Onion remains in production, still recognisably the same idea that started it all in a converted Edinburgh doughnut fryer.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented cheese and onion crisps?
Golden Wonder, which launched Cheese and Onion in 1962 — the first flavoured crisp sold in the UK.
When was Golden Wonder founded?
1947, by Edinburgh baker William Alexander, who started making crisps using spare capacity in his doughnut fryers.
Does Golden Wonder still exist?
Yes — it's now part of the Tayto Group, and Cheese and Onion is still produced today.