Jacob's is the name on the Cream Cracker in most British bread bins, which makes it an odd one to find on a ridged, oven-baked crisp packet too. The two products are separated by well over a century, but they come from the same company.
From a Waterford bakery to Dublin's second-biggest employer
Jacob's traces back to a small bread and sea-biscuit bakery in Waterford, Ireland, run by William Beale Jacob. His brother Robert joined the business in 1851, forming the partnership W. & R. Jacob, and the following year the pair took on new premises at Peter's Row in Dublin, opening a steam biscuit factory there in 1853. The company grew fast enough to become Dublin's second-largest employer through the 1850s and 60s, behind only Guinness.
The Cream Cracker built the brand
The product that made Jacob's a household name arrived in 1885: the Cream Cracker, which quickly became the company's best-selling line and remains closely associated with the brand today. The factory later expanded into Liverpool, and the Dublin site's place in Irish history was cemented when it was occupied by rebels during the 1916 Easter Rising.
Crinklys: the biscuit maker's crisp
Crinklys are Jacob's move into the crisp aisle rather than the biscuit tin — a ridged, oven-baked snack sold as a lower-fat alternative to a fried crisp, in flavours like cheese and onion, salt and vinegar and chilli beef. Baking rather than frying is the whole pitch: it's marketed at roughly 30 per cent less fat than a standard fried crisp of the same size, aimed at anyone who wants the crunch and flavour without quite the same guilt.
Jacob's today
In the 1970s, W. & R. Jacob in Dublin merged with Boland's Biscuits to form Irish Biscuits, relocating to Tallaght. In the UK market, the Jacob's brand — crackers, biscuits and Crinklys alike — is now owned by United Biscuits, part of the pladis group, which also owns brands including McVitie's.
Frequently asked questions
Is Jacob's Crinklys made by the same company as Jacob's Cream Crackers?
Yes — both carry the Jacob's name, founded in Waterford in 1851.
Are Jacob's Crinklys baked or fried?
Oven-baked, marketed at around 30 per cent less fat than a fried crisp.
Who owns Jacob's today?
United Biscuits, part of the pladis group, in the UK market.