Skips, Discos, Hula Hoops and McCoy's look like competitors on a shop shelf. They're actually siblings, all made by the same company: KP Snacks.
From nuts to a snack empire
KP Snacks' roots go back to 1853, in Rotherham, Yorkshire, as a business called Kenyon Produce. Those initials are where the KP brand name comes from, decades before the company had anything to do with crisps. KP built its early reputation on peanuts, with KP Nuts becoming a household name well before the crisp side of the business took shape.
Building a portfolio of household names
Over the following decades, KP expanded into a wider savoury snacks business, either launching or acquiring the brands that now make up most of its range. Hula Hoops arrived in 1973, Discos followed in 1979, and Space Raiders and Wheat Crunchies joined the portfolio in 1987. Rather than competing against these formats with a single flagship crisp, KP effectively owns most sides of the snack aisle at once.
Ownership: from British Yorkshire firm to European group
KP Snacks has changed hands more than once as the UK snacks industry consolidated. The company is now based in Slough and has been owned by Intersnack, a German snack food manufacturer, since 2012. Intersnack's own portfolio spans several major European snack brands, and KP Snacks operates as its principal business in the UK market.
What KP Snacks makes today
Today the KP Snacks portfolio covers ring-shaped, ridged, puffed and stick-format snacks, spanning Hula Hoops, Discos, Skips, Space Raiders, Wheat Crunchies and McCoy's, alongside the original KP Nuts range that started it all in Rotherham.
Frequently asked questions
What brands does KP Snacks own?
Skips, Discos, Hula Hoops, McCoy's, Space Raiders and Wheat Crunchies are all KP Snacks brands.
What does 'KP' actually stand for?
Kenyon Produce, the name of the Rotherham business the company traces its roots back to in 1853.
Is KP Snacks a British company?
Its brands and history are British, based in Slough, but the company has been owned by the German group Intersnack since 2012.