5 Facts You Didn’t Know About Kit Kats! (2024)

As a UK brand PR agency working with everything from music to charities to new, innovative products coming to market, we are constantly looking for inspiration all around us as to what works and what doesn’t. Even the largest, most well-recognised brands can go through a process of finding their feet before they find the winning formula, as is the case with Kit Kat — even Rowntree and Nestlé needed to take a break before they nailed it! A brand PR and marketing campaign really can make all the difference!

5 Facts You Didn’t Know About Kit Kats! (2)
  • There’s no hyphen in Kit Kat!
  • It was first made in 1935 in York, after an employee put the following in a suggestion box (sexism trigger warning) ‘a chocolate bar that a man could take to work in his pack up’. It was designed to do exactly that, give workers a quick snack during their elevenses.
  • It was originally called Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp, and the later two-finger version was launched in 1936. It was renamed Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp in 1937 and just Kit Kat after the war. The Kit-Cat Club had met regularly in a tavern in Shire Lane in London, hosted by innkeeper Christopher Catling, known as ‘Kit Cat’ to his friends. Nearly 200 years later, the snappy moniker fitted with agency J Walter Thompson’s attempts to move away from the longer, more literal names used on Rowntree’s other products.
  • The tagline ‘Have a Break. Have a Kit Kat’, written by the agency’s Donald Gilles, can be traced to May 1957
  • Japan has developed over 200 flavour variants, from banana to soy sauce to, wait for it, European cheese! Their love for the product at least slightly being linked to the fact that the name is very similar to the phrase, “Kitto Katsu“, roughly translating as “surely win.”
5 Facts You Didn’t Know About Kit Kats! (2024)

FAQs

5 Facts You Didn’t Know About Kit Kats!? ›

The KIT KAT® Bar got its start across the pond in 1935. Originally known by Londoners as “Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp,” the candy was renamed in 1937 to “Kit Kat® Chocolate Crisp.” While KIT KAT® Bars are a global confection, The Hershey Company has produced the candy in the U.S. since 1970.

What are some interesting facts about Kit Kat? ›

The KIT KAT® Bar got its start across the pond in 1935. Originally known by Londoners as “Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp,” the candy was renamed in 1937 to “Kit Kat® Chocolate Crisp.” While KIT KAT® Bars are a global confection, The Hershey Company has produced the candy in the U.S. since 1970.

Did Kit Kats ever have 5 fingers? ›

In the 1980s, a Kit Kat with five shorter fingers was sold in vending machines in the UK.

Was there ever a 3 finger Kit Kat? ›

Have an break with our KitKat® 3 Finger pack. Make yourself comfy and settle down to tear, break, snap and enjoy a delicious crispy KitKat® break.

How many Kit Kats are eaten every year? ›

Invented in York in 1935 as 'Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp', the name 'KitKat' was adopted a couple of years later. The brand has gone on to become a worldwide phenomenon, with 17 billion KitKats eaten across the globe every single year.

How did Kit Kat get its name? ›

This delectable snack consisted of layers of wafer cake, covered in creamy milk chocolate. Fast forward to now, and we all know and love it as Nestle KitKat. This somewhat simple name was derived from the Kit Kat Club, an exclusive 18th-century club for the elite in London.

What did the first Kit Kat look like? ›

The first Kit Kat bar to hit the shelves would hardly be noticeable to Kit Kat lovers today as its wrapper was once blue. First entering the candy scene in the UK back in 1935, the Kit Kat was originally named Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp and wrapped in a red wrapper (via Nestle Travel Retail).

Have Kit Kats got shorter? ›

Have you noticed Kit Kat chocolate bars are a bit smaller? You're not imagining it. Nestle has confirmed the iconic chocolate is the latest victim of “shrinkflation”. Shrinkflation is when a product gets smaller in size but its price remains the same - or sometimes even increases.

How old is Kit Kat? ›

Introduced in August 29 in 1935 by Rowntree's as a confectionery business based in York, United Kingdom, Kit Kat, now owned by Nestlé, is one of the world's leading chocolate brands.

Do kit kats go bad? ›

Usually, a Kit Kat bar can last a while if you've stored it properly. In an unopened package, a Kit Kat is typically good for about 9 months to a year. If you've already opened the package but didn't finish it, it's good for about 2-3 months.

What is a single Kit Kat called? ›

You'll never guess what a Kit Kat 'piece' is actually called

“The standard bars consist of four pieces, called fingers, and each finger can be snapped from the bar as an individual piece,” the Hershey Company writes of Kit Kat on the brand's official website.

How tall is a Kit Kat? ›

It is roughly 2.67 x 4.15 x 0.5 inches.

Is it Kit Kat or Kit Kat? ›

The KIT KAT® candy bar dates back to 1935 when the wafer crisp chocolate bar was launched in England. Originally, it was known as “Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp,” but in 1937 the candy bar was renamed as "KIT KAT® Chocolate Crisp".

What is a fun fact about KitKats? ›

There's no hyphen in Kit Kat! It was first made in 1935 in York, after an employee put the following in a suggestion box (sexism trigger warning) 'a chocolate bar that a man could take to work in his pack up'. It was designed to do exactly that, give workers a quick snack during their elevenses.

Does Hershey own Kit Kat? ›

In the US, Kit Kat is sold by Hershey. In the rest of the world, Nestlé's in charge. That means different flavors across the globe, and different recipes — even two versions of a dark chocolate Kit Kat, Hershey's and Nestlé's, don't taste the same.

Is it OK to eat Kit Kat everyday? ›

KitKats don't have any significant nutrition, and no demonstrated health benefits. Enjoy one occasionally if you want (I do), but be aware it's mostly just sugar. “Can” is a different question. KitKats have 220Cal per 1.5oz bar.

Why is KitKat famous? ›

One of the reasons behind the popularity of KitKat in Japan is the cultural significance attached to the brand. KitKat is often given as a gift to students before exams, as “Kitto Katsu,” which translates to “You will surely win,” is a popular expression in Japan.

What is the Speciality of Kit Kat? ›

It is a four fingered wafer bar covered in milk chocolate. It was created by Rowntrees of York and is now sold worldwide. The most special thing about KitKat is it's creative design. You buy a bar and when you open up the wrapper you get four bars inside.

How many Kit Kat flavors are there? ›

Kit Kats have become so popular in Japan that there are more than 300 different flavors or iterations of these chocolatey goodies. It's a smorgasbord of chocolate madness!

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