 | |
| Type | Roll cake |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Created by | Marks & Spencer |
| Main ingredients | chocolate sponge cake, buttercream and shell; white chocolate |
"Colin the Caterpillar" is a chocolate roll cake sold by the British retailer Marks & Spencer. More than 15 million Colin the Caterpillar cakes have been sold since it was introduced in 1990. [1]
Colin the Caterpillar is a chocolate sponge roll cake filled with chocolate buttercream and covered in a milk chocolate shell, with sugar-coated milk chocolate beans for decoration. [2] The cake has a decorative face and feet made of white chocolate. [3] The dessert is available in large and small sizes. [4]
According to Marks and Spencer, it takes 38 people to assemble each cake from start to finish, and 8.4 tonnes (8,400 kg) of sugar coating are used each year for the decorative spots. [5]
Initial success for sales of the cake has been attributed to the ongoing popularity of Eric Carle's children's picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar , and that a bestselling cookbook by Jane Asher, published the same year that the cake launched, also featured a recipe for a caterpillar birthday cake. [6] Colin the Caterpillar has since become a staple of children's birthday parties, but is also popular with teens and adults. [3]
In 2020, Marks & Spencer marked the cake's 30th anniversary by declaring Colin's birthday, Wednesday 26 August, as National Colin the Caterpillar Day. [7]
Over the years, there have been several seasonal and limited edition variations on the original Colin the Caterpillar cake: [6]
Similar caterpillar cakes are available in other rival retailers. These include:
Gluten and milk free versions are also available; Carl the caterpillar from Tesco, Frieda the caterpillar from Asda, and Eric the caterpillar from Sainsbury’s. [27] [28] [29]
In April 2021, Marks & Spencer announced that it had lodged an intellectual property claim for infringement of three trade marks with the High Court against Aldi in relation to the latter's Cuthbert the Caterpillar product. In its complaint, Marks & Spencer claimed that Aldi's Cuthbert the Caterpillar was too similar to the Colin the Caterpillar cake, which could lead consumers to believe that they are of the same standard and allows Cuthbert to "ride on the coat-tails" of the M&S cake's reputation. [30] In February 2022, the lawsuit was settled between both parties for an undisclosed amount. [31]
In reaction to the media generated around the court case Papa's Fish and Chips, a fish and chip shop in Cleethorpes, began selling deep-fried Mini Colin the Caterpillar cakes. Profits from the sales were used to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust. [32] [33] Emanuel's, a fish and chip shop in East Kilbride, later gained media attention for selling a full-sized Colin the Caterpillar cake that had been deep-fried in batter. [34] [35]
Chocolate or cocoa is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form for at least 5,300 years starting with the Mayo-Chinchipe culture in what is present-day Ecuador and later Mesoamerican civilizations also consumed chocolate beverages before being introduced to Europe in the 16th century.
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Cadbury, formerly Cadbury's and Cadbury Schweppes, is a British multinational confectionery company owned by Mondelez International since 2010. It is the second-largest confectionery brand in the world, after Mars. Cadbury is internationally headquartered in Greater London, and operates in more than 50 countries worldwide. It is known for its Dairy Milk chocolate, the Creme Egg and Roses selection box, and many other confectionery products. One of the best-known British brands, in 2013 The Daily Telegraph named Cadbury among Britain's most successful exports.
Marks and Spencer plc is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in Paddington, London that specialises in selling clothing, beauty products, home products and food products. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
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Fry's Chocolate Cream is a chocolate bar developed by J. S. Fry & Sons and currently manufactured by Cadbury. Launched in 1866—nineteen years after Fry's created the first moulded, solid chocolate eating bar — Fry's Chocolate Cream is the first mass-produced chocolate bar and is the world's oldest chocolate bar brand.
Fry's Turkish Delight is a chocolate bar made by Cadbury. It was launched in the UK in 1914 by the Bristol-based chocolate manufacturer J. S. Fry & Sons and consists of a rose-flavoured Turkish delight surrounded by milk chocolate. The Fry's identity remained in use after Fry & Sons merged with Cadbury in 1919.
August Storck KG, doing business as Storck, is a German confectionery producer with headquarters in Berlin, owned by Axel Oberwelland. The main facility of Storck in Germany is in Halle, North Rhine-Westphalia, with another located in Skanderborg, Denmark, and one in Ohrdruf, Germany.
Munchies are a type of confectionery produced by Nestlé. They were introduced by the British firm Mackintosh's in 1957. The brand was later acquired by Nestlé as part of its takeover of Rowntree Mackintosh in 1988.
Percy Pig is a British brand of pig-shaped gummy raspberry, strawberry, cherry and grape-flavoured confectionery products made under licence in Germany by Katjes for Marks & Spencer which first appeared in stores in 1992. More than £10 million was grossed between June 2009 and 2010 in Percy Pig sales in Marks & Spencer's UK branches alone. They contain just under 3.5% fruit juice and since May 2022 have been suitable for vegans.
In the United Kingdom, it is common practice for retailers to have their own value brand in an effort to compete on price. These brands have become more popular in the UK with shoppers since the Great Recession caused food prices to rise.
