Phileas Fogg Ltd is a company that produces snack products in the United Kingdom that was created in 1982 by Derwent Valley Foods. The brand is named for Phileas Fogg, the protagonist of Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days, and the products are made in Consett, County Durham. When Derwent Valley Foods was sold in 1993, its products were rebranded but poorly received, leading to a decline in popularity. The brand was relaunched in 2009.
The Phileas Fogg snack range was launched in 1982 by Derwent Valley Foods,[1] a company founded by Roger McKechnie,[2] Keith Gill, Ray McGhee and John Pike, who invested £67,000 of their own money. The aim was to create a snack targeted to adults and branded with a recognisable character. The range included different flavours "from around the world" such as miniature garlic breads and tortilla chips.
Between the late 1980s and early 1990s, Phileas Fogg snacks achieved a turnover of more than £30 million. In 1993, the brand was purchased by United Biscuits for £24 million.[3] [2] The four founders left after the sale[2] while United Biscuits made significant changes to the packaging and identity, precipitating a decline in popularity.
United Biscuits relaunched the brand in 2009 after research showed a large number of British consumers were still aware of it.[4] The relaunch placed emphasis on using authentic ingredients from different countries. In 2013, the brand was revised under new owners KP Snacks, with the new product line-up having more emphasis on being inspired by various countries instead. However this was short-lived and the range has again been discontinued, which KP Snacks have confirmed via their social media channels.