Walker moved from Mansfield to Leicester in the 1880's and took possession of an established business in High Street. Determined to offer quality meats, his diligence was rewarded with prosperousness and new premises were acquired in 1912 at Cheapside.
The Second War World brought severe meat restrictions and the shelves in the shop were empty come 10 a.m. It was soon decided that something needed to be done to provide work for staff at premises which were functioning at a mere 50% capacity.
Enter the potato crisps! (or chips to you Americans!) Not only were they popular fare but they weren't rationed either, so it was all systems go!
The first crisps were made by hand, fried in an ordinary deep fryer and salted. It was a beginning for Walkers that reaped huge success. Even after the end of rationing, the making of crisps was here to stay! In the last fifty years, Walker's Snack Foods Ltd have grown to become the UK's leading manufacturer and they dominate the snack market with over a 40% share of the total industry!
Of course the making and manufacture of the crisps has been adapted over the years. From the simple 'Ready Salted,' flavours now include, 'Cheese & Onion, Smoky Bacon, Prawn Cocktail, Barbecue' and my favourites as a child, 'Roast Chicken and Salt & Vinegar.' I took a bag to school with me everyday and although slightly more expensive now, I recall them being just two and a half pence a bag!
Walkers have come a long way since their days in High Street. Along with the added flavours, there have been several other brands introduced which are just as popular as their original crisps.
Today, Walkers is the No.1 food brand and employs over 4000 people. Their products are sold in over 400,000 retail outlets, from huge store chains to independent local stores. It is stated that nearly 17 million people will eat a Walkers product everyday!! Not bad for a butcher hey?? I hope that one day soon, Walkers will consider widely distributing their crisps, the USA is a good place to start!! Here's one dedicated addict that will buy them for sure!!
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