Tunnock's

Thomas Tunnock Limited, commonly known asTunnock's, is a Scottishconfectionerycompany based inUddingston, Scotland.It is headed byBoyd Tunnock, grandson of Thomas.In 2013, a joint report by Family Business United and Close Brothers Asset Management named it the 20th oldestfamily firmin Scotland.
For two seasons, 2019 and 2020, Tunnock's sponsored theScottish Challenge Cupin Scottish football.
Tunnock's was formed by Thomas Tunnock (b. 1865) as Tunnock's in 1890, when he purchased a baker's shop in Lorne Place, Uddingston.The company expanded in the 1950s, and it was at this time that the core products were introduced to the lines, when sugar and fat rationing meant that products with longer shelf-lives than cakes had to be produced.
Since 2005, Tunnock's has sponsored the Tour of Mull, an annual car rally held on theIsle of Mull.
In September 2010, Tunnock's workers inUddingston,Lanarkshire, conducted two 24-hour strikes during contract negotiations. At main issue were salaries, with management having originally offered an increase of 1%, followed by a second offer of 2%.The dispute was resolved in October 2010 with agreement on a 2.5% increase backdated to the start of July 2010, followed by a 2.5% increase in July 2011.
In November 2015, Tunnock's made a donation of £250,000 to an appeal for an independent lifeboat station atSt Abbs.
Tunnocks has been described as an iconic Scottish brandand its packaging features the Scottishlion rampant.Having been a Scottish, family owned company since it was formed, this remains a feature of its identity.
In an April 2012 interview withThe Herald, Managing Director Boyd Tunnock described himself as "Nationalist British" on the question ofScottish independence.
In the2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremonyinGlasgow, dancers dressed as Tunnock's teacakes danced around the main performers near the start of the Scottish-themed show. Sales of Tunnock's tea cakes were 62% higher atWaitrosethe day after the ceremony.
In 2016 this association with Scottish identity raised concerns about the company playing down its origins, when an advertising campaign onLondon Undergroundchose to omit the Lion Rampant and label their teacakes as "Tunnock’s Great British Teacake". Boyd Tunnock explained "Down south, people wouldn’t know it as Scottish."
In July 2017 Tunnock's announced it would be branding their wafer creams sold in Japan, as "Made in Great Britain".  The company, however, did not have high hopes of success in the Japanese market. "The Japanese don’t like caramel wafers. It’s a cultural thing - they say they are too chewy."
The Tunnock's Teacake is a sweet food often served with a cup of tea or coffee.  It was developed bySir Boyd Tunnockin 1956.The product consists of a small roundshortbreadbiscuit covered with a dome ofItalian meringue, a whippedegg whiteconcoction similar tomarshmallow,although somewhat lighter in texture. This is then encased in a thin layer of milk or darkchocolateand wrapped in a red and silverfoilpaper for the more popular milk chocolate variety, with blue, black, and gold wrapping for the dark.
Retired RAF bomber pilot Tony Cunnane told of how Tunnock's Teacakes became a favourite ration snack of theV bombernuclear deterrent flight crews based atRAF Gaydon, especially after discovering that they expanded at high altitude. This ended after one was left unwrapped and exploded on the instrument panel.
The Tunnock's Caramel Wafer, officially the Tunnock's Milk Chocolate Coated Caramel Wafer Biscuit, is a bar consisting of five layers ofwafer, separated by four layers ofcaramel. The bar is coated in chocolate, made from cocoa and milk solids. The wafers are wrapped in red and gold coloured foil.Dark chocolatewafers, wrapped blue and gold, are also available.
TheUniversity of St Andrewshad a Tunnock's Caramel Wafer Appreciation Society, founded in 1982,disbanded in 2016.
In 2022, Tunnock's were the pitch sponsor atUddingston Rugby Club, turning their padded posts into wrapped Caramel Wafer bars.
The other products in Tunnock's lines are largely based on the core products. TheCaramel Logis similar to the Caramel Wafer, but with the addition of roastedcoconutto the outside of the bar.Wafer CreamsandFlorida Orangehave chocolate andorangeflavoured cream in place of the caramel.
ASnowballis similar to the Tea Cake, with the addition of grated coconut to the exterior of a soft chocolate shell but with no biscuit base.
Despite pressure to do so, Tunnock's does not make anyown brandbiscuits forsupermarkets.
In 2013, Tunnocks's entered into an agreement withTescoto sell a range of branded items produced byGlasgow-based promotional materials firm Orb. Fergus Loudon, sales manager for Tunnock's stated: "As well as teacake tea towels, aprons and china mugs, there will be the ideal gift for the many caramel wafer fans – a ‘yard of caramel wafers’." As of 2015, the products continue to be sold both through Tesco and directly from Orb.
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