Nik Naks (British snack)
A corn snack with a history of quirky flavours and advertising.
Nik Naks are a brand of extruded corn snack first produced in 1982 by Sooner Snacks in Scunthorpe, England. The brand has changed ownership several times, passing from Sooner Snacks to Dalgety plc, then to United Biscuits, and eventually to the European Intersnack group in 2012. As of 2021, Nik Naks are sold in three flavours, each distinguished by a different colour of packaging.
Quick Facts
- Current owner
- KP Snacks
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Introduced
- 1982
- Tagline
- 'Eat The Freak'
Facts from the source article.
Flavours
The original Nik Naks flavour, Cream 'n' Cheesy, was sold in a yellow bag. Over time the range expanded and contracted. In the mid-1990s the available flavours were Nice 'n' Spicy, Cream 'n' Cheesy, Scampi 'n' Lemon and Rib 'n' Saucy; a tomato edition was briefly sold. Scampi 'n' Lemon packaging carried an ironic 'Stifle The Stink' message urging proper disposal, but Rib 'n' Saucy eventually replaced it to remove any stigma, and sales grew by 32% after the 'smelly' flavour was dropped.
A Hard Cheese flavour was introduced and later discontinued. In 2005 a new Naughty 'n' Saucy edition claimed to be the first savoury snack with Ginseng, said to boost libido. Scampi 'n' Lemon returned in 2002, replaced Cream 'n' Cheesy in multipacks from 2006, was phased out from 2008 for Pickle 'n' Onion (later discontinued), but remains in multipacks. Despite its name, Scampi 'n' Lemon has never contained fish or animal products and has been suitable for vegetarians and vegans since its 2018 relaunch. In June 2025, the cheese flavour was relaunched as Tangy 'n' Cheesy.
Advertising
In the 1990s, Nik Naks ran a notable advertising campaign created by animator Bill Plympton, based on his short film Push Comes to Shove, showing two men's heads transforming into various shapes. This was followed by five-second adverts contrasting the snack's ugly appearance with its great taste. In 1993, an instant-win promotion gave away items such as tummy fluff, a 2p piece and bits of string. During 2004–2005, the tagline 'Eat the Freak' was used, referencing the snack's odd look.
One commercial, set on a cross-Channel ferry, parodied the film Alien: a passenger eats a Nik Nak, which then bursts from his stomach and dances to 'Le Freak' by Chic. The advert drew over 80 complaints and was later edited. In 2014, KP Snacks became involved in a copyright and branding dispute with the South African brand NikNaks, made by Simba Chips, and informed importers of the South African product to stop imports into the United Kingdom.
More in British Snack Foods
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced