I Just Learned What The 'KP' in KP Snacks Stands For, And I'd Never Have Guessed

You may already know the apt meaning behind Ferrero Rocher’s name, or what LEGO or Haribo really stand for. 

It turns out that other brand names like Twix and even Aardman are clever portmanteaus too.

But for some reason, it never occurred to me that KP Snacks ― the brand that owns Hula-Hoops, Whole Earth, Butterkist, Pom-Bear, PopChips, Space Raiders, Tyrrells, the iconic nut snacks, and way more ― actually stood for something.

As it happens, the company is way older than I realised too.

What does KP Snacks stand for?

According to the company’s site, the name refers to the founder, Charles Kenyon, who owned a jam company in Rotherham in 1853. 

His company sold some other foods too; Charles named it Kenyon Produce. 

Then, it merged with another jam manufacturer (Matthew Hull) in 1891 to become Kenyon, Son & Craven. 

They began to make even more non-jam foods, like pickles, sweets, and sauces.

In 1948, Kenyon, Son & Craven (KP) was sold to Simon Heller who began roasting and selling salted hazelnuts through the brand. 

They launched their first salted peanut product in 1953, becoming the first nationwide distributor of the bar snack staple in the UK. 

In 2013, the brand joined Interstate Snacks, but the pair became integrated in 2014. 

No matter who bought or was bought by the company, it seems, the KP name wins out. 

They use a *lot* of peanuts 

Per KP’s page, KP Snacks’ nuts are “the UK’s No.1 nut brand and the nation’s favourite peanut.” 

They add that Whole Earth, which they acquired last year, “is now the UK’s No.1 peanut butter brand and has also built a strong market... across Europe in countries including Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain and Italy.” 

Though they’re probably not at Nutella hazelnut level ― Ferrero, who owns Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, and Kinder Bueno, uses about 25% of the world’s hazelnut supply ― it seems the brand is getting nuttier by the year.