Did you know that during the Second World War, Kit Kat chocolate wafers were sold specifically in blue wrappers?
Created by Rowntree’s of York in 1935 under the name ‘Chocolate Crisp’, and in 1937 as ‘Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp’, the distinctive red and silver wrappers have endured over eight decades since the milk chocolate wafer’s invention.
However, the outbreak of war and the resulting shortage in supplies and rationing meant that Rowntree’s had to re-work the Kit Kat recipe. In order not to confuse or mislead the buying public, in 1941 ‘Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp‘ wrappers turned navy blue so that consumers would know that the product they were eating was an edited war-time version – composed without fresh milk, less sugar and made with plain chocolate.
‘Chocolate Crisp’ was also dropped with adverts warning that there would be ‘No More Chocolate Crisp Till After The War’. However, in 1949 with the end of the war, the crispy chocolate fingers stuck with the name ‘Kit Kat‘ and reapplied their bright red wrappers to production.
Fry’s, Cadbury and Hershey were also subject to rationing during WWII and both amended existing products, and created new ones to cater for the limited home market and military rations.
The origin of the name ‘Kit Kat‘ is said to have been derived from a popular 18th century political club/pie shop in London dubbed the ‘Kit Kat Club’ – named after the proprietor Christopher Caitling.
The British Candy Connoisseur 