I’ve Been Around The World (In 80 Snacks) And I Can’t Find…
Should have been looking in Medomsley Road, Consett. All of which to say in one of the many think-tank like* editorial meetings of the FreakyTrigger collective last Friday it suddenly hit us: Phileas Fogg Tortilla Chips are no more. We all checked out snacking memories as to the last time we had seen a packet, and we guessed some time in 2004 in a Sam Smith’s pub. By then they had rebranded as some sort of sex tourism snack, which despite introducing some great new flavours, was a bit of a disaster from a rebrand perspective. Indeed it was this redesign that we assumed sunk the brand in a world: which seemed sad in a world overflowing with snacking opportunities that the British originator of the posh snack had fallen out of favour. Could it be that this most worldly of snack, with its amusing little stories and many fine personal memories**, was no more?
However eagle-eyed FT report Cis saw a packet in Oxford this week and reports thusly:
Yesterday I was in one of walton street’s many posho delis and saw a pack of Phileas Fogg crisps! they are rebranded utterly, these ones were called ‘cool casa tortillas’ and in a powder blue packet, it seemed rank foolishness given that surely the concept-grouping of cool/blue/tortilla belongs in the public heart to dorito’s. Also how on earth can you pretend that ‘tortilla’-style
crisps are classy?
Cis is young, and so first I will deal with the two points she brings up at the end. Tortilla Chips ARE CLASSY. Or at least were classy when Phileas Fogg introduced them in the mid-eighties. Their sort had not been seen before in the UK. The 1980′s were a nachos free zone, which Fogg helped change. As for you blue = cool blue Doritos, well unfrotunately Fogg beat them to it. Fogg used to do three types of tortilla: Original (a bit spicy, in the classic biege packet), then joined by Devilishly Hot (black packet), and a Thankfully Cool Tortilla (powder blue packet – as seen here). So their blue predates the Doritos Blue in the UK. (For a summary of many of the old packs, and stories look here, but note the lack of Devilishly Hot Tortillas which suggests this site is not quite as complete as one might hope***).
But the excitement comes from the fact that Fogg is not dead. Its a bit like waiting to hear news from a traveller, long assumed lost, only yo find him turning up on time. Or is it. A quick look at the new website for Phileas Fogg shows a dispiriting sight. Namely this new rebrand came out in the summer of last year. They have correctly tried to distance themselve from their previous “backpacker” rebrand, to something a bit more timeless, semi-pastels but with a top hatted gentleman in view. But this rebrand took place six months ago, and I have not seen a packet in London. Good to see though that it appears the trips are back, as are the diary entries which can all be perused on the website. And in what seems to be the strangest boutique gift ever, you can even get a gift presentation pack of all seven of the new flavours..
Those flavours in full:
Spikin Lime Tortillas
Cool Casa Tortillas
Chili con Queso Tortillas
Kalonji Seed Poppadoms
Teriyaki Crackers
Brie and Onion Toasts
Black Olive & Pesto Crostini
At least they are still made in Medomsley Road, Consett! Rightly identified as one of the UK most famous addresses. Go forth snack children, and find them.
*I assume most think tanks are just excuses to go to the pub.
**One of my most cherished memories involves me trying to find a non-alcoholic way of celebrating my A-Level results, having been phoned by a teacher at 8:30 in the morning. I found myself at the local Co-op, buyiong a pack of the Devilishly Hot Tortilla chips, and wandering up and down the High Street in a haze of achievement and a slightly burnt and over-salted mouth.
***It appears that a completely different rebrand exists in Ireland, and Devilishly Hot are still availible there.
Pete Baran in FT /Pumpkin Publog • 10,178 views
Not tortilla chips at all, but reading this has just made my Tayto craving even STRONGER! I want stinkycrisps!
I take it this means they are not relaunching their Original Tortilla chips, which is a shame, a) because they were the bestest tortilla chips on the market and b) because I have very fond memories of scoffing them, and of the small luxury associated with buying a packet.
I can’t believe they’ve ditched the original flavour. I agree with Alex – no other tortilla chip on the market comes close, flavour-wise, to theirs.
It’s all about Mignon Morceaux, a meal in a bag. I suppose they’re also no more.
I suspect the mignon morceaux, my favourites also, have been superceded by the brie and onion toasts. These new-fangled snacks may be delicious, for all I know, but I can’t see how they can match the unnecessarily garlicky goodness of the mms.
isn’t mignon the french for kitten?
I’ve always translated them as ‘miniture morsels’, with a total disregard for the actual french language.
mignon is more like “cute” isn’t it, so kittens often described as mignon, perhaps.
they were also my favourite, eating a WHOLE BAG was like a trip to another more garlicky universe…
…is it any wonder i never got a song at school…
Gutted! Have spent the last few weeks trailing the supermarkets, off licenses and corner shops of NW Surrey trying to locate a packet of original tortillas – they ARE the ONLY tortilla chips and best there ever were – doritos don’t come close!
Why oh why can’t they bring them back – I can still taste them and it’s been eons since I last stuffed a packet – used to work quite well with white grapes and houmous funnily enough…
I might start a petition to bring them back….!
I agree, these were/are the best ever, i also have fond memories of going shopping with my mum, and getting a bag!! love it !! I loved orginal, but also used to go mad for the hot ones!!
But where are they now, i often keep my eye out for them, i can’t belive sainsburys dropped them, they need their heads read.
If anyone knows where i can get my hands on a pack or 3 please let me know.
Cheers, AG
Well what do I do ? I too have been around the world metaphorically
speaking searching for a small black bag of Phealis Fogg Hot Chilly Tortilla Chips !
Seven years ago they were everywhere & now they have disappeared off the face of the London Earth ! Why ??
Nobody seems to stock them !! Why what is going on ? ? ?
Your advise will be welcome.
Warm Regards,
Pat Moore.
Well what do I do ? I too have been around the world metaphorically
speaking searching for a small black bag of Phealis Fogg Hot Chilly Tortilla Chips !
Seven years ago they were everywhere & now they have disappeared off the face of the London Earth ! Why ??
Nobody seems to stock them !! Why what is going on ? ? ?
Your advise will be welcome.
Warm Regards,
Pat Moore.
patmoore21@msn.com
can’t believe mignon morceaux are no more – why would they do this?!
I’m currently halfway through a pregnancy and craving the little bits of garlicky goodness and I can’t find any anywhere – not sure how I’m going to manage the next few months!
If there is anyone out there listening who is able to influence this in any way – take pity and bring back the mignon morceaux – it would be a great act of kindness (for me and perhaps more particularly my poor husband who has been driven to distraction looking for the darn things)!
The last place I saw anything vaguely Mignon Morceaux like was in a Spar shop at a garage. They were Spar branded garlic bread bites or something. Not the same but as close as we’re going to get I guess. Mind you, that was 2 years ago now. They might be gone too.
EDIT: Apparently Waitrose has very similar things called Garlic Croutons. Joy!
i still long for the extra hot tortillas! nothing has ever come close. please bring them back!!!
I agree about those Phileas Fogg extra hot crisps there’s never been a taste like it. If anyone hears where we can get them, let me know
try Tesco’s own brand Chilli Tortila Chips they are pretty close but no quite as hot
Please bring back Phileas Fogg original flavour tortilla chips – no other tortilla chip comes close!! I really miss that flavour.
I miss Phileas Fogg original tortilla’s but have managed to find a substitute at Aldi. ‘Snackrite Tortilla salted chips’
serching for phileas fogg hot tortilla chips. where can i buy them?
searching for phileas fogg hot tortilla chips. where can i buy them?
where can i but phileas fogg hot tortilla chips
Ok philleas fog are doing a new relauch with tv adverts comeing soon…cheack the website for flavours. I work at the factory and they have been makeing the totillas since the start of janruary roughly…im hopeing people like them because then i wont get laid off. So come on look out for them and support philleas fog the salsa, mexican chilli and sourcream ones are quite close to the origional, i have tasted them when they were comeing off the line still hot!!
Oh btw tescos, marks and spencer, waitrose and other supermarkets that i can remember are quite close because they are all made a the philleas fog factory we also still make mingnon morsouxs but for marks and spencers but with a diffrent name…same with the corn strips
Cheers JP2009 – this is the kind of insider detail we thrive on. I did buy a pack of the Mexican Chilli ones, not as hot as the old Devilishly Hot but still pretty good. And if history teaches us anything, the last thing people give up in a recession is high end snacks.
Anyone ever see the little round, crunchy pastrami snack thing that PF used to do ? I adored those and would love to see them around again !
I live in the USA and recently visited the UK and purchased some Phileas Fogg crisps. I’m wondering if there is a way to purchase these from USA? Online? Are they marketed here at all? Thanks so much.
Jennifer I don’t think you can buy them online I was just checking. I’m from London and visit the USA regularly and like cheetos and pepperidge farm(especially milano)products but don’t get them over here. Looks like you will have to do what I do, come over and stock up.
Anyone remember the Punjab Puri? They were, along with the devilishly hot Torts the best in my opinion.
Did they go away because i stopped loving them? I wondered. But having read your informative page just before leaving work today I went to M&S, nothing. Then I went to Waitrose; Garlic Croutons! A rose by another name, its the Mignons in a different bag! Years have passed without my favourite of all snacks EVER, years in the wilderness. Now I know I never stopped loving them. I have some in my mouth right now, I feel transported to happier times. God bless you worthy snack makers.
Apparently the old flavours got banned due to a GM ingredient.
I have it on good authority that Aldi’s tortilla chips taste almost the same :)
I love the Punjab Puri. I’ve seen the new snacks – they’re crisps! :( Please bring back the tortillas, esp the Devilishly Hot!
Searched high and low in the UK and was soreley dissapointed by the choices. Either bland tough carboard-esque triaingles. Or putrid Dhiarito ripoffs like vomit blue, stinking cheese e.t.c.
Closest I ever found to match the Foggs on my worldwide hunt is the following:
http://www.mexisnax.com/
In particular the Pico de Gallo flavour is almost identical to the original flavour Foggs. And by the time you get to the bottom all that garlicy/salty/spicy powder can rack up the heat a bit.
The flavour combination says it all if you ask me, the onion, chile and garlic are really flavoursome in these. Reminds me of my mis-Fogged youth!
Boo hoo ! I have had withdrawal symptons for the mignon morceaux – which incidentally I take to mean cute little somethings….there is nothing in the cureen trange I fancy… PLEASE bring back mignon morceaux…
hi i recently took my my desire to see the old phileas fogg flavours reappear, to united biscuits, who purchased the brand name from derwent valley, and are thus responsible for the new flavours. i was soon after invited to join their snack development community ‘snackrs’. there i have started a forum on the topic. only one response so far, however it is positive, and i do hope more will follow, that united biscuits will at least ‘have a try’ at bringing them back. if it is true, that old ingredients are now banned, i am sure alternatives can be found. of course it would be worth the effort. i will try the other snacks suggested, but i do feel like that nothing will compare to opening a charismatic, flavoursome packet, of Phileas Fogg. if anyone has any suggesyions, of snacks available at present, especially true ‘chilli hot’ crisps/tortillas, mignons, and california corn chips… na.th.an@live.co.uk many thanks and good luck all!!
i started eating p f tortilla hot chilli chips some years ago with a cool bottle of beer on a hot summers day it was heaven .then they disappeared of the face of the WORLD , but reappeared a short time later just as good but in a BLACK TRIANGULAR BAG , that looked just as hot and inviting as the contents . now there gone again and i,ve been around the world trying to find them but to no avail, please can anybody tell me what went wrong? where have they GONE?
Can’t help with the Tortilla chips, but after years of searching I HAVE FOUND MIGNON MORCEAUX. Well, they aren’t called that, but they’re exactly the same as the ones I remember. You can get them in Waitrose. They’re called Garlic Croutons there, which is a bit of an anti climax, but I was so happy I bought 6 bags which I am now hoarding in a drawer in my bedroom.
Buy one get one free currently on offer at Tesco Phileas Fogg (29 April 2010): Sweet Chilli, Sea Salt and black pepper, Cheddar and onion crisps. Get buying in bulk all you Fogg fans.
Hi iv found something sooo close to the original p h in a restaurant in Bluewater. The place is a tapas bar and they come as a starter/ snack. They buy them in a clear bulk bag but they won’t let on wear. Iv tried bribing but no luck. Defo worth trying them as they are so nice
Does anyone remember the name of the little cheese twist snacks pf used to make? think they were four cheese an basil an supposed to be from spain, they were the best snack i’ve ever tasted wish they’d bring them back
I love that these posts are currently together under Latest Comments:
LISA STANSFIELD – “All Around The World”
will: A pleasant, and as pointed out earlier, a very autumnal Number One. Can’t…
I’ve Been Around The World (In 80 Snacks) And I Can’t Find…
dean: Does anyone remember the name of the little cheese twist snacks pf used to make?…
I don’t want tortillas, I want garlic croutons, I live in Coningsby, Lincolnshire, so where is my nearest Waitrose? Does anyone know?
BRING BACK ORIGINAL PHILEAS FOGG ORIGINAL AND HOT TORTILLAS IF KP WONT GET THE ORIGINAL OWNERS TO START AGAIN
http://www.waitrose.com/shop/ProductView-10317-10001-19273-Waitrose+garlic+croutons
Waitrose makes “garlic croutons” that to my taste buds are very similar to the Mignon Morceaux.
There are ex pat oriented companies that will ship to North America. I know cause I’ve ordered some (ok 40) packages in the past.
Delicious!
If anyone at Phileas Fogg Snacks is reading this please bring back: California Corn Chips, Mignons Morceaux, not to mention original flavour Tortilla Chips
POCO LOCO Tortilla Chips chilli flavour come pretty close to the original PF tortillas I think… Try and let me know if you agree. I bought a box of them from Amazon after buying a pack in a local pound shop…
Tim I found the Poco Loco Chilli are the closest I’ve been able to find.
The question I have though, does anyone have the ingredients list for the originals? That would make this search a whole lot easier.