Percy Pig
{{Short description|Confectionery product}}
{{distinguish|Porky Pig}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
Image:PercyPigs.jpeg Percy Pigs]]
Percy Pig is a British brand of pig-shaped gummy raspberry, strawberry, cherry and grape-flavoured confectionery products made under licence in Germany by Katjes for Marks & Spencer which first appeared in stores in 1992. More than £10 million was grossed between June 2009 and 2010 in Percy Pig sales in Marks & Spencer's UK branches alone.{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/high-on-the-hog-how-percy-pig-came-to-dominate-the-sweetie-market-and-win-the-nations-hearts-1989583.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/high-on-the-hog-how-percy-pig-came-to-dominate-the-sweetie-market-and-win-the-nations-hearts-1989583.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | location=London | newspaper=The Independent | title=High on the hog: How Percy Pig came to dominate the sweetie market, and win the nation's hearts | date=6 June 2010}} They contain 3.5% fruit juice,{{cite web |author1=Rhodri Harrison |title=I compared M&S Percy Pigs to supermarket own-brand varieties and I've got a new go-to |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/compared-ms-percy-pigs-supermarket-23738557 |website=Wales Online |access-date=3 April 2025 |date=24 April 2022}} and since May 2022 have been suitable for vegans.{{cite web | url=https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/news/marks-spencers-percy-pig-sweets-now-suitable-for-vegans | title=Marks & Spencer's iconic Percy Pigs sweets are now suitable for vegans | date=4 May 2022 }}
Percy Pig sweets are available in 100g, 170g and 400g.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}
History
File:Percy Pig (6050229631).jpg
Percy Pig was created in 1992 and was sold in strawberry, blackcurrant and raspberry flavours.
After a brief hiatus from the shelves in 1997, the brand returned, and in 2008 the sweets made UK British Vogue's 2008 hot list at number 11 on the top style bible's 40 hottest people and trends to watch over the coming months.{{cite news |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/news/298501-percy-piglets-make-vogues-hot-list |title=Percy Piglets make Vogue's 'hot' list |newspaper=Metro |date=8 September 2008 |accessdate=14 September 2013}}
The Percy Pig character appeared in M&S's 2021 Christmas advert voiced by Tom Holland in the character's first speaking appearance.{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/m-and-s-christmas-advert-percy-pig-voice-tom-holland-xmas-b964193.html|title=From Spider-man to Percy Pig: Tom Holland voices M&S festive ad|date=4 November 2021|access-date=4 November 2021|archive-date=4 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211104085135/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/m-and-s-christmas-advert-percy-pig-voice-tom-holland-xmas-b964193.html|url-status=live}}
File:PercyPigStevenage.jpg, Hertfordshire]]
In April 2022, a large fibreglass Percy Pig statue was installed on the roof of a newly-opened Marks and Spencer store in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, to remain there for a year.{{cite news |last1=Rutter |first1=Harry |title=Giant Percy Pig installed at new M&S in Stevenage |url=https://www.thecomet.net/news/business/giant-percy-pig-installed-stevenage-marks-and-spencer-8924600 |access-date=14 May 2022 |work=The Comet |date=27 April 2022 |language=en-UK}}
Ingredients
Marks & Spencer Percy Pig sweets originally contained real pig in the form of pork gelatin. In 2011, a "Veggie Percy" range was launched, a vegetarian variety of Percy Pig sweets replacing the gelatin with beeswax and pea protein, with green ears to indicate they were vegetarian.{{cite web|url=http://happytalkinghealth.posterous.com/veggie-percy-big-up-the-new-gelatine-free-swe|title=Veggie Percy - Big up the new gelatine free sweet treat|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=Happytalkinghealth.posterous.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130227082226/http://happytalkinghealth.posterous.com/veggie-percy-big-up-the-new-gelatine-free-swe|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-02-27|accessdate=14 September 2013}}
In 2016, M&S began using a new gelatine-free recipe for some other varieties of Percy Pig sweets, and from May 2019 all Percy Pig sweets were 100 per cent gelatin-free,{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/percy-pigs-vegetarian-gelatine-marks-spencer-piers-morgan-twitter-a8894071.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/percy-pigs-vegetarian-gelatine-marks-spencer-piers-morgan-twitter-a8894071.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Marks & Spencer's Percy Pigs are now 100% vegetarian|date=2019-05-01|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2019-05-01}} instead using pectin.{{cite news |title=Why everyone's talking about Percy Pigs |url=https://www.theweek.co.uk/101052/why-everyone-s-talking-about-percy-pigs |access-date=19 April 2021 |work=The Week UK |date=3 May 2019 |language=en}} This relaunch of the range also saw a new logo and packaging designs across the range.
In 2022, beeswax was removed from the recipe, making the product vegan.{{cite web | url=https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/news/marks-spencers-percy-pig-sweets-now-suitable-for-vegans | title=Marks & Spencer's iconic Percy Pigs sweets are now suitable for vegans | date=4 May 2022 | access-date=9 October 2022 | archive-date=9 October 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009201151/https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/news/marks-spencers-percy-pig-sweets-now-suitable-for-vegans | url-status=live }}
Variations
Following on from the success of the original Percy Pig sweets, new varieties, flavours and characters were introduced. Amongst the first were "Percy Pig & Pals", which besides Percy also contained a cow (cola flavour) and sheep (orange and strawberry flavour) and "Percy Piglets", which are smaller versions of the main sweets. A lemon and orange "Penny Pig" sweet was introduced in 1998, and retired a few years later.
Besides the sweet range itself, Percy Pig has expanded to fruit juices, fizzy drinks, chocolates, popcorn, biscuits, cakes, muffins,{{cite news|url=https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/life/food-drink/percy-pig-muffins-marks-spencers-673743|title=Percy Pig muffins are coming to M&S and we are not worthy|last=Troy-Pryde|first=Jadie|date=11 November 2019|work=Marie Claire|accessdate=23 October 2020}} ice cream,{{cite news|url=https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/life/food-drink/ms-percy-pig-ice-cream-694376|title=M&S launches Percy Pig ice cream and what a dream|last=Troy-Pryde|first=Jadie|date=7 January 2020|work=Marie Claire|accessdate=23 October 2020|archive-date=19 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019151156/https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/life/food-drink/ms-percy-pig-ice-cream-694376|url-status=live}} dessert sauces{{cite news|url=https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/life/food-drink/ms-percy-pig-dessert-sauce-680871|title=M&S has launched a Percy Pig dessert sauce in time for Pancake Day|last=Troy-Pryde|first=Jadie|date=7 January 2020|work=Marie Claire|accessdate=23 October 2020}} and mince pies,{{cite news|url=https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/life/food-drink/percy-pig-mince-pies-714002|title=Percy Pig mince pies now exist and they're the Christmas snacks we all need|last=Troy-Pryde|first=Jadie|date=9 October 2020|work=Marie Claire|accessdate=9 October 2020|archive-date=14 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014052804/https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/life/food-drink/percy-pig-mince-pies-714002|url-status=live}} amongst others. In 2020, Marks & Spencer relaunched a Percy Pig advent calendar{{cite news|url=https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/life/food-drink/percy-pig-mince-pies-714002|title=M&S launch Percy Pig advent calendars and we're totally sold|last=Troy-Pryde|first=Jadie|date=15 September 2020|work=Marie Claire|accessdate=23 October 2020}} after being discontinued in 2018 and 2019. Toys, books, socks, party equipment, bed linen and piggy banks are amongst the non-food items with the Percy Pig branding.
= List of Percy Pig sweets =
- Percy Pig
- Percy Pig Original Veggie (previously called "Veggie Percy")
- Reduced Sugar Percy Pig
- Percy Pig Piglets
- Phizzy Pig Tails
- Percy Pig and Pals
- Percy Pig Loves Penny (previously known as "Percy and Penny")
- Percy Pig Goes Globetrotting (previously known as "Globetrotting Percy")
- Percy Pig Fruity Chews
- Percy Pig Phizzy Chews
- Percy Pig Party Time
- Percy Pig Reversy Percy
= Seasonal variations =
= Discontinued variations =
- Rosy Noses
- Percy's Pig Pen (Percy Pig sweets with household object-shaped sweets)
- Percy in a Twist (fizzy laces in a twist – vegetarian)
- Percy in the Pink (Percy Pig chocolate)
- Percy's Pig Sty
- Percy's Percynalities (Percy Pig sweets with differing faces)
- Percy's Family Mix (a mixture of Percy Pig, Penny Pig and the piglets)
- Percy's Parents
=== Other retailers ===
File:Henry Hippo Lidl candy sept 2021 (cropped).jpg]]
Similar sweets are available from other retailers. Lidl has "Henry Hippo" sweets and Aldi has "Leo the Lion", both of which are also vegan. Poundland, a discount retailer, released their own version in 2019 called "Dinky Dogs",{{cite web |author1=Neil Shaw |title=Poundland release their own version of M&S Percy Pigs |url=https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/poundland-release-version-ms-percy-2631739 |website=Plymouth Live |access-date=3 April 2025 |date=11 March 2019}}{{cite web |author1=Emily Chaplin |title=I compared Marks & Spencer's Percy Pigs to Aldi, Lidl and Poundland sweets - and was stunned by the results |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/compared-marks--spencers-percy-25571712 |website=BirminghamLive |access-date=3 April 2025 |date=27 November 2022}} Sainsbury's produced "Eric the Elephant" sweets,{{cite web |author1=Anna-Marie Julyan |title=Sainsbury's sweetens up its NPD for summer |url=https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/sainsburys-sweetens-up-its-npd-for-summer/207189.article |website=The Grocer |access-date=3 April 2025 |date=13 February 2010}} but they have since been discontinued.{{Cite tweet |user=sainsburys |author=Sainsbury's |number=1048464923091750912 |title=Hey Mark, really sorry for the delay, Eric the Elephant sweets are discontinued. If you would like them back again you can click the link here:
Outside of the United Kingdom, similar products in other countries are the Canadian "Juiced Up" (introduced 2009), Dominion's "Leo the Lion", the German "Fred Ferkel", the Dutch "Katja Biggetjes", the French "Petit Cochon" (launched 2007) and the Australian "Peggy Pig and Pals" introduced in Coles Supermarkets in 2009.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.marksandspencer.com/percy-pig-gift-set/p/p60028590 Percy Pig Gift Set from Marks & Spencer]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Percy Pig}}
Category:Brand name confectionery