Kit Kat

It dates back to the 18th century, when mutton pies called Kit-Kats were served at the political Kit-Cat Club. The origins of today’s product go back to 1935, when a York based candy maker, Rowntree’s trademarked 'Kit Kat'. The Kit Cat, as it was called, was produced for a while, before being discontinued. Eventually, it relaunched and was relabeled as “Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp” before being renamed to its modern title.

In the 1940’s Kit Kat was exported to Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. In the 1970s, a new distribution factory was built in Germany to meet European demand and handle distribution. Agreements were established for Hershey to distribute in the US, and Fujiya to distribute in Japan. In 1988, Nestlé purchased Rowntree’s and Kit Kat with it. Nestlé has global control over the brand, except in North America, where Hershey has licensing rights to Kit Kat.