Tudor was a brand of potato crisps produced in Sandyford, Newcastle upon Tyne in the United Kingdom.
The memorable 1970s ads featured a paper boy, bribed with a ‘canny bag of crisps’ to brave delivering his papers to a very tall tower block (In reality the Derwent Tower, Dunston, Tyne and Wear).
In the 1980s the ads gave cult status to their star, Allen Mechen, who played the adult paperboy who returned as an apparently successful and wealthy man, driving a Rolls Royce and eating a bag of Tudor Specials. The shopkeeper was played by Kenny Williams.
Originally an independent firm, established in Newcastle in 1947, Tudor later moved to Peterlee to a new factory, which still exists but is now owned by Walkers Crisps. Tudor was acquired by Smiths Crisps in 1961. Smiths Tudor was later bought by Nabisco, which also owned Walkers Crisps.
The Tudor Crisps brand was discontinued in 2003, when Walkers decided to focus on its core crisp range.
The Smiths brand was also mostly phased out around the same time as Tudor, although some products such as Scampi Fries and Salt'n'Shake are still sold under the Smiths brand.
Notably, Tudor salt and vinegar flavour crisps were sold in blue packaging and cheese and onion in green bags, like most other brands in the UK, but the move to Walkers crisps reversed the colours.
Walkers is now part of the international food and drinks giant Pepsico.