Potato Chip Trivia Question!

Hi!

Has anyone here heard of Mad Hatter Potato Chips?

They were distributed in the London, Ontario area in the late 50's and early 60's. I'm looking for any information and images if available and so far, I've not had any luck .. [|)]

Thanks in advance ..

flowercat

No, but if you're still looking I wonder how great they were! What do you remember about them that's making you search this long and far?

By the way there was a kind of bubblegum I used to have when I was a kid, came in packs of 5 long sticks (like juice fruit). The flavour went away almost immediately, but when it was there it was the best tasting gum I'd ever eat. I'd blow my entire allowance on this stuff and it would be gone within 10 minutes.

I searched the web for some time yesterday and found NOTHING. I tried though. If you were looking for dill pickle, or steak and onion flavors I could help.
As for the gum, it's all that way now days. I used to stop at the store on my way to school with my lunch money on some days and spend my entire .55 on gum, back then that'd be 55 pieces. If I didn't spend it there it'd be at a local sandwich shop for a half swiss half american cheese sandwich melted on sourdough. That sandwich costs $4.95 now......

Oh by the way, the gum was "bazooka" was and is still my fav. Haven't seen it sold by the piece in awhile. A box of 20 though is $1.00.

flowercat,


Try this site ... http://www.taquitos.net/


It seems to have everything you ever wanted to know about any type of Chip !!!

Geoff!

quote:

What do you remember about them that's making you search this long and far?

Actually, Flowercat was just trying to help me out! I'm a collector of the hockey, baseball, space etc. coins that were inserted as premiums into potato chips as well as jelly desserts in the early and mid sixties which has set me to wondering what became of various chip companies!

With respect to Mad Hatter, I recall it being a relatively uncommon brand in London that disappeared in the early sixties. The graphics on the bag were excellent but the chips weren't very good at all despite the fact that an "exotic" bacon and hickory flavour was available. Evidently the chips were sold in other Ontario locales as well and one fellow thinks that the Mad Hatter Chip company was based in the Maritimes and could have been a McCain venture.

I'm also trying to learn what became of the Krun-Chee Potato Chip company that had operations in Chicago, Detroit and Windsor, Ontario up until sometime in the sixties. Was Krun-Chee simply a Gordons brand name? But what happened to Gordons?

The Hunters Potato Chip company was based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This company also disappeared in the sixties. Did Nalleys acquire Hunters? The Nalleys Chip company was acquired by its Canadian managers in the mid nineties but they closed the operations down and sold the trademarks a couple of years ago. The Old Dutch company produces Nalleys snack foods under a licencing agreement these days.

Finally, what happened to Schullers Potato Chips which sold chips in the northeastern part of the U.S. and in the province of Quebec in the sixties?

Hello flowercat.

Absolutely I've heard of Mad Hatter potato chips. They were my favourite by far and I consumed copeous quantities as a child growing up in Toronto back in the sixties.

Unfortunately I do not have nor have I been able to locate any old bags or advertising. I do however have some very keen memories which I hope will be of some interest to you.

The package itself as I remember was predominately red with blue and white trim and centered on the front was the Mad Hatter character with the trademark hat and card which displayed the 10 cent price. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, special bags were used at Exhibition Stadium, and I'm sure at many other rip the consumer off events, which had blank cards in the Mad Hatter's hat so they could charge 15 cents.

There was five different varieties available each indvidually distinguishable by a coloured horizontal bar at the lower section of the bag. Regular(blue w/white letters), Rippled(same as regular with the word "rippled" in wavy fonts), BBQ(yellow w/red letters), Bacon & Hicory(orange w/can't remember letter colour), and Onion & Garlic(green w/black letters).

Mad Hatter chips were around until at least 1969 and I had always thought that they were bought out by Hostess which came on the scene about the same time although I'm quite certain both were available for at least a couple of years.

Prior to Hostess, I only remember Sherrif(terrible chips), Humpty Dumpty, Lays and of course Mad Hatter. Hostess sure were innovative as far as new flavours but my favourite, simulated Hot Dog in 1971, was only around for a couple or three years.

Anyway I'm glad to know that I'm not alone in missing Mad Hatter potato chips and please keep me apprised of any memorabillia type finds or information.

Sincerely,

John Knight

Yes I worked there around 1968. Mad Hatter potatoe chips were made by Federal Farms. They were located in Bradford Ontario. Federal Farms packaged celery, carrots, lettuce, etc. as well as producing mad hatter chips. As I recall they put a gum ball in every bag when I worked there. I don't know what happened to federal farms but I worked in the same building in 1978 manufacturing corrugated cardboard boxes for a company called Cameron Packaging.
If you can't find anything about federal farms in Bradford Ont. try Holland Landing Ont. The facility was actually located on the dividing loine between the 2 communities.