Pot Noodle

In the UK, Pot Noodle is a specific brand of cup noodles (ramen-style snack). It consists of a dehydrated mixture of wide noodles, textured soya pieces, and vegetables, available impregnated with a variety of seasoning powders (See Below) and accompanied by a sachet of sauce (Soy, tomato, curry). It is packaged in a plastic cup with a foil lid. The Pot Noodle Company also makes Pot Rice.

A children's version 'Fun Pots' are also available. They are similar to standard Pot Noodle, but are smaller, contain no flavour sachet and have crunched noodle pieces.

History

Pot Noodle was launched in the UK by Golden Wonder in 1979. It was one of three sister brands that were advertised together, the other two being the now-defunct Pot Rice and Pot Casserole. Through a series of acquisitions, the brand is now owned by Unilever UK.

Preparation

The preparation of pot noodle is extremely simple (adding much to the snack's appeal), although many consider the correct preparation of Pot Noodle an art.

The outer foil seal of the Pot Noodle container is removed, and the sauce sachet is removed for later use. Boiling water is added, a 'fill line' is visible on the container to aid correct pouring. The noodles are then left to stand for two minutes. After this, the noodles are then stirred and again left to stand for two minutes. Finally, the noodles are stirred again and the sauce is added. Enjoy.

Media and Advertising

Pot Noodle is well known for its outrageous advertising campaigns. Recent advertising Campaigns:

• Big Dave - Advertising campaign for the 'King Pot Noodle' range, portraying a man and his imaginary friend 'Big Dave', which would share his noodle (not to make him seem "a fat bloater").

• Pot Noodle Horn Current advertising campaign. The 'Pot Noodle Horn' is the urge for Pot Noodle. This is shown from a large horn emerging from underneath a persons trousers, giving the impression of an erection.

• Not Poodle For a limited period, Pot Noodle was renamed to 'Not Poodle' (ostensibly because it's not a poodle). Anyone lucky enough to find a small model of a poodle in his/her 'Not Poodle' could claim a prize.

Other advertising campaigns have tested the boundaries of acceptability.

• HHCL/Red Cell created a series of radio ads for Pot Noodle in which different voices were heard reading out instructions on how to prepare it. The straplines for the ads were saucy: "Pot Noodle. The curious cheerleader of all snacks; Pot Noodle. The lonely housewife of all snacks; and another, which featured a man and a woman with German accents, describing the food as the filthy fraulein of all snacks." The voices would become more excited as the proceeded, culminating in shrieks of "stir again, stir again". They were found to be in breach of the advertising codes by the Advertising Standards Authority, because they were unsuitable material broadcast at a time when children would be listening. There had been four complaints.

• A 2002 television campaign advertising Pot Noodle as "The Slag of All Snacks", was moved to be broadcast after 9pm after early complaints, but still attracted 300 complaints and was found to be offensive by the regulator, the Independent Television Commission, which said that the word slag was unsuitable to be broadcast in an ad at any time.

Commentary

Pot Noodles are considered by some (such as Red Dwarf character Dave Lister) not to qualify as a foodstuff. They are the traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner of stereotypical British university students.

Available Products

• Pot Noodle
  • Beef and Tomato
  • Chicken and Mushroom
  • Sweet and Sour
  • Chow Mein
  • Nice 'n' Spicy
  • Seedy Sanchez
  • The Sizzler
• Hot Noodle
  • Bombay Badboy
• King Pot Noodle (Extra Large)
  • Chicken and Mushroom
  • Chow Mein
  • Sweet and Sour
  • Beef and Tomato
• Pot Noodle Fun Pots
  • Chicken and Mushroom

See also

• Cup Noodle
• Super Noodles

External links

Pot Noodle official website (http://www.potnoodle.co.uk) Information about the brand from Unilever (http://www.unilever.co.uk/ourbrands/foods/Pot_Noodle.asp)