He’s been there for countless birthdays, but now it’s Britain's iconic confectionery insect’s turn to blow out the candles - M&S’s beloved Colin the Caterpillar has turned 30.
First launched in 1990 by Marks & Spencer as a celebration cake, Colin is as quintessentially British as Marmite and chocolate digestives. The cake has gone through quite a few transformations since his debut, starting out as a simple chocolate sponge with a flat face, drawn-on face. Today he has blossomed, with a moulded white chocolate face and colourful chocolate sweets adorning his chocolatey back.
Colin - the first of his kind
Over the years, he’s gained a girlfriend in Connie the Caterpillar, a chocolate sponge roll filled with strawberry flavoured buttercream and finished with cute sugar love hearts. You can now buy a spawn of young whippersnappers in M&S’s mini roll Colin cakes - the perfect single-portion for birthday boys and girls who don’t want to share. And you can also get giant Colin and Connie cakes online, which are big enough to serve 40.
Delicious for every occasion
Made with creamy milk chocolate and filled with decadent buttercream all the way through, Colin is party-ready with a sprinkling of chocolate sweets and a white chocolate face and boots. Not only is he delicious, but he's preservative-free too - in all, the perfect birthday cake (although he comes in Halloween, Christmas and Easter versions - and even once, got all dressed up for the Queen's Jubilee).
The hand finished Colin the Caterpillar cake, which costs £7 and serves 12 people, is thought to have helped celebrate over 10 million birthdays worldwide.
A celebrity favourite
The confection has an A-list following, wriggling into the hearts of celebrities like David Beckham, Taylor Swift, Dame Judi Dench and even former Oasis frontman, Liam Gallagher. It seems few can resist Colin's sweet, chocolatey charms.
Colin's best bits for all to enjoy
To celebrate his birthday on August 26, M&S Food has a brand new launch in his honour - Mini Colin Faces.
Costing £2 each, the packs contain arguably the best bit of a Colin cake - his delicious white chocolate face. Now there's no need to argue over this prized piece - the bag ensures there's plenty to go around.
M&S has also launched a Colin's 30th Birthday Gift Bag, £25. The set comes with everything you need to throw a bash: think a Rainbow Colin the Caterpillar (150g), Veggie Colin the Caterpillar (170g), Colin the Caterpillar decorated white chocolate faces (127g), Veggie Colin the Caterpillar fruit flavour sours (170g), Mini Colin the Caterpillar cakes (170g), all neatly tied up in a Colin the Caterpillar Gift bag.
If that’s not a reason to party, we don’t know what is.
