Butterkist Crunchy Toffee Popcorn

Butterkist is the United Kingdom’s leading popcorn brand, renowned for its signature toffee-coated kernels. The brand's history traces back to 1914 in the United States when Frederick H. Hauk invented a revolutionary popcorn machine. Originally, it was a brand developed for movie theaters, but it eventually transitioned into a household staple.

The brand was brought to the UK by the company Lyons & Co in the late 1930s. Today, Butterkist products are primarily manufactured in the United Kingdom, specifically at a dedicated production facility in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. This location remains the heart of its manufacturing operations, processing massive quantities of corn to meet nationwide demand.

Ownership of the brand has changed hands several times throughout the decades. In 2017, the German-based snack giant Intersnack Group acquired Butterkist from Tyrrells (which was owned by Amplify Snack Brands). As of 2026, Butterkist remains a key part of KP Snacks, which is the British subsidiary of the Intersnack Group. This ownership ensures that while the brand maintains its British heritage and local manufacturing, it benefits from the global scale of a major European snack conglomerate.