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Before I begin, the image accompanying this post is most definitely not a bowl of Bird’s Instant Hot Crunch Pudding, but it’s the closest I could find so it will have to do.
Bird’s are best known for their instant custard powder (quite how a pink powder generates a yellow custard is a mystery to me!) but in the 1980’s they also made a wide range of other instant pudding mix products. They still make the lovely Angel Delight today, and of course Trifle mixes, but back then they also had a range of packet mousses (if memory serves me right) and also these hot puddings.
The Hot Crunch Pudding came in a packet containing two sachets. The first contained a powder which when mixed with hot water from the kettle became a gloopy custard like pudding. Once this was decanted into individual bowls the second sachet came into play. This contained a crunchy topping, a bit like biscuit crumbs or the top of an apple crumble, which could be sprinkled over the pudding to give it some added texture.
For an instant packet mix the Hot Crunch Pudding was actually quite tasty despite being so easy to make. I believe it was available in three flavours, these being Banana (basically custard), Lemon (not a particularly zingy lemon if I remember right) and chocolate (my personal favourite). I have no idea when it disappeared from our shops or why, so I guess the closest you’ll get to it today is to make some custard and smash a few digestives over the top…
November 29th, 2008 at 9:36 am
[...] Child Of The 1980’s Subscribe via RSS or e-mail About this Site Legal Stuff Privacy Policy Link To Us Sites We Like « Bird’s Instant Hot Crunch Puddings [...]
December 23rd, 2008 at 3:49 am
Do you know if it’s coming back?
December 23rd, 2008 at 10:22 am
Not as far as I know. Sorry!
January 27th, 2009 at 12:12 am
OMG I LOved banana crunch…….the memories!!!!!!!
Cremola Foam!!!!! Guess its prob had some kind of ileagle substance in it that they took it away…..but i dont care bring it back!!!!!!
Does anyone rememner the instant crossiant tins that the seal was angles and when you tore it the dough came out the shape of a crossiant????? it had a little chef on the packing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I loved 80’s food!!!!!!!!!
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January 27th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Hi Emma,
Sounds like we jogged a few memories for you there! I’ve been meaning to post about Cremola Foam on here for a while but wasn’t sure if I’d remembered the name correctly – thanks for confirming it for me. Great stuff, wasn’t it!
I vaguely remember the croissants you mention, by way of the advert rather than ever having eaten one. I believe they were made by Pilsbury?
February 7th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
It was the most wonderful stuff ever . I last saw a packet in 1994 .
February 18th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Oh my god! i remember that chocolate crunch i have been looking for it for years but can never find it
it reminds me of being a kid but i really REALLY want some now but fear i will never be able to have it again 
if they ever bring it back somebody please tell me!!! I LOVE IT!! lol THANKS!!!
March 9th, 2009 at 9:16 am
And there was me, thinking it was just something me and my family ate. No-one I’ve asked, remembers this stuff.
The banana one was fantastic. Adding banana slices to the custard was sheer brilliance on the part of my Grandma, who gave it to us.
I wish they would bring it back. My son would love it!!!
March 9th, 2009 at 10:44 am
We used to add banana slices to the banana variety too. It was a good way of using up the bananas that had gone soft and brown skinned that nobody wanted to eat.
April 12th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
oh my god, i have just spent the last half hour searching for info on this as ive just spent some time with my brother and i asked him if he remembered this, which he did and we both said how much we loved this and wished it was still available to buy!!!
i think we should lobby Premier Foods to bring this back!!! (just like with wispas)
we also would add bananas to the banana variety, but the lemon one was my favorite!
April 13th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
I’m sure it was full of chemicals and that’s why it isn’t available any more, but it was great stuff. Maybe a petition is in order then!
April 21st, 2009 at 8:36 pm
oh my god, I have been thnking about this for ages too, we always had the lemon flavour it was sooooooo good i cannot stop craving this stuff i had not thoughts about for the last howver many years did not know who made it what it was called you have made my day, they really should bring it back i dont mid the chemicals and i’d promise not to give it to my children.
April 22nd, 2009 at 5:27 pm
I’ve been surprised just how popular this stuff has turned out to be! I didn’t think many people would remember it but I’m glad to be proved wrong.
As to it being full of chemicals, I have no idea what it contained, so I’m sure it would be fine to give to your kids tin. After all, it didn’t do any of us any harm…
May 20th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
I have been looking for this stuff for soooo long. Someone has started a petition on petitiononline.com! It worked for Wispa!
May 20th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Thanks for the tip off Ria. Here’s a link to the petition signing page for any desperate for a fix of hot crunch goodness…
http://www.petitiononline.com/birdshcp/petition.html
June 18th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I cannot believe how many people miss it like me and my family. BRING IT BACK I CAN ALMOST TASTE IT!!!
August 9th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Last time i saw one was in 1996 i can remember the banana-ry taste, YUMM! I could eat one now thinkin of it, please bring them back! Who made them. . . .they are truly genius. (”,)
August 12th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
OMG please bring back banana crunch pudding i loved it as a kid and now i am craving it all over again as i am 27 weeks pregnant!!I need it i really hope they bring it back i think a lot of people are missing it to.
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:22 pm
i loved choc hot crunch, please start selling it agin
October 11th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Please Please PLEEEEEAAAASSSSEEEEE bring back Banana crunch pudding. the future generation needs it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and me also
October 12th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
The banana variety seems to be especially popular, doesn’t it?
February 10th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
BRING IT BACK PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i really miss it lots and lots
i told my little lad about it and he wants to try it but when i said you cant get it no more he was not a happy lad so bring it back pleaseeeeeeeee xx
March 8th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Where oh where did it go…….I have failed my grandchildren in not being able to provide them with the most favoured dessert in our family……please bring it back pleeeease.
April 7th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
omg i used to love sundays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! roast dinner then i’d getto make the crunch pudding wow loved lemon or chocolate mmmmmmmm the lemon ahd ginger topping i think!!!! birds should defo bring it back
April 7th, 2010 at 4:49 pm
I think we often had it as a quick pudding after the Sunday roast as well, and I think you’re right Laura, the lemon one did have a ginger topping.
Three more votes to bring it back then! I think I might have to get in touch with Bird’s and point them at this page!
May 5th, 2010 at 8:03 pm
i was reminded of this pudding last night after seeing angel delight on heston blumentals 70s feast and had to phone my mum to ask what it was she finally remembered a day later! I cant believe how many people have commented saying they want it back. I agree! Bring back hot crunch puddings!!!!
May 28th, 2010 at 7:30 am
I can’t believe I’ve stumbled on this, it’s brilliant! For years I’ve been telling people about what I remember as “Hot Lemon and Ginger Crunch” which my mum used to make me as a kid, usually as a treat if I was unwell [some people bring grapes, my mum brings custard, go figure...]. I’ve never found anyone who remembers it and was beginning to wonder if it was all a dream!
For the previous posters wanting the Pilsbury dough tins, they sell a different branded version in Aldi – not my favourite supermarket but well worth a one-off trip for the nostalgia factor of hearing that tin go POP and hurting your fingers if you didn’t get them out of the way in time! The tins, dough etc is all the same, just a different label.
*goes to sign the lemon crunch petition*
July 7th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?birdshcp&1
here is a petition
July 8th, 2010 at 11:20 am
I don’t remember this but it did remind me of a dessert called “Saucy Sponge”. Came in packets and had a sponge top where the top layer sometimes went nice and crunchy and a fruit filling beneath that (I think) which soaked into the sponge. I loved it – especially with vanilla ice cream. Anyone else remember it?
Emma – you are thinking of one of the ‘Pilsbury Dough Boy’ products. Came over from America and still very popular over there
August 10th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
there’s a fanpage on facebook for the banana crunch hot crunch pudding all type it in and please join and i also rember what Emma said
August 25th, 2010 at 12:56 am
omg been trying to describe this to loads of people an no one remembers it! its amazing whos starting this petition,iv joined one on fb but hardly anyone seems to remember it i guess! damnnnn i need some crunchy chocolaty goodness!
November 19th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
Creamola foam is back: now renamed a kremola fizz: http://www.fizzshop.co.uk
all wee need is hot banana crunch!!!
November 22nd, 2010 at 6:08 pm
I also remember this very fondly from my childhood
However, as others have said, I’m pretty sure the original recipe would now be illegal because it was very high in hydrogenated oils (trans fats) which are now regulated by law – Angel Delight is still pretty high, and it’s not as viscous.
November 23rd, 2010 at 1:33 pm
That’s a pity, but I guess there’s no other work around using some other ingredient to get the consistency right, otherwise they presumably would have done.
I’ll have to keep my eye of Angel Delight then, just in case that suddenly gets whisked off the shelves (if you’ll forgive the terrible pun).
April 16th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
does any1 know how i would get in contact with bird’s, or is it now birdseye?
I would be rather interested in seeing if they would make an alternative to this receipe and put it back on the shelves for us all to enjoy again.
April 16th, 2011 at 7:18 pm
If you head over to http://www.birdscustard.co.uk there’s a contact form on there which might give you some joy?
Bird’s are part of Premier Foods now, and their product line now seems to be just Custard, Dream Topping and Trifle mixes (oh, and Rum and Brandy sauces when it comes to Christmas).
May 13th, 2011 at 10:46 am
I used to live on this stuff as a kid, I remeber many trips to the corner shop to grab this for me my mum and my lil bro to enjoy while watching tv together, and like all of you i had sliced banana with the banana one too.
I’ve just emailed Birds via their contact form and linked this site in so they know i’m not alone.
Fingers crossed they consider bringing it back
May 13th, 2011 at 10:57 am
Fingers and toes crossed here.
May 19th, 2011 at 5:59 pm
Ive recreated it to perfection and its soooooooo easy.
So, you need i pack of Birds custard (the kind you just add water to). HAS to be Birds obviously, otherwise it doesnt taste right. Before adding the water, add two heaped tablespoons of Nesquik Banana Milkshake powder (again, MUST be Nesquick as they were bought out by Birds years ago and the taste is perfect). Make up the custard the crunch 5 Mcvites digestive biscuits in a bag and sprinkle over the top (yup, you guessed t, for some reason if its not the McVites ones it doesnt taste right). Now, try and tell me that not only does it taste EXACTLY like Hot Crunch Pudding, but the smell is so spot on you could be a little kid again.
May 19th, 2011 at 8:41 pm
I can certainly see how that could work. How long did it take you to perfect that recipe Chris?
August 14th, 2011 at 7:19 pm
Nice one chris i ‘ll be giving that a go tomorrow!
October 17th, 2011 at 7:55 pm
I remember the adverts narrated by an overexcited Bill Oddie.
October 17th, 2011 at 8:31 pm
Is there such a thing as a not overexcited Bill Oddie?
November 3rd, 2011 at 9:23 pm
OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WANT BANNANA CRUNCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 7th, 2011 at 8:01 pm
I soooo remember this pudding and how gutted me an brother was when it disappeared!!
They really need to bring it back our fave was the choclate crunch pudding loved it on cold nights an we all just snuggled on sofa eating it!!
Would love to know why they stopped making it as it seems to of been a popular dessert!!
January 11th, 2012 at 10:32 am
wow!!!! my daughter rang me last night @ 10.45pm to ask if i could remember what this was called as she could remember her dad always eatting it and she would have some if she got a look in