Jacob's

Product brand

An Irish-origin brand of biscuits, crackers, snack products, and confectionery sold primarily in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Last updated August 31, 2026

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Overview

Jacob's is an Irish-origin biscuit and cracker brand whose history began in the nineteenth century with the Jacob family bakery business in Waterford. William Beale Jacob operated a small bakery and sea-biscuit business before his brother Robert joined him in 1851. The brothers expanded to Dublin, acquiring premises at Peter's Row in 1852 and opening the W. & R. Jacob's Steam Biscuit Factory in 1853. The Dublin operation became one of Ireland's best-known food manufacturers and later developed a broad portfolio extending from everyday biscuits to crackers, snack products, chocolate bars, and marshmallow-based biscuits. The business developed on both sides of the Irish Sea. Jacob's opened its first English factory in Aintree, Liverpool, in 1914. After the Irish and English operations were separated in 1922, the Dublin business retained the W. & R. Jacob name while the Liverpool business became Jacob's Bakery Ltd. The two operations subsequently passed through different corporate combinations. The Liverpool company joined Associated Biscuits in 1960; Associated Biscuits was later acquired by Nabisco and then by Danone. In Ireland, W. & R. Jacob merged with Boland's Bakery during the 1970s to create Irish Biscuits and moved production to Tallaght in 1973. The two businesses returned to common ownership in 1991, when Danone acquired Irish Biscuits. That arrangement was short-lived. In 2004, United Biscuits agreed to acquire the Jacob's Biscuit Group, but the transaction was reorganized so that United Biscuits took the United Kingdom business while Fruitfield Foods acquired the Irish operation. Fruitfield was later renamed Jacob Fruitfield Food Group and became part of Valeo Foods. United Biscuits was acquired by Pladis in 2014, placing the UK Jacob's business within the portfolio of the Yıldız Holding-owned snacks group. In Asian markets, ownership and production moved through Danone's biscuit business and then Kraft Foods; the relevant business is now associated with Mondelēz International. In the United Kingdom, the Aintree factory remains the principal manufacturing base for Jacob's products such as Cream Crackers and Twiglets. In Ireland, the Tallaght factory closed in 2009 after 156 years of domestic biscuit production, eliminating approximately 220 jobs while leaving the Irish business with a smaller workforce in other functions. The brand continues to cover both traditional household products and newer flavored, portioned, and snack-oriented formats. Its range includes Cream Crackers, savory crackers, crispbreads, Mini Cheddars, Twiglets, Cheeselets, mallow biscuits, digestives, Fig Rolls, Jaffa Cakes, and Club Milk bars, although availability varies by market and license holder. Jacob's has also been part of Irish labor history. In the early twentieth century, worker and trade-union organizer Rosie Hackett worked at the Dublin factory and helped organize female employees in support of striking male colleagues in 1911. Jacob's workers were subsequently involved in labor mobilization during the 1913 Dublin Lock-out, and Hackett was dismissed in 1914. More recently, the Liverpool workforce undertook an eleven-week strike in 2022 after unsuccessful pay negotiations. Pladis later announced a program involving voluntary redundancies and further job reductions at the site. Jacob's therefore combines a long-standing consumer identity with a complicated industrial and corporate history in which the same brand is controlled by different owners in different geographic markets.

History

Jacob's traces its origins to the bakery and sea-biscuit business established by William Beale Jacob in Waterford, Ireland. Robert Jacob joined his brother in 1851, creating the W. & R. Jacob partnership. The brothers expanded into Dublin in 1852 and opened the W. & R. Jacob's Steam Biscuit Factory in 1853. The Dublin premises later became associated with the Easter Rising of 1916, when the building was occupied by rebels. Expansion into England began with the opening of a factory at Aintree in Liverpool in 1914. In 1922, the Irish and English branches became separate companies. The Dublin operation kept the W. & R. Jacob name, while the Liverpool business operated as Jacob's Bakery Ltd. The English operation joined Associated Biscuits in 1960. Associated Biscuits was acquired by Nabisco in 1982 and by Danone in 1989, with the English company subsequently known as The Jacob's Bakery Ltd. The Irish business followed a different route. W. & R. Jacob merged with Boland's Bakery during the 1970s to form Irish Biscuits, which transferred production to a new facility in Tallaght in 1973. Danone acquired Irish Biscuits in 1991, bringing the Irish and UK Jacob's businesses under common ownership again. In 2004, Danone and United Biscuits agreed on the sale of the Jacob's Biscuit Group, but the group was divided before completion: United Biscuits acquired the UK operation and Fruitfield Foods acquired the Irish operation. Fruitfield later became Jacob Fruitfield Food Group and was eventually incorporated into Valeo Foods. United Biscuits became part of Pladis after its acquisition in 2014. The brand's Asian business followed another ownership path. Danone retained Jacob's interests in Asian markets after the European separation, including production in Malaysia. Danone's biscuit division was acquired by Kraft Foods in 2007, and the relevant operations later became part of Mondelēz International. Consequently, Jacob's is not controlled by a single worldwide company; ownership depends on territory. The brand's manufacturing footprint has changed substantially. The Tallaght factory closed in 2009, ending more than a century and a half of Irish factory production under the Jacob's name. The Aintree plant remains an important UK site and produces products including Cream Crackers and Twiglets. The factory received a reported £10 million investment from United Biscuits in 2015. It later became the site of an eleven-week labor dispute in 2022, followed by announced job reductions in 2023. Jacob's product development has moved from traditional plain biscuits and crackers into flavored crackers, snack formats, coated products, filled biscuits, and confectionery bars. Long-running names include Cream Crackers, Digestives, Fig Rolls, Ginger Nuts, Rich Tea, Jaffa Cakes, Twiglets, Mini Cheddars, Cheeselets, Club Milk, and several mallow biscuits such as Mikado and Kimberley. Products and ownership differ between Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Asian markets. The brand's social history includes the role of Rosie Hackett, who worked at the Dublin factory and helped organize female workers during a 1911 labor dispute. Jacob's employees also participated in the wider Dublin Lock-out of 1913, and Hackett was dismissed in 1914. This labor history sits alongside a long record of mass-market advertising, especially in Ireland, where television campaigns and memorable slogans helped turn Jacob's into a familiar household name.

2015
Investment announced for Aintree
[1]Jacob'sen.wikipedia.org
United Biscuits invested a reported £10 million in the Liverpool factory to increase production capacity.
2014
United Biscuits becomes part of Pladis
[1]Jacob'sen.wikipedia.org
United Biscuits was acquired by Pladis, transferring control of the UK Jacob's business into the Pladis portfolio.
2009
Tallaght factory closes
[1]Jacob'sen.wikipedia.org
Jacob Fruitfield ended production at the Tallaght plant, with approximately 220 jobs lost.
2004
Jacob's Biscuit Group is divided by market
[1]Jacob'sen.wikipedia.org
The planned sale to United Biscuits was reorganized so that United Biscuits took the UK operation and Fruitfield Foods acquired the Irish business.
1991
Danone reunites the businesses under common ownership
[1]Jacob'sen.wikipedia.org
Danone acquired Irish Biscuits, bringing the Irish and UK Jacob's operations under the same corporate owner.
1973
Irish production moves to Tallaght
[1]Jacob'sen.wikipedia.org
Irish Biscuits moved manufacturing to a factory in Tallaght, Dublin.
1960
Liverpool business joins Associated Biscuits
[1]Jacob'sen.wikipedia.org
Jacob's Bakery became part of Associated Biscuits, beginning a sequence of later ownership changes involving Nabisco and Danone.
1922
Irish and English operations separate
[1]Jacob'sen.wikipedia.org
The Dublin and Liverpool branches became separate companies, retaining related but distinct Jacob's identities.
1914
First English factory opens in Aintree
[1]Jacob'sen.wikipedia.org
Jacob's established its first English factory at Aintree in Liverpool, which remains a major UK production site.
1853
Dublin steam biscuit factory opens
[1]Jacob'sen.wikipedia.org
The brothers opened W. & R. Jacob's Steam Biscuit Factory in Dublin.
1851
W. & R. Jacob partnership formed
[1]Jacob'sen.wikipedia.org
Robert Jacob joined William Beale Jacob, establishing the partnership that became the foundation of the Jacob's biscuit business.

Products and positioning

A heritage bakery and snacking brand positioned around familiar, everyday biscuits and crackers, with strong Irish associations and a substantial UK retail presence.

Crackers
Cream Crackers
A foundational Jacob's product and one of the brand's best-known plain crackers. Cream Crackers are sold as an everyday savory biscuit and are strongly associated with the UK and Irish grocery markets.
Savory snacks
Twiglets
A distinctive ridged, yeast-extract-seasoned snack with a strong savory flavor. Twiglets are sold in multipacks and caddies and remain one of the brand's most recognizable UK snack products.
Cheese snacks
Mini Cheddars
Small, baked cheese-flavored biscuit snacks available in original and flavored variants. The range has expanded into seasonings such as smoky barbecue, nacho cheese and jalapeño, lime and chilli, and regional cheese styles.
Cheese biscuits
Cheeselets
Cheese-flavored biscuits traditionally associated with seasonal and sharing occasions. They are sold in standard packs and caddies and form part of Jacob's broader savory biscuit portfolio.
Mallow biscuits
Mikado
A mallow biscuit combining a biscuit base with marshmallow, coconut, and raspberry jam. It belongs to Jacob's long-running Irish mallow-biscuit tradition.
Mallow biscuits
Kimberley
A ginger-flavored sandwich biscuit with a mallow center and a coating of coarse sugar crystals. Kimberley is particularly associated with the Irish Jacob's range.
Filled biscuits
Fig Rolls
A traditional filled biscuit consisting of a baked exterior surrounding a fig-based filling. The product has been supported by long-running Irish advertising and is part of Jacob's heritage biscuit assortment.
Chocolate bars
Club Milk
A chocolate-covered bar sold in several variants, including original, dark, orange, mint, white chocolate, wafer, and chunky versions. It has been marketed in Ireland through multiple generations of advertising.
Biscuits
Digestives
A conventional digestive biscuit line within Jacob's broader sweet-biscuit selection. Availability and specific formulations vary by market and operating company.
Filled biscuits
Jaffa Cakes
A soft, cake-like biscuit product with a fruit filling and chocolate coating, included among Jacob's other sweet biscuit offerings in relevant markets.

Marketing campaigns

2008Some Kind of Wonderful
Ireland
Jacob's used “Some Kind of Wonderful” as a late-2000s brand slogan.
Outcome. Reinforced an emotional, heritage-oriented presentation of the brand.
Source
1992The Chocolate Collection
Ireland
The Chocolate Collection was advertised with a message emphasizing that the chocolate remained the same while the biscuit underneath changed.
Outcome. Highlighted variety within the product collection.
Source
1988Take The Biscuit
Ireland
Jacob's used the slogan “Take The Biscuit” in advertising during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Outcome. Provided a broad umbrella slogan for the brand's biscuit portfolio.
Source
1985Telax space-science campaign
Ireland
Telax bars were promoted through a space- and science-themed advertising concept during the mid-1980s.
Outcome. Positioned Telax as a more contemporary confectionery product within the Jacob's portfolio.
Source
1978Frank Kelly and Maureen Potter television advertisements
Ireland
Frank Kelly and Maureen Potter appeared in a series of humorous Jacob's advertisements, including a commercial involving a German professor debating the pronunciation of the brand name.
Outcome. Contributed to Jacob's distinctive Irish television advertising identity.
Source
1975Club Milk: Best After All
Ireland
A mid-1970s campaign promoted Club Milk using the slogan “best after all.”
Outcome. Supported the bar's positioning in the Irish confectionery market.
Source
1970How To Get The Fig Into The Fig Rolls
Ireland
An Irish advertising campaign built around the humorous explanation of how the fig filling reaches the Fig Roll.
Outcome. Helped reinforce Fig Rolls as a familiar Jacob's heritage product.
Source

Brand decisions

2022
Production disruption during the Aintree strikeOther
Background
Workers at Aintree entered a labor dispute after approximately three months of unsuccessful pay negotiations.
Action taken
Employees undertook an eleven-week strike, and the company temporarily transferred some production to Portugal.
Aftermath
The dispute was followed by further workforce-reduction plans announced by Pladis in 2023.
Source
2015
Investment in the Aintree factoryStrategy
Background
The Liverpool plant remained the principal UK manufacturing site for several Jacob's products and required additional capacity.
Action taken
United Biscuits invested a reported £10 million in the Aintree factory to increase output.
Aftermath
The site continued as a major production center for the UK Jacob's range.
Reported factory investment. £10 million investment (2015)
Source
2009
Closure of the Tallaght manufacturing plantStrategy
Background
Jacob Fruitfield reviewed its Irish manufacturing footprint after 156 years of biscuit production at the Tallaght facility.
Action taken
The Tallaght plant was closed and production was discontinued at the site.
Aftermath
Approximately 220 jobs were lost, while the company retained around 100 employees in other roles.
Source
2004
Split of the Jacob's Biscuit Group between United Biscuits and FruitfieldM&A
Background
Danone and United Biscuits initially announced the acquisition of the Jacob's Biscuit Group, but the transaction was revised so that the UK and Irish operations went to different buyers.
Action taken
United Biscuits acquired the UK portion, while Fruitfield Foods acquired the Irish portion.
Aftermath
Jacob's became a territory-specific brand, with separate ownership and operating structures in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Source

Recent events

2021-09-28
Jacobs wins seven GSA ASTRO contract awards[2]Jacobs赢得GSA ASTRO合同的七项授标prnewswire.com
Reported: 2021-09-28
Jacobs won seven awards on the General Services Administration's ASTRO contract, including all seven pools for which it submitted proposals.
2021-09-09
Jacobs awarded Abu Dhabi wastewater laboratory contract[3]Jacobs 获得阿布扎比污水实验室项目合同prnewswire.com
Reported: 2021-09-09
Jacobs was awarded a two-year contract by the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy to manage a wastewater laboratory project. Jacobs will oversee project execution and supervise the laboratory's design, engineering, procurement and construction.
2021-08-11
Jacobs receives International Excellence Award for Tyndall coastal resilience program[4]Jacobs凭借廷德尔海军基地海岸韧性项目获得国际卓越奖prnewswire.com
Reported: 2021-08-11
Jacobs received the International Excellence Award from the United Kingdom's Environment Agency Flood & Coast Excellence Awards for its Coastal Resilience Program at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida.
2021-05-12
Jacobs wins three APA awards for federal planning projects[5]Jacobs 凭联邦规划项目赢得三项 APA 奖项prnewswire.com
Reported: 2021-05-12
Jacobs received three awards from the American Planning Association Federal Planning Division for federal planning projects. The awards were presented during the May 12, 2021 virtual awards ceremony.
2020-12-03
Honduras Próspera retains Jacobs for Roatán project[6]洪都拉斯Próspera聘请Jacobs参与罗阿坦项目prnewswire.co.uk
Reported: 2020-12-03
Honduras Próspera announced that it had retained Jacobs to design and manage infrastructure development and municipal service delivery for its Roatán economic development project, beginning with the first 58-acre site.
2020-12-03
Próspera retains Jacobs for Roatán development project[7]Próspera聘请Jacobs参与罗阿坦开发项目prnewswire.com
Reported: 2020-12-03
Honduras Próspera announced that it retained Jacobs to design and manage infrastructure development and municipal service delivery for its Roatán project, beginning with the first 58-acre site.
2020-11-24
Jacobs acquires The Buffalo Group[8]Jacobs收购The Buffalo Groupprnewswire.com
Reported: 2020-11-24
Jacobs reported that it acquired The Buffalo Group to strengthen its cyber, all-source intelligence and AI capabilities.
2020-11-23
Jacobs launches Pavy airfield-management platform[9]Jacobs推出Pavy机场管理平台prnewswire.com
Reported: 2020-11-23
Jacobs launched Pavy, a cloud-based platform designed to help airports manage airfield pavements and plan investment.
2020-10-08
Jacobs wins 2020 Best New Initiative Impact Award[10]Jacobs 获得 2020 年最佳新倡议影响力奖prnewswire.com
Reported: 2020-10-08
Jacobs was named a winner of the 2020 Best New Initiative Impact Award for its work developing its Innovation as a Service program.
2020-09-21
Sizewell C Consortium signs North of England investment MOU[11]Sizewell C Consortium签署英格兰北部投资谅解备忘录cumbriacrack.com
Reported: 2020-09-21
The Sizewell C Consortium and Cumbrian MPs agreed an MOU outlining potential investment in the North of England during construction of the planned Suffolk nuclear plant. The MOU includes a pledge to invest around £2.5 billion over the construction period.

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