Hostess Brings Back Twinkies – With A Twist
Twinkies are back! And they last longer than ever...but not forever.
The new Hostess Brands’ Twinkies -- the cream-filled yellow-sponge cake that has delighted (and dismayed) Americans for 83 years -- will now have an extended shelf life of 45 days when they return to stores on July 15, compared to 26 days previously. The shelf-life change has been in the making for years, The AP reports.
The new owners of the iconic snack cake, investment firm Metropoulos & Co. and Apollo Global Management, have streamlined operations since buying the Twinkies and Hostess brands for $410 million last year. (Hostess Brands went bankrupt after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in early 2012; the company was forced to liquidate and sell off its brands to various bidders). The number of bakery plants was reduced to four from 11 and deliveries will now be sent directly to warehouses that supply retailers versus the stores themselves. That move should expand Hostess’ national reach, according to The AP. Some Hostess employees will return to the company but they will no longer be unionized. Nearly 15,000 unionized employees lost their jobs after Hostess management and union leaders failed to reach a contract agreement.
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The original Twinkies recipe (which includes a whopping 37 ingredients!) does not appear to have been altered much since its brief exodus from the market. A Hostess spokesperson tells The Daily Ticker that consumers "will have the same delicious experience" as before. The AP reports that the Twinkie may also get a face-lift: gluten-free, sugar-free and low-sodium versions are being tested.
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Twinkies fans are ecstatic that their beloved dessert has returned from the dead (check out the Hostess countdown clock here). Collectors snatched up cartons of the treat when Hostess announced its bankruptcy last November. Some devotees went so far as to create a “Save the Twinkie” Facebook page.
The Daily Ticker took to the streets of New York City to find out if the Twinkie is really experiencing “The Sweetest Comeback In The History Of Ever," as Hostess' new marketing tagline declares. Watch the video above to see a wide variety of opinions.
And tell us what you think of this quintessential American delicacy - send an email to: thedailyticker@yahoo.com.
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