Gibble’s Chips: History, Flavors & Varieties

Snack History Nostalgia Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Gibble’s Chips were not the first product that the Gibble family sold. In fact, the family actually got their start at local farmer’s markets selling produce. However, they wanted to add a delicious chip product to the locally-grown items that they sold at their stall because there weren’t any chip makers who were offering up this kind of snack in their area.

Out of their desire to enjoy chip-based snacks came the Gibble’s chips product line, which were sold by the family for years and with great success. The brand has recently been acquired and brought back to life after a hiatus that began in 2013. If you loved their cheesy puffs snacks, their crispy chips, or their old-fashioned pretzels, you are in luck! All of the original products that Gibble’s were known for are back on the shelves of stores around the US again!

History

The Gibble’s Chip story began in 1950. The Gibble family loves snacking on chips, but there were no companies that sold this kind of product in their local area. They personally sold produce and some other goods at a local farmer’s market and thought that selling chips would be a big hit. They decided that they would just have to make their own chips to sell at the market along with their homegrown goods.

The Gibble family dug out an old recipe and made a homestyle chip that they thought was good enough to sell at the market when they took their other vegetables and fruit to sell. Over time, the chips were so popular that they began to sell better than the garden-fresh produce or the other goods that the Gibbles were bringing to market.

The Gibble family knew that they were on to something, and they decided to expand their production. They invested in a plant in Chambersburg, PA, where they could make lots of chips and add new flavor varieties to their product line. The factory was actually just behind the family home, making it easy for everyone to work on the project of expanding the chip product line without having to travel into or out of the city.

The products were cheerfully advertised with slogans like “Nibbles with Gibbles,” and the current owners of the brand have carried this kind of advertising charm forward even as they have created improved versions of the recipes that made the brand famous. The new owners have stated that Gibbles were always their favorite snack products and that they want to stand behind the products and keep them as close to the original recipes as possible. 

The Gibble’s secret is that the brand doesn’t skimp on stuff. The ingredients are natural, recognizable, and as healthy as chip and snack products can be. The production process is still just as simple as creating homemade potato chips, and the company stands behind its family-grown and family-run history by making sure that the process is as hands-on as possible. This preserves the special, home-cooked nature of the chips and other snack products that have made them so beloved over the years.

Gibble’s chips were originally just basic potato chips, but over time “Red Hot” chips and “Wavy” chips were added to the stable. There were also additions like “Bar-B-Que” and a product called “Yummy Cheese Puffy’s”. The Cheese Puffys are a place where there has been a renewed effort to create new varieties and flavors under the guidance of the new owners, Hartman Snack Group Inc.

Cheese Puffys now come in yellow and white cheddar, as well as Sweet Heat and Jalapeno White Cheddar. You can also still get the Old-Fashioned Pretzels product as well as popcorn products that have traditionally been made by Gibbles. For those who grew up in central Pennsylvania, there is nothing quite like a Gibble’s snack, and now the entire lineup can be had at any store in the area.

The current focus of the new owners is on growing the brand without affecting product loyalty. They have needed to refresh and make some changes to the packaging as well as the product recipes, but they have promised not to make the brand unrecognizable to those who have always loved the Gibbles brand. There are few homegrown mom-and-pop companies left these days in the world, and Hartman Snack Group Inc knows that the relationship between the Gibble’s chips brand and its loyal consumers is as much about the company’s attitude as it is about the flavor of the products.

If you have never been lucky enough to enjoy a Gibble’s chips product, you are missing out! You can count on this brand for crunchy and crispy chips that are full of flavor, as well as delicious and zesty puffed snacks that are just as good, if not better, than the products that other major companies make that are of the same type.

While you may not see these products on the shelves of your local grocery store just yet, you can still order them online. There are various online sellers that will give you access to his east-coast special, and you can try all of the different varieties even though you have to order them to be delivered to you in the mail. The new owners of the product lineup have stated that they have lots of great ideas for new products and that they are going to modernize some of the advertising and make it more current.

While you will probably see some of the original livery preserved as the brand continues to be sold, you can expect some new advertising styles, some new slogans, and some product lineup additions to make the company more contemporary. There is something really delightful about old brands like this being saved from the ashes, and for those who love classic chips and other crunchy snacks, there really isn’t anything like this company’s products. Chip lovers everywhere will rejoice knowing that they can order some of the best chips that have ever been sold in the US and enjoy them with friends and family.

Livery

The original Gibbles products were sold in simple bags that were mostly light in color with a large, bold font on them declaring the flavor of the product inside the bag. Even the new and creative products that were added over time were sold packaged in a livery that was simple, to the point, and stripped of much originality. After all, there were no other chip products in the area where Gibble’s began, so there was no pressure to be too creative when it came to the packaging.

While locals love the retro packaging and probably miss its presence, it was well past time for a new look for the company’s products. The new product design is still simple, and it is still classic, but it offers a sense of modern styling that helps the brand to fit in with the chip-niche giants that the products have to compete with. You will see solid—colored bags these days with script that is not so blocky and without the see-through window in the front. 

What has remained the same is the Gibble’s logo, which is still the same simple, bubbly font that graces the factory sign. The slogan, “Nibble with Gibble’s” is emblazoned on all of the chip products to help be sure that those who loved the original products know they are the same awesome chips that were sold for years from the Gibble’s factory. Public opinion polls were used to direct the changes that will be made to the rest of the product lineup, and Cheese Puffys and the popcorn and pretzel products will likely also get a facelift soon.

What has remained consistent is that the brand has sworn to keep the overall colors the same that match each variety. This is a huge part of brand recognition, and there will be no startling alterations to the colors that have always been used for the various flavors of Gibble’s Chips.

Logo

Products

• Classic Potato Chips
• Cheese Puffys
• Old-Fashioned Pretzels
• Popcorn
• Red-Hot Potato Chips
• Bar-B-Que Potato Chips
• Kay & Ray’s Regular Potato Chips
• Thin Pretzels
• Mini Pretzels
• Yellow Cheddar Cheese Puffys 
• White Cheddar Cheese Puffys
• Sweet Heat Cheese Puffys
• Jalapeno White Cheddar Cheese Puffys

Ingredients

The recipe of the original Gibble’s chip product is so simple you will probably be shocked. Today, just as in the first days of the existence of the Gibble’s chip product, the recipe contains:

• Potatoes
• Prime lard
• Salt
• TBHQ to protect flavor

While the final ingredient was not present in the chips in the 1950s, everything else about the original, classic potato chip product is still the same. Some of the other products, such as the Cheese Puffys, have undergone some necessary adjustments to meet modern food ingredient standards, but these changes have been minor. It would be almost impossible to find another chip product with a recipe this wholesome and simple anywhere on the market today.

Nutrition

Serving Size:	1 oz. (28g)	% Daily Value*
Amount Per Serving
Calories	130
Calories from Fat	60
Total Fat	6g	9%
Saturated Fat	2.5g	13%
Trans Fat	0g
Polyunsaturated Fat	1g
Monounsaturated Fat	2.5g
Cholesterol	2.5mg	1%
Sodium	170mg	7%
Total Carbohydrates	19g	6%
Dietary Fiber	1g	4%
Sugars	0g
Protein	2g
Vitamin A		0%
Vitamin C		10%
Calcium		0%
Iron		2%

• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet.

Pictures

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