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Uddingston is a small town on the north side of the River Clyde 7 miles south east of Glasgow.

Uddingston is home to the Tunnock’s factory, famed for its caramel wafers and teacakes. The family-run business was founded in 1890 and is still based in the town. Visitors can take a tour of the factory, however they are often fully booked over a year in advance. A tea room and bakery is situated one street away from the factory. Viewpark Gardens , a horticultural centre which features Japanese and Highland plant displays as well as four glasshouses and water features, is a popular attraction. An annual Summer Flower Festival is also held there. The entrance to Bothwell Castle , Scotland's largest thirteenth century castle, is in Uddingston and the attraction is open year-round and has a golf course in its grounds.

The town has several sports clubs, with golf, cricket, rugby and hockey all proving popular, as well as Junglee Fun Play Centre which caters to children aged 0-10 years. There are a variety of shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs in Uddingston. Trains run regularly to Glasgow Central while bus services connect the town to the local area. One of Uddingston's most famous sons is Sir James Black, a pharmacologist who created beta-blocker drugs and won the Nobel Prize in 1988.

The content of many of our web listings is provided by third party operators and not VisitScotland. VisitScotland accepts no responsibility for (1) any error or misrepresentation contained in third party listings, and (2) the contents of any external links within web listings ((1) and (2) together hereinafter referred to as the "Content"). VisitScotland excludes all liability for loss or damage caused by any reliance placed on the Content. The Content is provided for your information only and is not endorsed by VisitScotland.

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tunnock's factory visit

10 things you (probably) didn't know about Tunnock's

Here are 10 facts you (probably) didn't know about scottish confectionery royalty tunnock's..

tunnock's factory visit

There are several essential things most people in Scotland (and elsewhere) are likely to add to their list of things they'd need to survive on a desert island, but we are guessing that more than a few would have Tunnock's Teacakes or Caramel Wafers written down in the top five.

Few things made visiting an elderly relative's better than the obligatory offering of some form of Tunnock's  treats, be it the luxurious Teacake, the delicious Wafer or on the odd occasion the mildly exotic Snowball.

In fact, most Scots would probably have 'do a Tunnock's factory tour' on their list of 'Scottish things to do before you die'.

It's the one ice breaker guaranteed to bring any Scottish people in a room together: "What's your favourite Tunnock's - the Teacake, the Caramel Wafer, the Caramel Log or the Snowball?"

Almost as iconic as Irn Bru , smoked salmon, haggis or whisky, here are 10 things you (probably) didn't know about one of Scotland's best love confectionery companies:

1. The company was formed by Thomas Tunnock as Tunnock's in 1890, when he purchased a baker's shop in Lorne Place, Uddingston.

Thomas Tunnock with his son Archie. Picture: TSPL

Thomas Tunnock with his son Archie. Picture: TSPL

The company grew from these humble beginnings into a successful private baking company before striking it rich with their confectionery line.

In a recent interview with the Telegraph, Boyd Tunnock, Thomas' grandson said: "Between the wars, my father [Archie] was the biggest private caterer in the Glasgow area. I have all his daybooks from 1933 to 1942 – we take them to exhibitions and someone will say, 'Your father did my granny’s wedding,' so we’ll look it up and there it is."

Originally bought for just £80, The company now makes 80 tonnes of caramel each week –  1.5 tonnes an hour.

Caramel is poured out of bubbling cauldron. Picture: TSPL

Caramel is poured out of bubbling cauldron. Picture: TSPL

They buy in around 25 tonnes of coconut a month and around 15 tonnes of cocoa butter each week.

With these ingredients they make between ten and 12 million biscuits and cakes each week, including around 5 million wafers (referenced on the wafer packaging) and 3 million tea cakes.

2.  Tunnock's sells in more than 40 countries and is extremely popular in the Middle East

The Tunnock's Boy. Picture: Wikimedia

The Tunnock's Boy. Picture: Wikimedia

The Uddingston-based biscuit company ships to more than 40 countries worldwide and is very popular in the Middle East, with Iraq and Kuwait, making up around 20 per cent of its total exports.

The family baker recently revealed that Yemen had taken delivery of 300,000 Caramel Wafers in the last 12 months alone.

Caramel Wafers are also a big hit in Kuwait, where they are known as 'boy biscuits’ after the face of the Tunnock's boy (who has never been named) on the box.

The first products exported by the company were Caramel Logs to Newfoundland, Canada in 1957, while Trinidad loves Caramel Wafers and Wafer Creams and even the Faroe Islands are reported to eat around 125,000 Caramel Wafers a year.

All this success and the company still only has one export sales manager and he apparently doesn’t travel abroad.

3. Boyd Tunnock, inventor of the Teacake has a very special Tunnock's notebook

Boyd Tunnock with staff on the caramel wafers production line. Picture: TSPL

Boyd Tunnock with staff on the caramel wafers production line. Picture: TSPL

Boyd Tunnock, the inventor of the Teacake, carries a very special notebook in which he has written down all that he needs to know about the family company. The notebook's contents, which includes all the latest sales figures and company statistics, also has the recipes for his signature creations and ideas for future recipes.

Apparently, he even keeps a small circle in the notebook, drawn onto the inside cover, with which he measures the baked biscuit bases for the Teacakes to ensure they are just the right size.

4. The giant Tunnock's Teacakes from the Commonwealth games opening ceremony were put up for auction

The Tunnock's dancers at the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony. Picture: TSPL

The Tunnock's dancers at the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony. Picture: TSPL

That's right, you could have bought and owned one of these amazing pieces of memorabilia. We wish we had, just so we could have been as cool as the guy in the bottom right.

The giant Teacakes were sold as exclusive, limited-edition mementos and even came complete with hologram and letter of authenticity.

Tunnock's was such a hit at the Opening Ceremony that Waitrose revealed that in the weeks following the performance sales of Tunnock’s Tea Cakes soared by 62 per cent!

In fact, the company even reported this year that they made a whopping 15 million rise in tea cakes sold since the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

•  10 things you (probably) didn’t know about Irn-Bru

•  8 things you (probably) didn’t know about McCowan’s Highland Toffee

•  Tunnock’s drop iconic lion branding to be more ‘British’

5. Tunnock's have featured on T-shirts, been the inspiration for wedding cakes and have even had some of their products miniaturised for doll's houses

The Tea Cake company’s clothing collection includes t-shirts, hooded sweaters and beanie hats.

The Tunnock's T(ea) Shirt with the caramel wafer logo. Picture: Tunnock's

The Tunnock's T(ea) Shirt with the caramel wafer logo. Picture: Tunnock's

They have also sold cufflinks with caramel wafer logos and a Tunnock’s Rubik’s Cube.

Tunnock's products have even been miniaturised   and sold as doll house furniture.

Dolls house maker Sheena Hinks holds her miniature Tea cakes and Irn Bru creations. Picture: TSPL

Dolls house maker Sheena Hinks holds her miniature Tea cakes and Irn Bru creations. Picture: TSPL

They have even served as inspiration for a wedding cake, with Mathew Watt, 37, and wife Siobhan, 34, going a bit further than the average couple with their love for the Teacake.

The couple spent £395 on this super-sized chocolate sponge wedding cake, topped with red and silver icing to recreate the famous wrapper.

The Tunnock's themed wedding cake. Picture: TSPL

The Tunnock's themed wedding cake. Picture: TSPL

Mr Watt, an interior designer, told the Scotsman: “On the day, the cake actually got more attention than we did, but that wasn’t a bad thing. We were very happy with it.”

And they are not the only ones to share their love of Tunnock's on their wedding day, the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is said to have commissioned Tunnock's to make her wedding cake.

6. There's been an art exhibition dedicated to the company

Tunnocks exhibition at the Glasgow Print Studio. Assistant Olivia Bliss moves the artworks around. . Picture: Robert Perry

Tunnocks exhibition at the Glasgow Print Studio. Assistant Olivia Bliss moves the artworks around. Picture: Robert Perry

In 2010, the Glasgow Print Studio held an art exhibition, Tunnocked, in which artists honoured the humble Teacake as well as its cousins, the Caramel Wafer and the Snowball.

Among the 40 different pieces of art inspired by the delicious products created by Tunnock's, was one Caramel Wafer which had been placed behind glass for emergencies, so essential was it to artist Harry Magee.

7. Tunnock's products have many celebrity fans, including several world famous pop stars

Chris Martin, the Coldplay singer, has said of his favourite treats: "You can’t choose between the Caramel Wafer and the Tea Cake – they’re like Lennon and McCartney, you can’t separate them."

While Howard Donald, of Take That fame, was delighted after fans from Manchester bought him a Tunnock's Teacake birthday cake which was presented to him on stage in Glasgow.

Singer Amy MacDonald even suggested she'd have loved to have been one of the dancers inside a giant Tunnock's at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

8. Alex Salmond once greeted Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch with a Tunnock's Caramel Wafer and a cup of tea

The First Minister admires a Tunnock's teacake for a photshoot at the Uddingston factory. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

The First Minister admires a Tunnock's Teacake for a photshoot at the Uddingston factory. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

Alex Salmond apparently offered a Caramel Wafer and a cup of tea to Rupert Murdoch while he was entertaining the boss of News International at Bute House.

Alex Salmond reassured MSPs during the subsequent FMQs when he was questioned about the visit, that there was no fancy stuff involved. “There were no oysters. All you get at Bute House is a cup of tea and a Tunnock's caramel wafer.”

We are sure MrMurdoch was more than happy to accept the offering!

9. Tunnock's once took on the tax man over the classification of their snowballs, and won! 

Workers pack Teacakes at the Tunnock's factory. Picture: Robert Perry

Workers pack Teacakes at the Tunnock's factory. Picture: Robert Perry

Tunnock's, teamed up with rival Lee's , to challenge a ruling that saw them pay tax on their snowballs, placing them under “standard-rated confectionery”, which classified them as a biscuit.

Judges Anne Scott and Peter Sheppard, from the First-Tier Tax Tribunal, tested a plate of treats including Jaffa cakes, Bakewell tarts and meringues – all classified as cakes for tax purposes – as they made their decision.

Ms Scott then said: “A snowball looks like a cake. It is not out of place on a plate full of cakes. A snowball has the mouth feel of a cake.”She added: “Although by no means everyone considers a snowball to be a cake, we find that these facts mean that a snowball has sufficient characteristics to be characterised as a cake. For all these reasons, the appeals succeed.”

Tunnock’s received a rebate of just over £800k after both companies won their appeals.

10.The company is so successful that Boyd Tunnock was put on the Sunday Times rich list 

With  a net worth of £75 million pounds - the minimum needed to make the cut in Scotland - Boyd Tunnock was put on the Sunday Times Rich list in 2015.

And here's a couple of bonus facts.....

11. Even Squirrels apparently love Tunnock's Teacakes

A squirrel enjoys a Tunnock's Teacake taken from a bin in Glasgow's Kelvingrove park. Picture: Mike McGurk

A squirrel enjoys a Tunnock's Teacake taken from a bin in Glasgow's Kelvingrove park. Picture: Mike McGurk

This cheeky chappy was spotted enjoying a Teacake in Kelvingrove park one afternoon.

12. You can stay in a Tunnock's Caramel Wafer...caravan

tunnock's factory visit

Picture: Argyll Holidays

They're known and loved across the country, but now fans of the Tunnock's Caramel Wafer can take a holiday in one - as Argyll Holidays have a specially designed caravan.

Featuring the iconic gold, red and white branding, the Tunnocks caravan wafer is located on the Drimsynie Estate in Lochgoilhead and was unveiled in the summer of 2021.

Find out more about the caravan and book on the Argyll Holidays  website .

The Scotsman

Get in touch.

tunnock's factory visit

Tunnock’s Factory Tour

Tunnock’s is one of Scotland’s most iconic brands.

tunnock's factory visit

As Coldplay singer Chris Martin said: ‘You can’t choose between the Caramel Wafer and the Tea Cake – they’re like Lennon and McCartney – you can’t separate them.”

The company was formed in 1890 when Thomas Tunnock purchased his first bakers shop in Uddingston for just £80. Turnover today has snowballed (sorry!) to more than £50 million.

Caramel Wafers, the first of the famous five lines – Tea Cakes, Caramel Wafers, Snowballs, Caramel Logs and Wafer Creams – were launched in 1952.

A business journal from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Absolutely Scrumptious: The Scottish Sweet Factory Loved by the Middle East

February 7, 2012 • 10 min read.

The Tunnock's factory churns out thousands of old-fashioned sweets every day in a little Scottish village. From there, it's a brisk journey to the Middle East, as shipping containers filled with goodies are exported almost every other week to the region. Tunnock's success in the Arab world is partly due to nostalgia -- at one point, its chocolates were included in meals for all Saudi Arabian students. But the company also credits its long-standing policy of not fiddling with a good product, maintaining regional relationships, and respecting the Middle East's traditions and business practices.

tunnock's factory visit

With its high glass windows, red-lit lettering, a Roman numeral clock and the image of a foil-wrapped teacake, the Tunnock’s factory looms above the quiet Scottish village of Uddingston. But many of the sweet snacks that are produced here — such as caramel wafers, caramel logs, and chocolate teacakes — will not be served in a traditional British afternoon tea.

They’re more likely headed for a pantry in the Middle East; half of the company’s total annual exports are shipped to the region. The company’s annual sales amount to approximately £34 million (US$52.2 million), of which 10% represents Tunnock’s market share in the Middle East. Not bad for an old-fashioned, family-owned company, known for its distinctive red and gold wrappers and a blue-eyed, rosy-cheeked boy from the mid-1900s as its mascot.

"Just like Italian culture has been romanticized in the U.S., people in the Middle East may see British food as a sign of being cultured or worldly," says Jonah Berger , Wharton professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Middle East has proven to be a lucrative market for the snack industry. Euromonitor International, a strategy research firm in consumer markets, reported the industry grew 10% last year in Saudi Arabia, and forecasted sweet biscuit sales this year worth US$437.5 million. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the biscuit industry, including sweet and savory snacks, Euromonitor predicts 7.6% growth this year, valued at US$133.1 million.

Interestingly enough, economic declines in the Middle East actually help snack sales in the Middle East. According to a report from Euromonitor International, "The key trend since the financial crisis struck the UAE is the emergence of comfort eating. At times of economic slowdown when consumers dial back on luxuries and focus on necessities, food is the last thing on which they compromise."

Containers Of Sweets

Nearly 90% of food, raw materials and feed in the Middle East must be imported, according to Food Export USA, a nonprofit organization. Due to the desert climate, soil conditions, and limited water resources, there are not many agricultural products, which can be homegrown in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Saudi Arabia is the biggest importer of Tunnock’s, purchasing around US$3.1 million worth of cookies annually. Kuwait is the next largest customer base, while the UAE, Jordan and Qatar are also buyers. Surprisingly, Bahrain and Yemen have put in orders recently, in spite of the Arab Spring protests. In fact, Yemen has doubled their order from a 20-foot shipping container of biscuits in November 2011 to a 40-foot container to be shipped out in February.

It’s not the only one. Every 10 days to two weeks, a container, which holds about three-quarters of a million cookies in it, leaves Scotland for its two-week journey across the seas to the Gulf countries.

The Arab Spring’s effect on sales isn’t apparent, the company notes. "That’s what we would like to know but we haven’t seen any," says Alan Burnett, Tunnock’s company’s export manager. "We think it’s because Saudi is our biggest market and they haven’t been affected very much." Burnett is an affable, ginger-haired Scot who can read a spattering of Arabic from his years of selling teacakes, and before that, carpets to the Middle East.

While the annual run up to Christmas boosts profits in Britain, Ramadan also brings a healthy sales peak for Tunnock’s. "I always know when it’s Ramadan," Burnett says. After the daily fasting ends at dusk, Tunnock’s cookies wrapped in its distinctive gold and red foil can often be found on tables as welcome, scrumptious rewards for iftaar .

An annual event, Ramadan obviously doesn’t only explain Tunnock’s popularity in the Middle East. Nancy Childs , professor of food marketing at Saint Joseph’s University in Pennsylvania, explained, "In cultures without alcohol, the tea occasion is more important for socializing. The Tunnock’s teacakes are a relatively affordable tasty indulgence and its presentation and packaging could lend it to small hostess gift giving."

Caramel Wafers, Caramel Logs and Teacakes are the most popular Tunnock’s products in the Middle East. The ingredients for every cookie exclude anything artificial. The basic components are flour, sugar, eggs, yeast, and other essential baking ingredients you might find in any kitchen cabinet. Even the fluffy white cream inside a Tunnock’s Teacake is not made of gelatin or marshmallow, a breach in halal regulations since they are derived from animal extracts, but rather whipped egg white and butter. The recipe hasn’t changed in more than 60 years, according to Burnett.

A rarity in this age of global markets, each shipping container that goes to the Middle East is actually made to order. Everything is shipped as fresh as possible with an approximate shelf life of six to nine months for the snacks. In fact, the company does not even have a warehouse. The factory produces 5 million wafers and 3 million teacakes a week. The workers’ shifts are adjusted to meet production demands. Quality is of the utmost importance, Burnett emphasized. The company currently employs 550 people.

The reputation of Tunnock’s Teacakes has remained untarnished in Britain, as well as around the world. Sold in local newsagent stands and grocery stores in the U.K., Tunnock’s products are also sold in upscale gourmet stores, such as Williams-Sonoma in the United States. However, the British company has a longer history in the Middle East than America.

Tunnock’s foray into the Middle East began over 40 years ago, with a Lebanese buyer who was looking to diversify his portfolio of British food imports that he shipped to the Gulf. He wanted to add something sweet to his product offerings. After sampling the cookies himself and observing how popular Tunnock’s was with the discerning London consumer, he decided to import them for his Middle Eastern consumers. He was so successful that at one point in the 1970s, the Saudi Arabian government provided a Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer in every child’s meal box as a dessert, according to Burnett. "It doesn’t happen now but the point was there was a generation that grew up with the product."

No Halal Concerns

Although Tunnock’s products seem like a traditional British snack, approximately 20% of the company’s total sales are due to exports out of Great Britain. Looking closely at the packaging, even at those sold within the U.K., the labels often include Arabic. But though a good proportion of Tunnock’s customer base are Muslim, Tunnock’s has never applied for a halal certification.

Burnett says he has discussed this point with his buyers in the Middle East, wondering if the stamp of approval will help the company expand further into the Middle East. To his surprise, they discouraged him from pursuing that route, explaining that the longstanding reputation of Tunnock is enough to assure other potential clients that Tunnock’s is halal compliant even if it isn’t officially licensed as such.

Joe Regenstein , professor of food sciences at Cornell University and advisor for Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America, the largest halal certification agency in North America, isn’t surprised that food exports to the Middle East don’t necessarily have to be halal certified. "Muslim countries are all over the place on these issues," Regenstein says. "There is not a tradition of labeling but they do check ingredients. With many products, it is more about checking ingredients, which can be done without formal certification."

Contrary to what some people may assume, the customers in foreign countries are "never the expats," says Burnett. "They’re not enough expats. Expats don’t often know about it. They shop at shops for expats, which don’t always stock Tunnock’s products," he adds.

Expats, Burnett adds, are hesitant to spend more money on a product that they know they can buy in their native country for half the price. "The problem is when you’re sending out so little, the distribution costs are so high," he says. "So often you’re paying three times to buy the same thing and often the expats won’t buy it. It’s too expensive for them. They’ll look at it and say, ‘I pay 60 pence for this at home and I’m not going to bother.’ It’s never the expats, even in places like Australia and Canada."

In fact, Burnett once ended a relationship with a buyer in Australia who was targeting the British expatriate community. The buyer would only order a pallet or two of cookies to be shipped to the other side of the world and the company couldn’t justify the distribution costs. Tunnock’s started selling again to Australia when Burnett found a buyer who shared the same sales philosophy as Burnett’s: Persuade the mainstream grocers to stock Tunnock’s cookies to sell to the local community. As a result of the marketing strategy, the orders have grown from a random pallet of cookies to 20-foot containers being shipped to Australia.

That British Appeal

Recently, Tunnock’s brokered its first deal with South Africa’s largest grocery store chain to sell their products in Shoprite Checkers. To their surprise, their first order was for US$46,000 worth of cookies. The deal came after a year of negotiations and began with a casual chat in Germany. Burnett was at an exhibition and started a conversation with a South African chocolatier who sold wholesale chocolates to Marks & Spencer in Great Britain. The businessman made the introduction for Burnett to his South African buyers and Burnett pursued the deal to bring Tunnock’s to sub-Saharan Africa for the first time.

One important sales strategy that Burnett keeps in mind is this: "I’ve got a saying ‘the second order is the most important.’" He explains that he’s been through the mill countless times when he gets "an initial order and nothing comes of it." He’s learned not to get his hopes up high on the first order but works hard at nailing the second order.

In addition, Burnett recommends that people trying to break into the Middle East market really "take time to learn the culture. They should be respectful of other people’s culture because they might find our culture to be very frustrating," Burnett notes. Though he’s only visited the Middle East on an airport layover in Dubai, he’s educated himself with some of the cultural aspects of the Arab world.

Burnett says that while in America, it may take "five minutes to be on a first-name basis," in the Middle East, there is more negotiation involved. However, Burnett suggests negotiating "only if both sides will be happy with the outcome." Also, a deal can be sealed with a shake of a hand and honor plays a big part in trusting a business partner in the region.

"Foreign food has a general positive cache in most countries," Regenstein adds. "Britain has a long reputation historically with respect to products. But most importantly, the products have to be good now."

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tunnock's factory visit

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The Culture Blog For Connoisseurs Of Everything

The tunnocks factory, uddingston, the dabbler ventures into the exciting world of travel blogging in the company of anne ward, the mastermind behind the remarkable nothing to see here   blog  and now the author of a nothing to see here   book , subtitled a guide to the hidden joys of scotland . (incidentally, it’s published by pocket mountains  where you can find even more wonderful trip ideas)., we start with a visit to a factory that occupies a very sweet spot in scotland’s cultural heritage..

Tunnock’s dominates the town of Uddingston, 7 miles southeast of Glasgow. For more than 100 years, the family firm has been pumping out their trademark Tea Cakes, Caramel Wafers and other delights for the pleasure of Scotland’s sweet-toothed populace. Tunnock’s products are such a part of Scottish heritage that they’ve followed expatriates round the world, winning them the sort of global following that most brands would kill for.

Established in 1890 by Thomas Tunnock, their products haven’t changed much over the years, with their distinctive sunburst packaging and slightly wonky lettering. In a world that’s constantly changing, there’s something very reassuring about that. Traditionally, they’re a bit of an old-person’s snack, but that association with a trip to your granny’s means that from an early age each bite of Tunnock’s is imbued with more than just sugary satisfaction.

In Uddingston, their ‘Daylight’ bakeries loom large on one side of the main street, while the Tunnock’s Tea Rooms nestle among a row of shops on the other. The Tea Rooms are a delight for any Tunnock’s lover, or indeed anyone with a sweet tooth. As well as a range of rare Tunnock’s biscuits (Wafer Crème, Coconut Meringue, Florida Wafer – all delicious) there are spectacular cakes, pies and loaves. At the back there is a café, not the most attractive of places, but still a cheap and cheerful place to refuel.

While you eat/shop, there are constant reminders of the glory of Tunnock’s. The staff have a caramel wafer shaped patch sewn onto their aprons, the counter is covered in miniature Tunnock’s vans, the walls are lined with old adverts and then there are the window displays – oh boy, the window displays. Inhabiting the windows is a family of anthropomorphic creatures with bodies made from Caramel Logs, Tea Cakes and other Tunnock’s paraphernalia. They are fantastically bizarre – a sign of genius, or madness. It’s hard to tell which.

Across the road the factory is impossible to miss. There’s a giant illuminated Caramel Wafer on the front, and a Tea Cake clock. Understatement really isn’t their bag. Outside, the air smells of roasted coconut; the experience is pure Willy Wonka. Getting inside is just as difficult, but it is possible although be prepared to wait up to 18 months for a place on the factory tour.

Like everything else Tunnock’s-related, the factory has a slightly surreal air. The tour starts in the Snowball Department where mallow is piped down from the floor above and everything is manufactured, wrapped, boxed and made ready for shipping. Their wonderful packaging sits on huge rollers in a variety of languages, with Arabic the most prevalent. Strangely the Middle East is their biggest export market, possibly due to the number of Scots who go to work in the oil industry there. They also have friends in high places – the Sultan of Brunei’s wife is such a fan that she came over with her entourage for a look round.

Whether you go for the full factory tour, visit the Tea Rooms or merely eat a Tea Cake in the comfort of your own home, every experience is a feast for the senses. As their slogan says “You can’t top Tunnock’s”. Truly, they are one of Scotland’s national treasures.

Access and opening times

Thomas Tunnock Limted, 34 Old Mill Road, Uddingston, Glasgow G71 7HH.

The Tunnock’s Tea Rooms are open 6 days from Monday-Saturday.

www.tunnocks.co.uk

If you’d like to discover more hidden joys of Scotland why not buy Anne’s handy, pocket-size book here ?

About author profile: anne ward, 11 thoughts on “ the tunnocks factory, uddingston ”.

a pleasingly proustian tour to start the week with, looking forward to more of these. Tunnocks wafers were the only sweet I was allowed to eat as a child (along with the occasional illicit wagon wheel)

a quick whiz over to wikipedia reveals the following Tunnock-themed morsels:

The name tea cake is somewhat confusing as generally a teacake is taken to mean a sweet bread roll with dried fruit added to the mix, which is usually served toasted and buttered. A Tunnock’s Tea Cake bears no relation to this product.

An individual wafer is devoid of a sell-by date.

The distinctive cheeky face of the Tunnock’s Boy appears on nearly all Tunnock’s products. The boy is based on no one.

Brilliant! I often say that the way a building turns a corner is important, but here the corner has turned into an advertisement like few others. And those window displays: my goodness the teacakes bring it all back (yes, Worm, Proustian confectionery has nothing on this). Happy are the people of Uddingston, for they on caramel have fed and drunk the milk of paradise.

Looking back, I do feel that the breaking of the teacake’s perfect but fragile chocolate dome – an irretrievable but necessary act of destruction – possessed some powerfully tragic symbolism. Proust, eat your heart out.

Hidden joys indeed Anne, Glasgow and its southerly environs, the tundra of the central belts western outer rim. Currently ringing with the plaintive cries of the lesser spotted McCoist. Rumours abound that David Murray asked Craig Whyte for payment in Tunnocks wafers, in a brown envelope, in exchange for a place at the trough.

Classy velocipede, looks remarkably like a modified Rattrays Flying Scot, the Scots greatest design achievement of the nineteen fifties.

Lovely. I’m particularly enjoying the reinterpretation of a Vettriano work through the medium of caramel wafers (second photo down). I’d like to see more artworks recreated using appropriate confectionery.

Freud’s couch could tell a tale or two, about the associations with confectionery.

Anne, visited your blog and read the post on Gruinard Island, very good. We first came across the island in the late fifties when, because of lousy weather in Glenbrittle, we headed up north to attack Liathach, Beinn Eighe and points north, the roads incidentally, were all single track. The entire bay from Mellon Udrigle to the Dundonnell estate was fascinating, the bay is where many Atlantic convoys gathered, prior to the perilous crossing, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the German U boat packs, from the post office on Skye’s Loch Brittle, on the edge of the Minch, German could be heard at night, the submarines surfacing to recharge their batteries, Mary McDonald, the owner of the post office, not inclined to attack with mattock and shotgun. We had been told the story of Gruinard by the McDonalds and could see, from the beaches, the warning signs. Many years later, in the late eighties, guiding a party on the Shenavall trek and driving around the coast, leaving transport at the Dundonnell Hotel, the end of the trek, we noticed, from the road opposite Gruinard, white coated figures and piles of sacks, the big clean up. Mellon Udrigle, now with an eyesore of a caravan site, best given a wide berth.

Thanks for the comments everyone. Glad you enjoyed the visit.

Malty – That’s interesting about Gruinard. I don’t think we made it to Mellon Udrigle (isn’t the beach supposed to be one of Scotland’s finest?) but I remember all the concrete gun emplacements on the road round to Aultbea. Definitely an interesting part of the world!

Anne, Mellon Udrigle, silver sand, views of the Western Isles and the Summer Isles (including Tanera Mor where Lucy Irving wrote her book ‘Castaway’, she is still there, beavering away at books) The vista includes unhindered views of manky dark green caravans, paradise lost. For me Achnahaird Beach is the ultimate, wild, windswept, stunning views inland (Suilven, seen over Lochinver, the Inverpolly hills including Stac Pollaidh) and at low tide, the ghostly skeletal remains of a Norwegian shipwreck. All of this could be appreciated while staying, virtually on the beach, at Scotland’s finest self catering farmhouse, the Mackenzies. This however may not now be an option, due to a serious illness within the owners family.

I used to know someone who lived across the street from the factory. Visited a few times. But never set foot inside the Mecca of snowballs and teacakes.

Not just in Scotland – here in Cornwall I occasionally, as if in a dream, find a packet of Tunnock’s in my shopping when I return from hunting and gathering at Tesco.

The factory tour sounds worth waiting for. I am reminded of Stanley Windrush’s unfortunate experiences in I’m All Right Jack.

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Tunnock's Factory

Tunnock's factory blantyre, scotland, gb.

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I've been wanting to visit the Tunnock's Factory for ages and we were heading through to Glasgow today, so we stopped off on the way.

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There's also a tearoom and shop on the main high street in Uddingston so we stocked up on snacks. The window display was amazing with dancing teacakes and caramel log people.

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As well as cakes, we got some cute tea towels and a little Tunnock's van.

Port Glasgow Cardross, Scotland, GB

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We continued our mini road-trip to the west of Glasgow, passing through Port Glasgow and Largs.

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Mono Cafe Bar Glasgow, Scotland, GB

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Back in Glasgow, we went for dinner at Mono where they were celebrating World Vegan Day and everything on the menu was £2.

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We tucked in to vegan poutine, a cheese steak and a veggie burger.

Lego Store Glasgow, Scotland, GB

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We had a little time to kill in the city so we went to the Lego store and for a coffee at Tinderbox.

Victoria Park, Glasgow Glasgow, Scotland, GB

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In the evening, we had tickets to see The Shining at a drive-in movie at Victoria Park.

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It was a really windy and rainy night which added to the spookiness of the film and we felt so cozy as we snuggled up in Fig with duvets, popcorn and a pumpkin pizza.

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Halloween 2014-10-31

Sunday 2014-11-02.

Year-long wait to take tour of Tunnock's factory

BISCUIT giants Tunnock's are turning away hungry tourists because of the huge demand to visit their factory.

  • 00:00, 16 JUN 2008
  • Updated 09:18, 1 JUL 2012

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BISCUIT giants Tunnock's are turning away hungry tourists because of the huge demand to visit their factory.

Tours of the Lanarkshire firm's plant are so oversubscribed there is a year-long waiting list, even though they are never advertised.

Company spokesman Fergus Loudon said: "Unfortunately, we have little choice but to reluctantly turn people down or suggest they join our growing waiting list."

The free tours operate throughout the year but annual visitor numbers are strictly limited to fewer than 10,000.

Loudon added: "We certainly don't promote the factory tours in any way.

"They have evolved gradually through word of mouth until we have reached the stage where we are fully booked for a whole year in advance.

"We run the tours as a goodwill gesture to our customers and are happy to do so, even though it is costing us money."

The Uddingston firm, founded by Thomas Tunnock in 1890, are renowned for their tea cakes and caramel wafers.

And visitors to the giant biscuit-making plant get to see the network of pipes that pump 15 tonnes of chocolate and 40 tonnes of caramel a day.

As a special treat, they are presented with an armful of goodies and a cup of tea at the end of the tour.

Among the legions of biscuit fans who have taken the tour are indie rockers Supergrass, who were there in 2005.

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tunnock's factory visit

Tunnock's

Photo of Tunnock's - South Lanarkshire, SLK, GB. Milk chocolate caramel wafer biscuits.

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34 Old Mill Rd

South Lanarkshire G71 7HH

United Kingdom

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Photo of gerry t.

They make the best tea, cakes and caramel biscuits. They are so delicious and satisfying. I live in the USA and buy them all the time. I am so glad they import them here. It brings back memories of my mom who was born in Scotland.

Milk chocolate caramel wafer biscuits.

Milk chocolate caramel wafer biscuits.

Photo of Antje K.

YOU GUYS!!! Did you know you can do tours of the Tunnock's factory? ME NEITHER. At least not until a few months ago, when I got invited to tag along with some friends. And let me tell you, it is the best thing ever. The tours are conducted by some of the ladies from the factory floor, who shove samples at you left, right and centre, have excellent chat and know the place inside out. Did you ever wonder what a still warm teacake tastes like? Or a freshly baked wafer? Or how your bearded friend might look in a fetching blue beard snood. Or just how difficult it might be to resist just placing yourself in the path of the tea cake conveyor belt and letting them roll into your mouth. Maybe that last one is just me. The tour does have something of the Wonkas about it, except it's nowhere near as creepy. I laughed, I ate, I felt vaguely nauseous, and I came home with an armful of deliciousness. Only downside...there's a three (3!!!!!!) year waiting list. It's my mum's 70th birthday in a few years time and she's requested a shot, so I'd better get signed up for the next round sharpish!

Photo of Eleanor M.

Wow, who doesn't love a Tunnock's Teacake? They are just delicious and so many ways to eat them too. You could eat at the chocolate off the top then the white fluffy filling and then the base. Or you could bite off the base, then eat the filling until you are left with the scrumptious chocolate (which is my preferred way of eating one). Or, you could just eat it like a "normal" person, but that's kind of boring. Oh! I almost forgot to mention that after you have finished eating your teacake, the fun doesn't have to stop there you can make a little mini fan out of the wrapper! I think I watched way too much Blue Peter when I was younger... I was brought up on Tunnock's Wafers as my Grandpa used to buy them by the bucket load, and although not as fun as their teacake counterparts they are a hearty biscuit and make a great snack. My friend from New York got so addicted to Tunnock's Teacakes when she was studying here that she's having withdrawal being back on the other side of the pond, so I've taken to shipping her some now and again so she can have that Tunnock's rush she desires. It's not only their products that taste so sweet their recipe comes from a long run family business who really care about their staff and their customers. A couple of years ago a friend of mine worked in the Uddingston factory for a summer job, he was paid very well indeed, had an absolute blast with the staff and would be given teacakes galore for his troubles. It's nice to see that Tunnock's are as popular as ever, I'm off to have a teacake.

Photo of Nicola B.

Tunnock's is one of Scotland's most famous home-grown brands. Since 1890 the company has stayed true to its roots, and continues to prove itself as the creator of some of the country's most iconic products. All off Tunnock's tasty creations are made here - the snowballs, caramel logs, caramel wafers, and the infamous tea cakes. The bakery / factory is located on Old Mill Road in the centre of Uddingston, in the South-East end of the Greater Glasgow area. You cant beat Tunnock's!

Photo of Paul C.

There is something inherently Scottish about Tunnocks. No matter, where you are in the world, one bite of their famous caramel wafers brings you right back to your gran's living room, cup of hot tea by your side. The products were created by baker Thomas Tunnock in 1890 after he purchased a shop in Uddingston. Now a Scottish phenomenon, the tea cakes, caramel logs and wafers are shipped to destinations as far wide as the Caribbean, Kuwait, Canada and Japan. The Tunnocks brand, formerly regarded as quite old fashioned, has seen a trendy resurgence, the familiar foil wrappers branded on retro kitsch cushion covers and tablecloths. Trendy or not, I don't care. I will continue to devour Tunnocks confectionery for as long as I can psychically open my mouth.

Photo of S T.

In the same week where the bite sized bucket of Tunnock's infamous caramel wafers hit the headlines, I decided to take a detour and visit the factory, which my uncle actually used to work in. It is just a factory, no different from any other cake making place, but the difference lies within the products; teacakes, wafers and snowballs to name the most notable of them. Tunnocks is as Scottish as Irn Bru, Haggis, Tartan and crap football. This factory churns out yummy cakes and biscuits by the ship load each day, and I'm yet to speak to someone who doesn't love a teacake. An institution.

tunnock's factory visit

A cup of tea without a Tunnock's tea cake is like fish without chips, Ant without Dec, Corona without the lime. It just can't be done. It would be wrong, plain wrong. The tea cake is my favourite production from Tunnocks. I still get excited when I see that red and silver foil wrapper. However, I also love the caramel wafers and the snowballs. And the caramel logs. Actually, I love pretty much everything Tunnocks creates. Still a family business 120 years after Thomas Tunnock first purchased that baker's shop in Uddingston, it continues to be loved by the people of Glasgow. Long may it live.

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TUNNOCK HAVE BEEN PRODUCING QUALITY PRODUCTS SINCE 1890

  • 1960 - 1990
  • 1990-present

tunnocks

Thomas Tunnock was born in Uddingston

His family go back several generations in the parish. His father John Tunnock was a joiner and coffin maker and had an advertisement on the main road into Uddingston. It read “Why live a miserable life when for 30 bob you can be buried comfortably”

1890 Tunnock's bakery opens

Bakery opens

After leaving school Thomas served his apprenticeship in Aberdour Bakery. Tom worked hard and saved enough money to buy a bakery in Uddingston for £80 and Thomas Tunnock was Est in December 1890.

1892 Thomas got married

Thomas got married

Thomas married 21 year old dairymaid Mary Mitchell. They lived in the family home in Fairview Place Uddingston. 

1895 Archie was born

Archie was born

Thomas’s son Archie was born in the family home at Fairview Place on 8th June 1895.

1903 Alice was born

Alice was born

Thomas’s daughter Alice was born in the family home at Fairview Place in 1903. Unfortunately Alice died when she was just a teenager.

1906 The Business Grows

The business grows

By 1906 Thomas was employing 6 boys, including son Archie to deliver warm rolls from the oven to customers in the village. The boys would then collect the money on a Saturday morning. Thomas soon branched out into purveying for weddings and special occasions etc.

1910 Fire in the bakery

Fire in the bakery

In 1910 a fire destroyed the bakery, but within 2 years Thomas had built a new bakery at Loanhead Mansions in the main street. 

1912 Tearooms Opened

Tearooms opened

Thomas opened his own tearoom. He advertised the tearoom for hire saying “Commercial dining for socials, smokers and presentations available”.

1913 Archie starts his own business

Archie starts his own business

Business prior to the first world war was slow, so Thomas made the difficult decision to ask son Archie to find other employment. Archie started his own car hire business with 2 cars, and bought petrol from the local plumber. 

1916 Archie goes to war

Archie goes to war

War was declared in 1914 and in 1916 Archie sold his 2 cars and joined the army. He was sent to Iraq where he served for 3 years with no leave. 

1920 Thomas Tunnock died

Thomas Tunnock died

During the later years of the war Thomas’s health began to fail and they had to close the bakery. Unknown to Archie his father died in January 1920 aged 54 just 2 weeks before Archie returned from Iraq. 

1921 Archie opens new bakery

Archie opens new bakery

Archie returned from the war to be told his father’s dying wish was that he reopened the bakery. With his demob money he and his mother opened the bakery soon afterwards. Despite the hardship of the miners’ strike in 1921, Archie supplied school meals for several local schools. 

1924 Archie opens larger tearooms

Archie opens larger tearooms

Archie opened a larger tearoom above the shop. The bakers shop and tearoom are still there today. 

1926 Archie got married

Archie got married

Archie married Margaret Boyd, a local farmer’s daughter. They both work hard building up the business.

1929 A boy is born, Tom

Archie and Margaret welcome their first child into the world on 19 June 1929. Son Tom was born in the family home at Springfield Avenue Uddingston.

1933 Another boy is born

Another boy

A second son, Boyd followed on 25 January 1933. Like his elder brother Boyd was born in the family home at Springfield Avenue.

1947 Archie opens day light bakery

Archie opens day light bakery

Like his father Archie started purveying at local functions. Steak pie teas were a favourite, with Archie supplying all the food, tea, sugar, cream, cups, saucers and event flowers for the table. In the early days they only had 3 vans that transported food and accoutrements to the halls. The cutlery and china were brought home in the early hours of the morning and washed for the next function. A few hours later at 6am the vans would be out delivering rolls. 

1952 The Caramel Wafer was born

The Caramel Wafer was born

Archie realised that he had to make something that had a longer shelf life than a cake. So he bought a dozen dry wafers and learned how to make caramel and chocolate. The result was the now famous Caramel Wafer. 

1954 The Snowball was born

The Snowball was born

Archie came up with the idea of using Italian meringue to make a new product. Along with Boyd and Tom they covered it in chocolate flavour and desiccated coconut.

1955 The Caramel Log was born

The Caramel Log was born

The Caramel Log made a welcomed addition to the range in 1955. It was made from caramel and  wafer covered in flavoured chocolate and lovely golden roasted coconut. This product became very popular in the Middle East. 

1956 The Teacake was born

The Teacake was born

Boyd Tunnock, Archie's younger son was given the task of developing a new product. Boyd did a lot of market research and further developed the idea of using Italian meringue. He made a biscuit base, hand piped the mallow onto the base and covered in milk chocolate. The Teacake made its first appearance in 1956.

1962 The factory grew

The factory grew

Further factory extensions followed in 1962 and 1965 and the factory now occupies the site of the old bakery where Thomas Tunnock served his apprenticeship in the 1880’s.

1965 another factory extension

Another extension

Another factory extension was completed in 1965 to cope with demand for the new biscuit products.

1970 on the go with 37 vans

On the go with 37 vans

The business was going from strength to strength and the Caramel Wafer soon became a symbol of Tunnock’s high quality. A well-known trade mark promoting the products were the Tunnock’s delivery vans of which there were 37 at the time. These vans serviced shops, cash and carries all over the Central belt of Scotland.

1975 Archie celebrates his 80th birthday

Archie celebrates his 80th Birthday

Archie celebrated his eightieth and there was a semblance of an Uddingston national holiday. The factory employees bought him a personal flag to fly above the Tunnock’s factory. The staff had great difficulty in thinking of something he did not already have. 

1976 Golden Wedding

Golden Wedding

Archie and Margaret celebrate their golden wedding with friends and family at a local hotel.

1981 Sadly Archie dies

Sadly Archie dies

Archie's wife died in 1980 after a short illness. Archie passed away on 17th July 1981. He was in his 86th year. He worked right up until the week he died, but left the business in good hands.

1983 Japan is calling

Japan Calling

A fleet of these vans used by our agent in Okinawa – Japan selling the Milk Chocolate Wafer Cream.

1987 Boyd awarded an MBE

Boyd awarded an MBE

Boyd was awarded the MBE in recognition for the company's increased sales to foreign countries. The ceremony was conducted at Buckingham Palace London.

1990 vintage van tv advert

Longest serving employee John Bain driving the Fleur de Lys vintage van in the new advert for television.

Tunnock's Placeholder image rampant lion with Tunnock's flag

Tunnock’s celebrate 100 years

Tunnock's celebrate their centenary in style. Boyd throws a party for all the staff at the 5 star Albany hotel in Glasgow. Naturally everyone had the day off on a Sunday!

1994 Supergrass visited the factory

"T" in the Park visitors

90's pop band Supergrass visited the factory before performing at the first "T" in the park at Strathclyde Park.

1999 Candy Kettle Award

Tunnock’s were presented with the Prestigious Candy Kettle Award for services to the confectionery industry (previous recipients include Mr Ferrero and Mr Jacobs).

Robotic system for Caramel logs

Tunnock’s have always bought the best of machinery available and in 1999 Boyd placed an order for the robotic system to pack Caramel logs. This was a toe in the water of robotic technology and proved to be very successful.

Continued expansion

Export sales continue to expand with new customers in Ghana, Denmark, Singapore, Egypt and mainland Spain.

2002 Andie MacDowell

Andie MacDowell

Hollywood actress Andie MacDowell claims she can't get enough Caramel Wafers after they featured in her new film Crush.

2003 Boyd's 70th birthday

Boyd celebrates his 70th Birthday

Boyd celebrates his 70 th birthday with a slap up party for all his staff at the Glasgow Hilton Hotel. 

2004 Boyd awarded CBE

Boyd gets CBE

Boyd is awarded the CBE at Buckingham Palace for his contribution to charity. One of Boyd’s many passions is the works of Robert Burns and he donates a 5 figure sum to help the building of the new Burns Museum at Alloway.

Teacake robot

After a great deal of research Tunnock’s bought its first Teacake robot. This was a huge step forward and a much needed addition to the portfolio. 

2007 Scotland, England border

Scotland, England border

The readers of a popular Scottish Newspaper were asked to put forward ideas for a landmark to welcome visitors to Scotland

2008 viva la teacake Chris Martin

Viva La Teacake

Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin reveals his secret passion for Teacakes and Caramel Wafers.

2010 120th anniversary

Tunnock's celebrate 120 years

In recognition of the company's 120th anniversary one of our production companies offered to make a short video charting the history of the firm. Mr Tunnock gave the green light and talks us through the timeline of the company.

2010 The teacake has landed

The Teacake has landed

In 2010  an American astronaut's visit to Scotland was paid for by Tunnock's because the parachutes on Apollo 16 looked like Teacake wrappers. Charlie Duke was the 10th man to walk on the moon and was delighted to have an association with Tunnock's.

2011 Caramel Wafer Dress

Caramel Wafer Dress

Miss Glasgow Amanda Quinn won a beauty contest wearing a dress made out of Tunnock's Caramel Wafer wrappers.

2012 Meerkat takes the biscuit

Meerkat takes the biscuit

Meerkat pup called Tunnock is so small he weighs the same as 4 Teacakes. Tunnock was born at Blair Drummond Safari Park near Stirling

2013 5th generation

5th family generation

Boyd's third grandchild Stuart joins the business after spending 7 years building jet engines at Rolls Royce. He brings a wealth of knowledge and no doubt will be a big asset taking the business forward.

2014 Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth games

Tunnock's were approached by the games organisers to use an image of the Teacake at the opening ceremony. We gave our permission and were delighted to play our part at this fantastic occasion.

2015 Team Teacake get ready

Team Teacake get ready

Staff members from Tunnock's get ready for a charity zip slide across the River Clyde in Glasgow. They were raising much needed funds for the Paul O'Goram Centre in Glasgow.

2015 New Caramel Log robot

New Caramel Log robot

2015 saw the replacement of our 1st robot with a shiny new one. This significantly increased productivity

St Abbs

Tunnock’s keep the ship afloat

Tunnock's donate a 6 figure sum to the St Abbs lifeboat station appeal helping the resumption of operations at the Berwickshire site after the RNLI ceased its operation there.

The new "Thomas Tunnock" purpose built life boat will continue the life saving tradition first established at St Abbs in 1911.

Tunnock Factory

Factory Extension

Following a multi-million pound investment, a new 3 storey extension opens adding a further 20,000 square feet to the existing factory.  This extension houses new state of the art machinery and helps boost production capacity by 10%.

Sir Boyd Tunnock

Arise Sir Boyd

Our managing director Mr Boyd Tunnock achieves a “career highlight” and is honoured for services to business and charity after being knighted by the Queen at a royal investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace.  Sir Boyd discovered the Queen is a fan of his creation – the Tunnock’s Teacake!

Tunnock Factory

On the up and up

Thomas Tunnock Ltd’s turnover exceeds £60 million in annual sales for the first time, achieving £61.4M in the year to 23 rd February.

Tunnock Challenge Cup

Tunnocks rises to the Challenge!

Tunnock’s partner with the Scottish Professional Football league (national men’s association football league in Scotland) to sponsor the Scottish Challenge Cup.  The competition, known as the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup kicked off on Oct 2019.

NHS Louisa Jordan

Coronavirus

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Tunnock’s ceases production to protect its 600 staff.  The factory reopens several weeks later after social distancing safeguards have been put in place. 

During the shutdown, Sales Director Mr Fergus Loudon delivers a gift of 2,500 Teacakes and Caramel Wafers to frontline keyworkers at the new NHS Louisa Jordan hospital Glasgow in support of all their terrific work.

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Champions of design: tunnock's.

Champions of Design: Tunnock's

The Scottish confectionery brand grew from its founder's bakery and tea rooms and is still family-owned.

tunnock's factory visit

Thomas Tunnock set up a bakery in Uddingston, Scotland, in 1890, although it was not until the 50s that the company created the biscuits it would become famous for.

Feeling the effects of wartime rationing, Thomas' son, Archie, who had taken over the business, needed a product with a longer shelf-life than cakes. While experimenting with wafer and chocolate, he came up with the classic caramel wafer. With the help of his sons, Tom and Boyd, the creativity continued as the family came up with the chocolate marshmallow tea cake and the coconut-covered snowball. The caramel log and wafer cream also followed, as did dark-chocolate variants.

Tunnock's vans delivering to local shops in central Scotland were a familiar sight as the treats became popular. In 1957, an arrangement with Unigate dairies allowed Tunnock's to expand outside Scotland, and by the end of that year, its biscuits were being exported to Newfoundland.

Today, Tunnock's products are sold in more than 30 countries including Caribbean nations, Kuwait, Canada and Japan.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly Tunnock's biggest foreign market, with 20% of its sales now coming from overseas. The popularity of its products in the Middle East is attributed in part to the number of Scottish expats living in the region. The wife of the Sultan of Brunei is such a fan that she reportedly paid a visit to the company's headquarters and factory in Scotland.

The factory has been described by visitors as being akin to that of the Roald Dahl character Willy Wonka, with the smell of coconut, used for making snowballs, predominant. The business is still family-owned, with Boyd Tunnock at the helm. More than 500 people from the local area are employed by Tunnock's, including Boyd's daughter and son-in-law.

The factory has remained in its original home in Scotland despite global success, making the world-famous confectionery as well as other baked goods for its tea shop.

Annual turnover as of 2009 was about £32m, and the company claims that it makes 5m caramel wafers every week, a feat that the brand is so proud of that it displays this information on every wrapper.

BRAND LESSON 

 Silas Amos, creative strategist, JKR

By Silas Amos, creative strategist, JKR

Tunnock's is a classic case of design that has remained 'unspoiled by progress'.

Its charm lies in an uncontrived retro feel.

In a competitive environment that is glossy, Photoshopped and up-to-the minute, Tunnock's jumps out for its almost crudely bold graphic nature - the dynamic pattern of stripes sings on the shelf.

The basic typography, punchy colours and quirky equities such as the flag-bearing lion or the star on the marshmallows all contribute to it looking like the real deal. If you set out to do a pastiche of this style, you would never pull off something so idiosyncratic and singular.

The charming yellow display boxes featuring the chubby-cheeked schoolboy would probably never pass muster now amid associations with childhood obesity. Happily, they were created in a less uptight age.

The folk at Tunnock's are no fools; they know that not monkeying around with old visual ingredients is what gives their brand its appeal. When we unwrap one of Tunnock's cakes or biscuits we are also unwrapping associations with happier, simpler times. It is the perfect brand for the 'keep calm' era, Which is why its distinctive stripy iconography is now applied to trendy ceramics, tea towels and suchlike.

The graphics also pass a crucial test of a brand's visual robustness. Even if you crumple it up, there is no mistaking the packaging for any brand but itself.

It really is design of a fine vintage.

1865: Thomas Tunnock was born in Uddingston, Scotland.

1910: Encouraged by his bakery's success, Tunnock opened a tea room.

1912: The bakery was destroyed by a fire, but re-established in a different location within two years.

1920: Thomas Tunnock died while his son, Archie, was serving in the Army. He took over the family business on his return.

1986: Poet Laureate Ted Hughes penned a verse on the back of a caramel wafer wrapper. It was later sold at auction for £575.

1987: Boyd Tunnock was awarded an MBE for his work exporting to foreign countries. He later received a CBE for his charity work.

2000s: Exports continued with new markets in Ghana, Denmark, Singapore and Egypt.

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1.  Sokolniki

By 9 a.m., the main square of Sokolniki district in the northeast of Moscow begins to fill up with dog-walkers and cyclists. The mobile coffee shops and hot dog outlets are not open yet; the only sounds are the rustling of the autumn leaves and gurgling of the main fountain, around which sleepy guards walk.

“But on the weekend, there are crowds of people here, as if the whole of Moscow descends on it,” says Raisa Bazarova, a resident of Sokolniki. She says that she literally “married” Sokolniki 21 years ago, in 1999, when she moved from the central Arbat district to live with her new husband.

Police fire station with a tower-tower in Sokolniki

Police fire station with a tower-tower in Sokolniki

It took three years for her to feel at home, finally making friends with the neighbors. Now, Raisa considers it the most beautiful area of ​​Moscow and is fond of its low-rise skyline and architectural monuments.

“As soon as you step out of the subway, you’re in Sokolniki, and the first thing that catches the eye is the pre-revolutionary watchtower [built in 1884]. It saw the old wooden Moscow and has been preserved in all its splendor,” says Bazarova. 

Moscow, park Sokolniki

Moscow, park Sokolniki

Raisa also advises foreigners to visit Sokolniki Park, one of the oldest in Moscow, founded in 1878, with fountains, ponds, a swimming pool, an amusement park and its own rose garden. Sokolniki was adored by Peter the Great and Alexander I and it was here that they often held feasts. For Bazarova, the lush greenery makes it the “lungs” of the district.  

The Viktyuk Theater. The building of the outstanding architect Konstantin Melnikov, 1929

The Viktyuk Theater. The building of the outstanding architect Konstantin Melnikov, 1929

Another must-see, according to Bazarova, is the Roman Viktyuk Theater — if nothing else, then to see one of Moscow’s main architectural gems, designed and built in the Constructivist style that prevailed in the city in the 1920s. Moreover, Russian-speaking theater lovers might want to catch a performance of ‘The Maids’ by French playwright Jean Genet. 

2. Levoberezhny

Galina Yakunina, director of a sports club in Moscow’s north for nine years, walks with unfeigned pleasure along the main alley of Rechnoy Vokzal (“River Station”) Park, which was restored in 2020 under the ‘My district’ city improvement program.

Aerial view is a beautiful panorama of the renovated Northern River Station in Moscow

Aerial view is a beautiful panorama of the renovated Northern River Station in Moscow

In the summer of 2020, the station, which resembles a ship, was enveloped in scaffolding, as the original 1937 edifice was being restored. Today, it is surrounded by fountains with children running around, endless flower beds and an all-new embankment that runs along a miniature replica of the Moscow Canal, replete with children’s paddle boats and other attractions.

“It’s really beautiful. Cruise ships and motor vessels depart from here. Muscovites love it and tourists definitely will as well,” says Yakunina. 

Park Levoberezhnyj, Moscow

Park Levoberezhnyj, Moscow

Her second favorite place for a post-work evening stroll is Druzhba (Friendship) Park, laid out for the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students in 1957. The main features are its monuments and sculptures dedicated to children, international friendship and war heroes, as well as the pond-reflected willows and the playgrounds. Thanks to these two parks, the air in the district differs sharply from that in central Moscow - that she is sure of. 

Park Druzhby

Park Druzhby

In summer, Levoberezhny beach (renovated under the ‘My district’ city improvement program in 2018) becomes the main focal point and Galina heartily recommends it to tourists. 

“The beach is covered with sand, with a cafe, sun loungers and beach volleyball. It’s very relaxing,” she says, describing the place. 

3. Filevsky Park

For social conflict expert Alexei Ivanushkin, Filevsky Park in the city’s west has always been the main symbol of Moscow. 

Fili Park embankment

Fili Park embankment

“I moved here in 2005 from St Petersburg, when the Gorbushka electronics market was one of Moscow’s main draws. There were always crowds of people, poorly dressed, but eager for gadgets. We used to go to the wooded parts of Filevsky Park, clearing branches, because it was impossible to get through. There were bottles everywhere that people had just left. In other words, it was a hub for alcoholics,” Ivanushkin shares his first impressions of the area. 

Church of the Protection of the Theotokos in Fili, 1690-1694, Moscow

Church of the Protection of the Theotokos in Fili, 1690-1694, Moscow

Fifteen years later, the now-landscaped embankment of the park is Alexei’s favorite spot for daily walks and he also advises tourists to visit.

“For me, the place is full of energy and inspires the soul,” says Ivanushkin. 

No less significant is the Baroque Church of the Intercession at Fili, constructed in the late 17th century and financed by the boyar Lev Naryshkin, asserts Ivanushkin. In 1812, Napoleon’s soldiers converted the first floor of the church into a stable. In 1943, the lower church was used as a hospital and then, until 1963, as a warehouse for paper products. Highly recommended to anyone interested in unusual places of worship. 

Gorbunova recreation center

Gorbunova recreation center

“The Suvorov Military School stood opposite the church. And every year at the graduation ceremony, it was a tradition for graduates to secretly raise the flag of the armed forces on the building. They tried to stop it, but no one was ever punished,” recounts Ivanushkin.

To learn more about Russian rock music, Alexei advises a visit to the Gorbunov Palace of Culture, named after Sergei Gorbunov, the director of an aircraft factory and built in 1938. In 1986, it housed the first “rock-n-roll laboratory” in Moscow, earning the building a reputation as the capital’s premier venue for rock concerts and festivals. 

4. Krylatskoe

To learn more about sports facilities built for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, Krylatskoye is the place to start, says local resident Yulia Zhiltsova, who moved to Moscow from Siberia and has lived in the city’s western part for 21 years. 

Krylatsky hills. Panorama

Krylatsky hills. Panorama

“I love walking around the velodrome and other Olympics facilities. There’s also a speed-skating center and rowing canal. Red Bull regularly organizes the Flugtag competition here, it’s really fun and interesting,” notes Zhiltsova.   

Cycle Track

Cycle Track "Krylatskoe"

In her free time, Yulia enjoys what are perhaps the capital’s most beautiful views from West Krylatsky Hill in the nearby park, offering a panorama of Moscow-City, the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos and the arch of Zhivopisny Bridge.

She advises tourists to climb the hill, take shots of the stunning Moscow backdrops and escape the hustle and bustle of the central historical districts. 

Red Bull Flugtag 2017 in Moscow

Red Bull Flugtag 2017 in Moscow

“Here you feel at one with nature, yet central Moscow is just 20 minutes down the road. There are no crowds, even on weekends. The center is packed and impersonal, but here the atmosphere is a bit more homely,” Zhiltsova explains. 

5. Khoroshevsky

Khodynskoe Field in the Khoroshevsky district is notorious as the site of a deadly crush during celebrations to mark the coronation of Nicholas II in 1905. Today, it looks more like a futuristic city with fantastical towers, art objects in the local park and dancing fountains. By 8 p.m. on weekdays, the park is especially crowded — school students shoot TikTok dance videos and ride skateboards, while children run with their parents through the mirror maze. 

tunnock's factory visit

Local resident Alexander Lyubarsky moved to Khodynka in 2010 and, as a photographer, immediately fell in love with the views. 

“Every part of Khodynsky Park — be it a swing, a pond, a sports ground stylized as an airplane and helicopter, or the fountains behind us — is photogenic,” explains Lyubarsky. The Park appeared in 2018 under the ‘My district’ city renovation program.

Chapel of the Transfiguration of the Savior in the Memorial Park complex of world war I heroes. Built in 1998

Chapel of the Transfiguration of the Savior in the Memorial Park complex of world war I heroes. Built in 1998

His second favorite place for photos is the small Berezovaya Roscha (“Birch Grove”) Park (renovated in 2020 as part of the ‘My district’ program), which, besides birches, is home to maple, ash, and linden trees. 

Every visitor to Khodynka simply must go to the World War I Heroes Memorial Park at the Bratskoe (Fraternal) Cemetery, Lyubarsky insists.

World war I Heroes memorial Park

World war I Heroes memorial Park

“There’s a wonderful chapel with the buried ashes of Grand Duke Nikolai Romanov [the grandson of Nicholas I and an uncle of Nicholas II who was the Russian commander-in-chief during World War I]. Everything’s also very photogenic there,” says Lyubarsky. 

tunnock's factory visit

In his opinion, every foreign tourist should visit Khodynka for a glimpse of what the future Russia might look like. 

“It would be good if all the suburbs could be like this. I’d love this to spread beyond the Moscow Ring Road [MKAD],” he concludes.

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  • 4 BEST short walks around Moscow (PHOTOS)
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Things to do in Moscow: how to visit Moscow | Unmissable, cool & unusual

  • September 2, 2023

Things to do in Moscow best

What are the best things to do in Moscow? What to do in Moscow? First, I will list the main places to visit by theme, passing by the must-sees, but also more unusual places in Moscow. Then, I will describe what to see in Moscow in one day and how to visit Moscow in 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 days. Let’s go!

Good to know. For more information, click on the places to open the dedicated blog posts.

Main places to visit in Moscow & best things to do in Moscow

I worked in Moscow and I loved this city for its dynamism and energy. We find there from time to time to see friends, remember good memories and enjoy this giant city! Then the time has come for us to share with you our practical guide.

TOP 5 must-see places in Moscow

  • Moscow Red Square
  • St. Basil’s Cathedral
  • Cathedral of Christ the Savior
  • Bolshoi Theatre

Places of cultural, historical and religious interest in Moscow

  • Novodevichy Convent and cemetery
  • Tretyakov Gallery
  • Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts
  • Kremlin Izmaïlovo (pseudo-historic place, recently built in the image of the old, one of the best things to do in Moscow for your Instagram account 😉 )
  • Park and ancient village of Kolomenskoye

Visit Moscow of the Soviet era

  • Moscow State University and Sparrows Hill
  • VDNKh and the Museum of Astronautics, one of the key landmarks of the Soviet era in Moscow
  • GULAG Museum
  • Metro stations
  • The Stalinist skyscrapers, scattered all over the city

Less touristy places in Moscow

  • Gorky Park and the GARAGE museum
  • The old Krasny Oktyabr factory
  • Zaryadye Park
  • Center for Contemporary Art, WINZAVOD
  • Business center, Moscow City

Main districts of Moscow to visit

  • Patriarch Ponds
  • Tchistye Prudy
  • Kuznetsky most
  • Arbat Street

However, regardless of the length of your stay, whether you are going to visit Moscow in 4 days or in 2, you need a visa. The article Obtaining a tourist visa for Russia could then be useful in any case.

What to do and see in Moscow in one day?

List of things to see and do in Moscow in one day:

  • Go to Red Square
  • Visit St. Basil’s Cathedral
  • See Kremlin walls (but not to visit)
  • Visit Cathedral of Christ the Savior
  • Discover Kuznetsky most districts and see Bolshoi Theatre building
  • And if you have time at the end of the day: go to the Sparrows Hill or to the Moscow City for a beautiful view

Things to do in Moscow in 2 days

If you want to visit Moscow in 2 days, there are 2 purposes: do not miss the essential places of Moscow and optimize travel.

  • First day: Red Square , Saint Basil’s Cathedral , Zariadye Park, Bolshoi Theatre , Kremlin
  • Day 2: Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the former Krasny Oktyabr factory on Balchug Island, Gorky Park, Moscow State University (one of the Seven Sisters buildings ) and Sparrow Hill

As 2 days os really short, be sure to choose an accommodation in the best districts where to stay in Moscow .

Walking on Red Square in Moscow: one of the unmissable things to do in Moscow

Iconic place and one of the must-see places in Moscow and even in Russia! Besides, if there was only one place to visit in Moscow in 2 days, this place would then be Red Square, without hesitation. Therefore, starting the city tour with Red Square is ideal . Several buildings are on the square, but not all of them have to be visited. Check out my blog post about Moscow’s Red Square in detail to learn more and not miss anything.

Red Square Moscow

Visiting Saint-Basil’s Cathedral inside

Even more emblematic than Moscow’s Red Square! Built in the middle of the 16th century under the orders of Tsar Ivan Le Terrible, this cathedral is one of the most beautiful monuments of Orthodox art, and definitely one of the unmissable places in Moscow. Visiting Saint-Basil’s Cathedral inside is one of the most beautiful things to do in Moscow!

  • Visit estimate time : 1h30
  • Entry ticket : 700 RUB. Tickets can be purchased on the cathedral’s official website 45 days before the tour.
  • Audio guide (recommended): 500 RUB
  • Opening hours : June to August 10 am-6pm; from November to April: 11 am-5pm; May, September, October 11 am-5pm. Cathedral closed on Wednesdays. Entrance is closed 45 minutes before closing.
  • Find out more in the dedicated article: Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow

Saint Basil's Cathedral

Take a walk in Zariadye park: one of the coolest things to do in Moscow after visiting Red Square

Zaryadie Park is just a 10-minute walk from St. Basil’s Cathedral, so it’s easy to include in your itinerary if you’re going to visit Moscow in 2 days. From its heights, you can see the red walls of the Kremlin. But, the most impressive point of view is the platform which overlooks the Moskva river. A must see! And clearly one of the coolest things to do in Moscow!

  • Open 24 hours a day
  • Good to know! Park Zaryadye is also a place to visit in Moscow in winter. Find out more here: What to do in Moscow in winter?

What to do in Moscow

See the Bolshoi Theatre and discover the Kuznetsky Most district

The Bolshoi Theatre is the most famous Russian theater in the world. The most economical way to see a presentation at the Bolshoi Theater is to take the tickets on the theater’s official website in advance, so here is our tutorial to help you: How to buy entrance tickets to the Bolshoi? In addition, several pedestrian or one-way streets

The Bolshoi Theater is the most famous Russian theater in the world. The most economical way to see a presentation at the Bolshoi Theater is to take the tickets on the theater’s official website in advance, so here is our tutorial to help you: How to buy tickets to the Bolshoi? In addition, several pedestrian or one-way streets are located north of the theater. It is therefore very pleasant to find them to leave the main axes of the megalopolis.

IMG_3040 tickets Bolshoi Theatre dress code

Visit the Moscow Kremlin

Visit Kremlin is on top of things to do in Moscow. A place of power for centuries, the Kremlin then shows us a whole different image when viewed from the inside. If you want to visit Moscow in 2 days, the Kremlin is certainly one of the must-see places in Moscow.

  • Opening hours : Daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thursday.
  • See our blog post about visiting the Moscow Kremlin

Moscow Kremlin: skip-the-line tickets and 8 things not to miss

Visit the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

This impressive Moscow Cathedral is the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is a must see if you visit Moscow in 2 days and clearly one of the things to do in Moscow. The Cathedral of Christ the Savior was first built in 1883 in memory of Russia’s victory over Napoleon’s Grand Army. Then in 1931 Stalin ordered its destruction. It was then rebuilt again (identically) only in 2000.

  • Where? Ulitsa Volkhonka 15. At the foot of the Kropotkinskaya metro station.
  • Opening hours . Daily: 10: 00-17: 00, except Monday: 13: 00-17: 00
  • Free entry (some closing restrictions, for example a short)

Good to know! In orthodox religious places, one must avoid excessively uncovered clothing. Women should cover their heads. After visiting the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, you can explore Bolotny Island and Gorky Park. This is one of the routes our guide to Moscow.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior

The old Krasny Oktyabr factory: one of the coolest things to do in Moscow

If you cross the Moskva River by a pedestrian bridge which is located just in front of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, you will enjoy a beautiful view of the city and at the same time you can discover Balchug Island. Furthermore, if you want to visit Moscow in 2 days, you can include this island in your itinerary between the cathedral and Gorky park. Here is the old confectionery factory Krasny Oktyabr, which has gradually turned into a fashionable micro-district. There are then some elements of street art, cafes and restaurants and some Moscow bohemian side. At the end of the island you can see a gigantic 98-meter-high monument dedicated to the Russian reforming tsar Pierre The Great.

Good to know! You can find on this island are the trendiest nightclubs in Moscow. On weekends, there are taxi caps after midnight so there are so many people. On the other hand, if you go there in winter and during the day, the island is quite empty and less interesting to see.

Gorky Park is one of the TOP places to visit in Moscow, because it allows you to better understand the life of the locals and their rhythm. In fact, it’s a huge entertainment park. For example, in winter there is a giant ice rink and in summer – free dance or yoga lessons, sandy beaches for playing volleyball, an outdoor cinema. So, like the locals, have a Stakantchik (ice cream or cooked corn), and enjoy the atmosphere of the place: that’s one of the interesting things to do in Moscow to discover the city.

  • Where? Krymsky Val 9. 20 minutes’ walk from Krasny Oktyabr, along the quays.

Sparrow Hill and Moscow State University

The Sparrow Hill, Vorobiovy Gori in Russian, is the highest point in Moscow. It is rather known to Russians, but less to travelers. A nice view on Moscow opens from the hill, and in particular on the Luzhniki Stadium. In addition, on the hill itself is the Moscow State University: an impressive skyscraper from the Soviet era.

  • How to get there? By bus T7 (35 min) from Oktyaborskaya station, near Gorki Park. By metro (Vorobiovy Gorki station) + climb the hill on foot. On foot along the Moskva along the Gorky Park (1h30) + climb in funiculars.

Good to know! It is possible to cross the Moskva river by funicular. We actually tested it and it was pretty cool! That is one of our favorite things to do in Moscow!

What to do in Moscow

What to do in Moscow in 3 days?

If you are going to visit Moscow in 3 days, it would be interesting to dive into the Soviet era which strongly marked the country and the city. After the Bolshevik Revolution, the capital was transferred from Saint Petersburg to Moscow, in order to mark the change of power. Moscow then became the world showcase for communist ideology. Here are the best things to do in Moscow for 3-day-trip!

VDNKh, visit Moscow of the Soviet era

VDNKh is a large exhibition center in the north of Moscow, where there are still several striking witnesses of the USSR. The most interesting are the Museum of Cosmonauts and the Statue of the Worker and the Kolkhozian , which will certainly impress you with its size!

Visit

GULAG History Museum

The explanations of the museum are very well done. We really have the feeling of going back in time. If you are going to visit Moscow in 3 days and you are interested in history and this subject in particular, I recommend this museum. Visit the GULAG History Museum is one of the most interesting things to do in Moscow.

tunnock's factory visit

Discover the Patriarche Pounds district

It’s a nice neighborhood in Moscow where you can come across rather affluent locals, but not necessarily very bling-bling. Take a walk in this area is really a cool thing to do in Moscow! In addition, the Ponds of Patriarch is one of the places of Bulgakov’s novel “Master and Margarita”. As this is an interesting area to see, we have included it in a walking tour of Moscow. The route ends at the Moscow Kremlin, which is very convenient, because you will be able to visit Moscow in 3 days by optimizing your trips.

tunnock's factory visit

What to visit in Moscow in 4 days: TOP things to do in Moscow in 4 days

If you want to visit Moscow in 3 days, you will already see a lot of things. On the other hand, if you stay one more day, you have plenty to do! The Novodevichy Convent, the Tchistie Proudy district and the Izmaylovo Kremlin are very good candidates for you, if you are going to visit Moscow in 4 days.

Visiting Novodevichy Convent in Moscow

The Novodevichy Convent is one of the most brilliant examples of Russian architecture, according to UNESCO. This beautiful complex was built in 1524 and today consists of the convent, but also of a cemetery whose status could be compared to that of Père-Lachaise in Paris. Visiting Novodevichy Convent is one of the great things to do in Moscow, if you want to go a little bit outside of the center!

What to see in Moscow in one day

Discovering Tchistye Proudy district

It’s one of the most popular areas of Moscow, with many cafes, restaurants and bars nearby. It is therefore a place to discover if you want to visit Moscow in 4 days. It is just as pleasant for a stroll as for the discovery of local life. For example, in winter the pond turns into an ice rink.

Visiting the Izmaylovo Kremlin, one of the coolest things to do in Moscow!

The Izmaylovo Kremlin is more of a tourist than a historic place. On the other hand, it is a pretty impressive place to discover, especially on weekends. Inside the Kremlin, there is a flea market where you can find a little bit of everything, but mostly good souvenirs to bring from Moscow. For example, chapka, traditional Russian scarves or matryoshka (Russian dolls). Add the Kremlin and the Izmaïlovo market to your itinerary if you are going to visit Moscow in 4 days, because it is a nice and very colorful place! Visiting the Izmailovo Kremlin is one of the things to do in Moscow, if you want to put colors in your Instagram account! 😉

Things to do Moscow blog

In 4 days, we will have the opportunity to see several Moscow: Classic Moscow, Moscow of old Russia, Soviet Moscow and a little bit of the new Moscow. So what to visit in Moscow on the 5th day of travel?

What to visit in Moscow in 5 days?

Art lovers will be delighted to discover the Tretyakov Gallery and the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, while others will prefer to stroll along Arbat Street, see the buildings of Moskva-City or visit Bunker 42.

Admiring Russian art at Tretyakov Gallery

Founded in 1856 by an industrialist and great lover of art, the gallery has grown over the decades, and then bequeathed to the state. Today the collection includes more than 140,000 pieces, 15,000 of which are paintings. Visiting the Tretyakov Gallery is one of the things to do in Moscow if you want to discover Russian art!

  • Where? Pereoulok Lavrouchinski 10. A 5-minute walk from Tretiakovskaya station
  • Opening hours. Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Closed on Mondays.
  • Entry tickets. 500 RUB.

Museum to see

Visiting the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts presents the treasures of ancient Egypt, the paintings of Rembrandt and Cézanne, a fine collection of Impressionism.

  • Where? Ulitsa Volkhonka 12
  • Opening hours. Daily: 10: 00-20: 00, except Thursday: 11: 00-21: 00. Closed on Mondays. The boxes close an hour before closing.
  • Entry tickets. The prices vary according to the collections from 300 to 750 RUB.

Walking on Arbat Street

All Russians know Rue Arbat. So, walking on Arbat street is one of the things to do in Moscow. However, after the years, little by little it became very touristy. This is a pedestrian street only. There are souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes there, but it is no longer the most authentic neighborhood in the city.

tunnock's factory visit

Seeing the buildings of Moskva-City (Moscow City)

Moskva-City is Moscow’s business center, much like Paris’s Defense district. The skyscrapers of Moskva-City are among the tallest in Europe: 373 meters high! Very nice place to see at dusk.

Good to know! You can admire a nice view of Moscow City from the docks of Tarasa Shevchenko. It’s especially beautiful in the evening with all the lights on.

Bunker 42, one of the most unusual things to do in Moscow

Bunker 42 is a secret military complex which was to be used by the Soviets in the event of a nuclear attack: a space of 7000 m² 65 meters underground!

  • Where? 5 Kotelnitcheski Lane, 11.
  • Prices. 2200 RUB per person
  • Opening hours. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Restaurant inside. Original, but rather a tourist trap.

tunnock's factory visit

What to visit in Moscow in 6 days or more?

There are still so many places to see, because Moscow is a big megalopolis and there is always something exciting to do there. For example: the ancient Kolomenskoye village or the WINZAVOD contemporary art center .

If you are interested in history and want to see Russian cities on a rather “human scale”, it would certainly be interesting for you to discover the cities of the Golden Ring . For example, it is very easy to get to Sergey Posad from Moscow (less than 2 hours in train). Visiting the Golden Ring is one of the best things to do in Moscow if you are staying more than a 5-6 days.

There are still plenty of places to see in Moscow, however I did my best to list here the best things to do in Moscow, what to see in Moscow in one day, but also in 2, 3, 4 or 5 days in Moscow!

Moscow travel tips:

  • Airport transfer: how to go to Moscow?
  • Where to stay in Moscow (hotels, districts)?
  • Tourist voucher for Russian visa
  • Christmas and New Year in Moscow
  • What is the best time to visit Moscow?

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IMAGES

  1. Tory leader Ruth Davidson visits Tunnocks factory to unite against No

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  2. Tunnock's Factory Tour, Scotland

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  3. Tunnock's golden ticket: We go behind the scenes at home of Scotland's

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  4. Tunnock's Factory • Cat Morley

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  5. Two-year waiting list to visit Tunnock's factory

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  6. The Tunnock's Factory, Uddingston, Scotland

    tunnock's factory visit

VIDEO

  1. Tunnock's Factory Tour Packaging Teacake

  2. Tunnock's Tea Cake Challenge

  3. Tunnock's factory extension

  4. Tunnock's Mull Rally 2014 Day 2

  5. Tunnock's Factory Tour Coating Caramel Log in Chocolate

  6. Tunnock's Factory Tour Coating Caramel Log in Coconut

COMMENTS

  1. Factory Tours

    Factory Tours. Unfortunately due to being inundated with requests, we were over-subscribed today, 3 June 2019, within a very short period and we regret applications are now closed. For operational reasons, we are limited to the number of tour dates which, unfortunately, means disappointment for many.

  2. Home

    The Tunnock Limited, commonly known as Tunnock's, is a family run bakery based in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, Scotland. The company was formed by Thomas Tunnock as Tunnock's in 1890 and is famous for producing products like the Teacake and Caramel Wafer.

  3. Uddingston Visitor Guide

    Uddingston is a small town on the north side of the River Clyde 7 miles south east of Glasgow. Uddingston is home to the Tunnock's factory, famed for its caramel wafers and teacakes. The family-run business was founded in 1890 and is still based in the town. Visitors can take a tour of the factory, however they are often fully booked over a ...

  4. 10 things you (probably) didn't know about Tunnock's

    1. The company was formed by Thomas Tunnock as Tunnock's in 1890, when he purchased a baker's shop in Lorne Place, Uddingston. Thomas Tunnock with his son Archie. Picture: TSPL. The company grew from these humble beginnings into a successful private baking company before striking it rich with their confectionery line.

  5. Tunnock's Factory Tour

    Tunnock's Factory Tour. 13 Sep. Tunnock's is one of Scotland's most iconic brands. As Coldplay singer Chris Martin said: 'You can't choose between the Caramel Wafer and the Tea Cake - they're like Lennon and McCartney - you can't separate them.". The company was formed in 1890 when Thomas Tunnock purchased his first bakers ...

  6. Absolutely Scrumptious: The Scottish Sweet Factory Loved by the Middle

    The Tunnock's factory churns out thousands of old-fashioned sweets every day in a little Scottish village. From there, it's a brisk journey to the Middle East, as shipping containers filled with ...

  7. The Tunnocks Factory, Uddingston

    We start with a visit to a factory that occupies a very sweet spot in Scotland's cultural heritage. Tunnock's dominates the town of Uddingston, 7 miles southeast of Glasgow. For more than 100 years, the family firm has been pumping out their trademark Tea Cakes, Caramel Wafers and other delights for the pleasure of Scotland's sweet ...

  8. Contact Us

    Get in touch and say hello to Team Tunnock's. Home About Us Products Merchandise Fun Stuff ... Factory Tours. October 2022 Due to operational changes, the Company has decided not to resume our factory tours. We apologise for any disappointment.

  9. Two-year waiting list to visit Tunnock's factory

    Workers from Tunnocks bakery picket outside the factory. BISCUIT giants Tunnock's are having to turn away tourists desperate to learn the secrets of the caramel wafer because of a two-year ...

  10. Tunnock's golden ticket: We go behind the scenes at home of Scotland's

    Tunnock's trade on nostalgia - that's why their packaging has barely changed in 50 years. As I leave the factory, I smile as I spot Boyd's silver-grey Rolls Royce parked at the front door.

  11. Tunnock's Factory • Cat Morley

    I've been wanting to visit the Tunnock's Factory for ages and we were heading through to Glasgow today, so we stopped off on the way. There's also a tearoom and shop on the main high street in Uddingston so we stocked up on snacks. The window display was amazing with dancing teacakes and caramel log people. As well as cakes, we got some cute tea towels and a little Tunnock's van. We continued ...

  12. Tunnock's Factory Tour Coating Teacake in Chocolate

    Tunnock's Factory Tour Coating Teacake in Chocolate

  13. Tunnock's

    Thomas Tunnock Limited, commonly known as Tunnock's, is a Scottish confectionery company based in Uddingston, Scotland. It is headed by Boyd Tunnock, grandson of Thomas. In 2013, a joint report by Family Business United and Close Brothers Asset Management named it the 20th oldest family firm in Scotland.. For two seasons, 2019 and 2020, Tunnock's sponsored the Scottish Challenge Cup in ...

  14. Year-long wait to take tour of Tunnock's factory

    BISCUIT giants Tunnock's are turning away hungry tourists because of the huge demand to visit their factory. Tours of the Lanarkshire firm's plant are so oversubscribed there is a year-long ...

  15. TUNNOCK'S

    7 reviews of Tunnock's "Tunnock's is one of Scotland's most famous home-grown brands. Since 1890 the company has stayed true to its roots, and continues to prove itself as the creator of some of the country's most iconic products. All off Tunnock's tasty creations are made here - the snowballs, caramel logs, caramel wafers, and the infamous tea cakes.

  16. Tunnock's factory tours : r/glasgow

    Tours are booked well in advance (roughly 1 year waiting list) and you're more likely to get in if you're applying as a big group (eg clubs, societies). Been a reduction in tours recently due to ongoing construction and development in the factory. Contact them and enquire if you're still looking, Tuesday nights are the most likely time to ...

  17. About Us

    The factory grew. Further factory extensions followed in 1962 and 1965 and the factory now occupies the site of the old bakery where Thomas Tunnock served his apprenticeship in the 1880's. ... In 2010 an American astronaut's visit to Scotland was paid for by Tunnock's because the parachutes on Apollo 16 looked like Teacake wrappers. Charlie ...

  18. Champions of Design: Tunnock's

    The factory has been described by visitors as being akin to that of the Roald Dahl character Willy Wonka, with the smell of coconut, used for making snowballs, predominant. The business is still family-owned, with Boyd Tunnock at the helm. More than 500 people from the local area are employed by Tunnock's, including Boyd's daughter and son-in-law.

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  20. tunnocks tea cake factory tour

    10 things you (probably) didn't know about Tunnock's. Here are 10 facts you (probably) didn't know about scottish confectionery royalty tunnock's.. There are several essential thi

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    PANORAMA360 is. Panoramic view of Moscow from a height of 327 meters. Polar bear Panoramych. The world's highest ice cream factory. The world's highest chocolate factory. Group tours for all ages. Locations for amazing photos. Kids animation program. 360, the panoramic restaurant of author's and European cuisine on the 89th floor.

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