M&S launches ‘most requested innovation’ in gluten-free Colin the Caterpillar cake

M&S has unveiled a long-awaited gluten free version of its Colin the Caterpillar cake.

Available now, the latest addition to the retailer’s Made Without Wheat range is said to be the most requested product innovation in its history, taking years to perfect the recipe so that it didn’t compromise on quality or flavour.

It even required supplier, Park Cakes, to build a brand-new facility and install new equipment inside its existing bakery on Ashton Road in Oldham, ensuring there is no risk of cross-contamination so that the product is suitable for Coeliacs. The manufacturer has been producing a range of caterpillar cakes for M&S since the introduction of Colin 35 years ago.

The new gluten-free variant has all the same features as the OG Colin, including his super chocolatey sponge rolled with velvety buttercream, a smooth coat of milk chocolate topped with sugar-coated milk chocolate beans, and a white chocolate face and boots. It is also priced the same, with an rsp of £9.50 (640g, serves 10).

In a LinkedIn post this morning, M&S chief executive Stuart Machin noted the launch of the gluten-free Colin had come after he’d received requests from 37 colleagues via the company’s internal ’Straight to Stuart’ suggestion platform, along with thousands of people asking for it on social media.   

Another recent LinkedIn post by M&S Food managing director Alex Freudmann said the NPD formed part of the retailer’s ‘Fortress Factory’ model, which offered long-term commitments to British production. “When I worked in Australia, we conducted a review to find the world’s best food manufacturing facilities. We found that all were in the UK – and that all supplied M&S,” he commented.

“The reason M&S Food exists at all is because of its commitment to quality, quality, quality – and our quality is enabled by the quality of our manufacturing partners. These partner facilities are ‘fortresses’ for M&S, where passionate colleagues, unique capabilities and long-term investments combine to create the products on our shelves and to power our growth,” Freudmann added.

Rival supermarkets have also got in on the caterpillar cake craze, with the likes of Wiggles at Sainsbury’s, Letty at Asda, Fuzzy at Tesco, and Cecil at Waitrose introduced. Notably, M&S launched legal action against Aldi in 2021 over similarities between Colin and the discounter’s rival product Cuthbert the Caterpillar. The matter was resolved via an out-of-court settlement the following year.

Crawling back the years

Below is a timeline of how the Colin the Caterpillar range has evolved over the decades:

1990: The original iteration of Colin is rolled out at M&S stores, featuring a fondant face and no feet

2000: Mini Colins are introduced as snackable treats

2009: An expansion into confectionery including sweets and mini Colin faces

2010: A Giant Colin version is brought out, serving 40 people

2011: A female counterpart with a pink bow named Connie the Caterpillar makes her debut

2013: Seasonal variations are launched including for Easter, Halloween and Christmas

2015: Colin celebrates his 25th birthday with a special Party Hat edition

2020: M&S marks his 30^th birthday by declaring 26 August as ‘National Colin the Caterpillar Day’

2021: A big year for new Colin formats with the launches of Cupcakes, Button Biscuits, and Cake Jars

2022: Colin the Caterpillar Frappés are unveiled at M&S cafés

2025: For Valentine’s Day, Colin and Connie get a Matchmaker makeover, and for Easter, he is paired up with Flossy the Highland Cow – as part of his 35^th birthday celebrations, an Arctic Colin ice cream cake is created

2026: The Gluten Free variant of Colin is unveiled