WELCOME TO MY WORLD
A whole page dedicated to me? Wow! I’ve been the guest of honour at birthday parties for more than 30 years, and some might even call me a British icon. Discover everything from amazing Colin the Caterpillar facts to exciting recipes.
The O.G. Colin the Caterpillar
Our Colin the Caterpillar is a Irish icon who’s been making birthdays magical since 1990. That’s more than 30 years of chocolate-covered, swirly cake goodness (and fighting over the white chocolate face). From his humble beginnings, these days Colin is a social media phenomenon with hundreds of thousands of followers, has legions of celebrity fans and features in a whole host of Colin-tastic chocolatey and sweet treats across the Foodhall.
The ultimate backpack
Everyone’s favourite caterpillar has launched his own backpack – perfect for outdoor adventures. This must-have accessory is filled with Colin treats to keep you fuelled like Colin fruit gums, Colin chocolate and even Colin munch. What’s more, when you buy a Colin backpack and scan your Sparks card, you’ll get 50% off an admission to any National Trust site.
Colin the Caterpillar facts
- We sell more than 5 million Colin and Connie the Caterpillar cakes every year, and 2.5 million mini Colin and Connie the Caterpillar cakes.
- Colin is the guest of honour at around 450,000 birthdays annually – that’s a lot of candles being blown out!
- It takes a whopping 8.4 tonnes of chocolate every year to decorate our original Colin the Caterpillar cakes.
- All the chocolate used to make our Colin the Caterpillar cakes is sustainably sourced.
- Colin’s celebrity fans include Sir David Beckham, Dame Judi Dench, Dua Lipa and Liam Gallagher.
Check out Colin's Insta
Colin’s Instagram account is the place to see what everyone’s fave caterpillar gets up to, from behind-the-scenes capers at M&S HQ to hanging out with his best pal, Percy Pig. Plus, it’s where a dedicated community of loyal Colin fans share their love of our O.G. Caterpillar cake with inventive Colin-inspired homemade bakes, snaps of birthday celebrations and even the odd Colin wedding cake.
Bake up a storm with Colin
Use our range of sprinkles, Colin faces and more to whip up some homemade sweet treats like a chocolatey fridge cake, cake pops and an epic Colin trifle. Explore our Colin the Caterpillar recipes and give them all a go at your next celebration. Don’t forget to tag @official_colinthecaterpillar in all your creations.
Colin through the ages
1990: Colin is born
Our original iteration included a simple white chocolate panelled face on top of a chocolate sponge roll. As Colin is now, he was crafted by a team of expert cake makers.
2000: Mini Colins arrive
We launched our mini Colins – small sponge rolls adorned with caterpillar spots and a white chocolate face – for a little taste of Colin all year round.
2013: Christmassy Colins
Colin has donned many a special outfit over the years, for occasions from Halloween to Easter. But our Christmas Colin remains one of his most loved get-ups.
2016: Colin meets Connie
Colin’s best friend Connie joined him in the Foodhall and has been bringing her own brand of chocolatey joy to birthdays ever since.
Colin keeps it sweet
Over the years, our Colin the Caterpillar range has expanded, moving into sweets, which have quickly become a customer favourite. They’ve been joined by lots of other treats since then, from sprinkles to mini Colin faces (everyone’s favourite bit!).
2021: Colin goes viral
Colin launched his own Instagram and became an instant social media sensation, along with his best friend Percy Pig.
Hungry for more?
Percy Pig
Meet Colin the Caterpillar's best friend Percy Pig and find out about his friends and family.
M&S Recipes
All our recipes are now in one place. Create a personal cookbook, easily create a shopping list and plan your weekly meals.
Food inspiration
Enter the online home of M&S Food, with news, tips and the latest products.
