LYLE’S has axed its iconic golden syrup logo after 150 years after shoppers branded it “grim”.
The manufacturer has replaced the image for the first time since 1883.
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The original logo shows a dead lion being swarmed by bees, while the new version depicts a happier animal and a single bee.
It will feature on products, including the firm’s plastic syrup and dessert bottles.
But the classic Lyle’s Golden Syrup tin will be excluded from the rebrand, keeping its more than 150-year-old packaging design.
Lyle’s packaging was first launched in 1881 and holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s oldest unchanged brand packaging.
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Despite the logo being around for decades, many people have never realised what the image depicts.
Writing on social media one said: “Used it for years in the UK. Can say I never noticed!”
A second wrote: “I hadn’t realised that’s what it was anyway foolish of me.”
A third commented: “Is that what it was? I thought it was a sleeping lion, surrounded by bees to represent the king of Syrups that tastes so good even the bees think it’s like honey”
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A fourth posted: “Crikey, never noticed it!”
While a fifth said: “I never noticed Lion was dead! How hideous
“Mad idea in the first place. Glad they are discontinuing.”
Lyle’s said the branding has been “revitalised for the modern UK family” in a move to “refresh the brand’s legacy to appeal to a 21st-century audience”.
James Whiteley, brand director for Lyle’s Golden Syrup, said: “While we’ll continue to honour our original branding with the heritage tin, consumers need to see brands moving with the times and meeting their current needs.
“We’re confident that the fresh new design will make it easier for consumers to discover Lyle’s as an affordable, everyday treat, while re-establishing the brand as the go-to syrup brand for the modern UK family, featuring the same delicious taste that makes you feel Absolutely Golden.”
The rollout of the new packaging design – a golden illustration of a lion’s head – will begin this month and continue throughout the year.
Shoppers will spot the new design across its full-sized bottles, breakfast bottles, dessert toppings and golden syrup portions.
The classic tins will remain unchanged though.
The original packaging design was the idea of the product’s founder, Scottish businessman Abraham Lyle, who decided to include a Christian analogy on the tins.
In the story, Samson kills a lion with his bare hands before returning to the carcass a few days later to find a swarm of bees had created a hive in its body.
Samson then took honey from the hive and fed it to his parents without telling them where he got the honey from.
He later asks guests at his wedding to solve the riddle: “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.”
A version of the riddle – “out of the strong came forth sweetness” – was chosen for the logo of Lyle’s Golden Syrup, and has remained on the tins ever since.
Lyle’s isn’t the only brand to undergo some work recently.
The news comes after Pepsi fans have spotted a huge “retro” change to supermarket shelves.
The fizzy drinks giant has had a makeover and the new design is only just hitting UK shops.
The new design sports what might look like a familiar logo, with many comparing it to previous variations.
Despite the new design only just hitting shelves in the UK, Pepsi’s new logo has been around since March last year.
Back in early 2023, the brand announced it was having a facelift for the first time in 14 years.
It first launched the logo in the US last autumn and as of this week has begun the change up across the world too.
Mauro Porcini, Senior Vice President and chief design officer of PepsiCo said at the time: “We designed the new brand identity to connect future generations with our brand’s heritage, marrying distinction from our history with contemporary elements to signal our bold vision for what’s to come.”
This is why many fans have spotted similarities with previous incarnations of the Pepsi brand.
The biggest similarity seems to be with the the 1990s variation which also sported the brand name in the centre of the classic Pepsi circle or “globe” as the company calls it.
“Pepsi” is now also all uppercase, as it was before it its most recent change to all lowercase text.
In this most recent version, which was first introduced in 2008, the brand name was also separate from the globe, which also saw its white stripe going diagnonally across – rather than horizontal.
Shoppers will likely start seeing the new logo in all UK supermarkets are they get new stock in.
Elsewhere, shoppers have blasted WHSmith after the retailer removed “Smith” from its logo.
The high street retailer shortened its signs to simply say “WHS”, dropping the surname of William Henry Smith.
Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I also tweaked the flavour of its flagship Lucozade Original and Orange energy drinks.
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The change is meant to give the drink a “more zingy” taste.
How to save on your supermarket shop
THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop.
You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh, you’ll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time.
Making a list should also save you money, as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
This means ditching “finest” or “luxury” products and instead going for “own” or value” type of lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
If you’re on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too.
Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.
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