You’ve heard of a “catfish”—a faux on-line identification adopted by somebody who desires to trick or rip-off different folks. Clear ketchup was a “snackfish,” and Benji is the UK’s primary snackfisher. Benji’s Instagram account—UK Snack Assault—is residence to pistachio-flavored Coco Pops, pickle-shaped Haribo, mint Coca-Cola, ice-cream Pringles, and butter Oreos.
It began with uncommon Fantas. In 2019, Benji and his college housemates loved searching round for imported Fanta flavors and “making somewhat ceremony” out of tasting them. From there, the computing pupil turned obsessive about searching for out “bizarre” snacks, which he posted on his private Instagram web page. “I noticed I ought to most likely cease harassing my buddies by posting snacks, so I shifted it to its personal account,” says Benji, who requested WIRED to not disclose his surname for privateness causes.
Benji’s account was aggressively easy—he’d go to the retailers and take images of latest meals. “However then lockdown occurred, and going to the grocery store and dealing with meals was not an awesome look,” he says. So as an alternative of fondling meals, he began making it. After following an internet recipe for white chocolate Nutella, Benji began concocting totally different chocolate spreads each weekend—on-line, he referred to as it Unfold Saturday. A self-taught photoshopper, Benji additionally made faux labels for his creations. However then in the future an organization he was imitating despatched him a message primarily saying: “Hey, are you able to say it’s not actual please? We’re getting loads of messages asking to purchase this!”
And so snackfishing was born. “In some methods, I wished to trick folks on-line,” Benji admits. “I’m not going to fake it wasn’t that.” However over Zoom, Benji isn’t remotely trollish; he has a gentle-speaking method, wire-framed glasses, and what appears to be like like a comfortable fleece. When the world emerged from lockdown, Benji began staging his snackfishes in retailers, filming himself pulling them off the cabinets. At first, Benji’s family and friends have been perplexed. “Are you OK? Is that this a traditional factor to do?” However they have been quickly onboard, and his mum and grandma took him out for afternoon tea when he hit 200,000 followers.
At the moment, Benji provides disclosures to each publish (“THESE DO NOT EXIST!”) to keep away from irritating folks and to remain on the correct facet of multinational conglomerates. He additionally posts “snacksclusive” information about actual upcoming snacks which have been leaked elsewhere on-line, which manufacturers are much less pleased about—some have despatched him cease-and-desist notices.
When Benji comes up with an thought for a brand new snack, generally he’ll photoshop it solely, but when he thinks it’s potential he’ll sit down and make it for actual. He has munched on Milkybar-dipped Pringles (“what store r they in” demanded one commenter) and chomped a Werther’s Unique chocolate bar. He goals of in the future making his personal snackfish recipe ebook, however the “actual dream” can be to have a snackfish delivered to life by an organization. “That may be so cool—some dumb taste that I’ve considered, after which abruptly everybody will get to attempt it.”
In the end, clear ketchup and lemon Nutella would possibly by no means exist, and snackfishing most likely received’t make Benji wealthy or well-known—he hasn’t actually made any cash from his account. Nonetheless, he doesn’t actually thoughts. “I don’t need it to really feel like a job; I really like doing it,” he says, noting that his “day is numbers,” so creating faux meals gives a artistic outlet. “For me it’s just a bit passion. So long as I’ve enjoyable making it, I’m pleased.”
This text first appeared within the January/February 2025 version of WIRED UK journal.
