Here at Snap Pies HQ we are very proud of our Yorkshire roots – and this is reflected in our name and brand.
Snap’ is a colloquial term for ‘lunch’ in parts of Yorkshire – a reference to the uniquely-shaped, metal waterproof ‘snap tins’ shaped like a slice of bread, that miners used to take their food underground in.
Their lunch was kept in a metal container to keep it safe from mice and rats, of which there were plenty of underground! The clip on the tin was used to thread the tin onto a belt or hang it up.
The hot working environment limited the type of food that would stay fresh underground: the jam sandwich or bread and dripping became a staple ingredient of the pit-man’s diet – a far cry from a delicious plant-based pie!
Snap breaks offered a forum for debate, and an opportunity for older miners to instruct youngsters on the ways of the world.
‘Leg-pulling’ and camaraderie among the men was common practice. A Facebook post from a former mineworker describes how Electricians working on the pit top would secretly solder the snap tins of trainee miners so that they couldn’t be opened. Another miner joked that snap tins in France were ‘over three-feet in length and guaranteed to keep your baguette dry’. Joking aside, the snap break played an important role in the socialisation of workers.
The t’inspiration for our brand!
