In Australia, snacks are taken seriously, and few things are as quintessentially Australian as settling down with a plate of crackers and cheese, perhaps accompanied by a slice of kabana or a dollop of dip. Among the pantheon of snack crackers, Arnott’s Jatz and Savoy have stood the test of time, gracing pantries and party platters for generations.
However, there’s been a long-standing mystery that has puzzled many over the years: What exactly is the difference between Jatz and Savoy crackers, and why are they found in different parts of the country?
The debate has been as crunchy and as salty as the crackers themselves, with some swearing allegiance to the Jatz camp, while others proclaim the superiority of Savoy. It’s a topic that has sparked discussions at family gatherings and online forums alike.
Recently, the conversation was reignited on an online forum, where a curious user inquired about the availability of these crackers in the border towns of Albury and Wodonga, which straddle the New South Wales and Victorian border.
People of Albury / Wodonga – which one of these do you get?
by
u/lemsieman in
melbourne
‘Do you get the Jatz or the Savoy?’ the curious user asked, prompting a flurry of responses from social media users eager to share their local cracker intel.
‘You can get both on the border in the same shop. Until reading the other comments in this post, I always wondered what the deal was, I thought they were the same thing. Thank you all for removing one of my life’s great unsolved mysteries,’ one person commented.
‘Both, but anyone who says they’re the same biscuit is a liar. They’re so different in texture. Savoy supremacy every day,’ wrote another.
‘I always thought they were different crackers. One [is] salted and the other [is] not?’ said someone else, earning a response, saying, ‘They’re both salted I’m pretty sure but Savoy has some golden syrup and Jatz has malt. That’s the only difference, it affects the texture and taste a little bit.’
An Arnott’s spokesperson did not clarify whether the crackers are sold in both locations but did confirm a widely suspected detail—there is a notable distinction between the biscuits. The spokesperson delved into the history of these iconic snacks.
‘Savoy crackers were originally made in Melbourne by the Brockhoff biscuit company. Arnott’s joined with this company in the 1960s and decided to keep both Savoy and Jatz because consumers in both states were equally passionate about their local brands,’ the spokesperson explained to news.com.au.
Confirming what others noticed, the spokesperson stated that there’s a subtle variation in ingredients giving each cracker its unique flavour and texture, which some snack aficionados claim to distinguish with just one bite.
‘The difference in the recipes is very minor—Jatz contains Malt while Savoy contains Golden Syrup.’
This isn’t the first time the cracker conundrum has made headlines. In 2020, Arnott’s confirmed that sometimes Jatz and Savoy end up across the border, leading to confusion among customers who might think the recipe has changed, not realising they’re tasting two different variants.
The next time you’re in the biscuit aisle, pondering which box to take home, remember that whether you’re a Jatz lover or a Savoy supporter, you’re enjoying a piece of snack history. And for those who’ve never compared the two, why not conduct a taste test of your own? You might just discover a new favourite.
We’re curious—have you ever noticed the difference between Jatz and Savoy crackers? Do you have a preference, or are you a fan of both? Share your cracker chronicles with fellow YourLifeChoices readers in the comments below.
Also read: Beloved Arnott’s biscuit discontinued—here’s why!
