Busy traffic interchange Spaghetti Junction got its name as it resembled a tangled bowl of pasta - and now, 50 years since the motorway hub opened, Heinz has picked up the theme in a novel way. The food manufacturer has created tins of limited edition Spaghetti Junction, containing specially-shaped pasta in sauce, and they've proved so popular the first batch sold out within hours.
The motorway system in Birmingham opened on May 24 1972. Connecting the north with the south, it is renowned for its complex web of elevated roads and was once described by the Birmingham Evening Mail as a "cross between a plate of spaghetti and an unsuccessful attempt at a Staffordshire knot".
The limited edition cans feature a ‘Spaghetti Junction’ design on the label, with - as Heinz says - "spaghetti strands emulating the winding roads and locations of Birmingham motorway hub, complete with little cars journeying along the spaghetti road". An initial 500 cans went on sale today (Monday, May 23), with more due to go on sale at 9am on Tuesday.
Gina Cock at Heinz Pasta said: "It’s been incredible to see the nation’s demand for these very special tins, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Spaghetti Junction. We knew merging two British icons, Heinz Spaghetti and the original Spaghetti Junction, would cause a frenzy but we were very surprised to see the cans sell out in just a few hours with heavy traffic to our website."
Melanie Clarke, National Highways customer service director, said: "It’s a fitting tribute to see Spaghetti Junction immortalised in – of course - a tin of spaghetti. It goes to show the enduring appeal of the road 50 years on since it first opened to traffic.
"The structure is a real feat of engineering and it’s an iconic part of England’s motorway network which from the moment it first opened, really captured the imagination of the public and motorists. At National Highways we’re proud to maintain and look after the structure for the 220,000 vehicles that use the road every day and here’s to the next 50 years of Spaghetti Junction."
Cans are priced £1.50 plus postage and packaging. Visit https://heinztohome.co.uk/products/heinz-limited-edition-spaghetti-junction for further details.
