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Tate & Lyle announced plans to update their dead lion design and set the cat amongst the pigeons – 15 sweet reactions

Oonagh Keating. Updated February 21st, 2024

Sugar refiner Tate & Lyle has announced a rebrand for some of its products. The change will see the current image of the carcass of a lion with bees hovering around the honey they’ve made in its head (No, really!) become a stylised lion face with a single bee.

The bizarre design was inspired by the biblical tale of Samson, who killed a lion and later saw its head had become a makeshift hive for some honey bees. The original label contains the bible quote –

‘Out of the strong came forth sweetness.’

Fans of the dead lion design will be relieved to learn that the tins won’t be subject to the rebrand.

Not everyone had realised that the lion was, in fact, an ex-lion.

The usual suspects went into full outrage mode, like this collection of false claims from Paul Joseph Watson.

They killed the world's oldest brand because it contained a Bible verse and this might have offended 'modern shoppers'.

It’s not the world’s oldest brand (although it holds the record for the oldest unchanged packaging).
They haven’t killed the brand or the branding.
The rebrand wasn’t because of the bible verse.
They did it to appeal to modern shoppers, not because they were trying to avoid offending them.

Apart from that, though, he was spot on.

The rebrand and the realisation that the lion is dead kept the news trending all evening.

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The Sunday Sport was having flashbacks.

Hospitality and food writer Josh Barrie had more pressing concerns regarding the rebrand.

Chosen Jesus GIFfrom Chosen GIFs

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