Tim Tam
Product brand
UnclaimedTim Tam is an Australian chocolate biscuit brand owned and produced by Arnott's. An Australian chocolate biscuit brand best known for its chocolate-coated, chocolate-filled sandwich biscuits.
Last updated October 13, 2026
Overview
Tim Tam is an Australian chocolate biscuit brand introduced by Arnott's in 1964. Its standard biscuit consists of two rectangular malted chocolate biscuits separated by a light chocolate cream filling and covered with a textured chocolate coating. The product was developed by Arnott's food technologist Ian Norris after he encountered the British Penguin biscuit during a world trip in 1958. Norris sought to create an improved version, combining a crisp biscuit structure with a substantial chocolate coating and cream centre. The name Tim Tam was selected by Ross Arnott, who had attended the 1958 Kentucky Derby and considered the name of the winning horse, Tim Tam, suitable for a new biscuit line. The biscuit entered the Australian market on 10 September 1964 and gradually became one of Arnott's best-known consumer brands. Although its core production has remained associated with Australia, Tim Tam has expanded through exports, licensing and local production arrangements. Pepperidge Farm, an Arnott's sister company at the time, began importing the product into the United States in 2008, where selected varieties have been sold under the positioning of an Australian-style cookie. The brand's product strategy has combined a permanent core range with frequent limited editions. Established variations have included dark chocolate, double coat, white chocolate, caramel and dark chocolate mint. Arnott's has also used collaborations with chefs and dessert brands to create flavours such as salted caramel, chocolate brownie, raspberry white chocolate and red velvet. Other experiments have included alcohol-inspired varieties, mocktail flavours, fruit combinations, peanut-butter-inspired biscuits and a range developed with Gelato Messina. Some launches were designed for specific markets, including a cheese-flavoured Tim Tam made for Indonesia and dark chocolate mint produced for the United States. Tim Tam's marketing has relied heavily on cultural familiarity, humour, novelty and participatory consumption. Its best-known consumption ritual is the Tim Tam Slam, in which opposite corners of the biscuit are bitten away and a hot drink is drawn through the biscuit before it softens and is eaten. Arnott's has incorporated this behaviour into advertising and, in 2019, released a Slam-branded product. The brand has also used the Tim Tam Genie advertising concept, first associated with a 1994 commercial featuring Cate Blanchett before she became widely famous, and later revived with other performers. The brand has been promoted through National Tim Tam Day on 16 February, publicity stunts, merchandise and social-media campaigns. Activations have included a temporary Tim Tam orchard installation in Sydney, a 2019 renaming stunt involving Tamworth, and limited-edition merchandise. Tim Tam remains primarily associated with Australian manufacture and popular culture, while its international presence is strongest in markets where Australian food products and specialty biscuits have established distribution. Its broad portfolio, seasonal launches and distinctive consumption ritual have helped it remain an important flagship brand within Arnott's.
History
Tim Tam was developed within Arnott's in the late 1950s by food technologist Ian Norris. During a world tour in 1958, Norris encountered the British Penguin biscuit and used it as a starting point for a more substantial chocolate biscuit. The resulting concept combined two malted biscuits, a light chocolate cream filling and an external chocolate coating. Ross Arnott later chose the name Tim Tam after the horse that won the 1958 Kentucky Derby. The biscuit was launched in Australia on 10 September 1964. It became part of Arnott's expanding sweet-biscuit portfolio and developed a strong connection with Australian everyday consumption and popular culture. Since the 1980s, Arnott's has regularly broadened the range through variations in chocolate type, fillings and flavourings. This approach allowed the brand to retain a recognisable core product while generating novelty through seasonal and limited-edition releases. Production has remained largely Australian. Arnott's facilities, including bakeries associated with Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane, have manufactured Tim Tams and other products. At the Huntingwood bakery in Western Sydney, the production process includes mixing dough, cutting thin biscuit pieces, perforating and baking them, cooling, filling with cream, coating with chocolate and cooling again. Reported production volumes at the facility have reached approximately 3,000 biscuits per minute. In 2009, Arnott's announced a A$37 million investment in a modern Brisbane production line. International distribution expanded in 2008 when Pepperidge Farm began importing Tim Tams into the United States. Original, dark chocolate and caramel varieties have been sold there, with dark chocolate mint added for the American market in 2017. Other market-specific activity has included cheese-flavoured biscuits produced in Indonesia by Halo Arnotts. Despite this international expansion, the brand continues to be marketed as an Australian product. Tim Tam's history also includes extensive flavour experimentation. Arnott's launched dark, white, caramel, double-coat, mint, honeycomb and chocolate-orange variants, alongside collaborations with Adriano Zumbo and Gelato Messina. Alcohol-inspired flavours in 2004 attracted criticism from the Australian Drug Foundation. The peanut-butter variant launched in 2014 was criticised because its formulation used paprika rather than peanuts, and the product received a CHOICE Shonky Award. A mocktail collection in 2016 did not meet the company's sales expectations. A major part of the brand's cultural identity is the Tim Tam Slam. Consumers bite off two opposite corners of the biscuit, use it to draw a hot beverage through the centre, and eat it as the biscuit softens. Arnott's used the phrase Tim Tam Suck in a 2002 campaign and later released a Slam-branded version. Advertising has also included the Tim Tam Genie, beginning with a 1994 television commercial featuring Cate Blanchett and later revivals, including a 2021 campaign with Tim Robards. Promotional activity has included a 2006 breast-cancer fundraising partnership, a 2012 social-media orchard installation, National Tim Tam Day publicity on 16 February, merchandise releases and entertainment tie-ins. In 2019, Tamworth was temporarily presented as Tim Tamworth for a publicity stunt. In 2024, samples branded Tay Tam were distributed in Melbourne during Taylor Swift's Eras Tour performances. Tim Tam remains an active flagship product of Arnott's, combining industrial biscuit production with frequent innovation and a distinctive Australian cultural identity.
- 2024
Jatz-inspired Tim Tam launches
[1]Arnott's released a flavour inspired by Jatz crackers after teasing the idea as an April Fools' concept the previous year.
- 2021
Health Star Rating attracts attention
[1]The biscuit received a 0.5 Health Star Rating, generating public and media discussion.
- 2019
Tim Tam Slam product launches
[1]Arnott's released a product using the name of the established hot-drink consumption ritual.
- 2019
Arnott's changes corporate ownership
[3]KKR acquires Arnott's from Campbell Soup Company as part of the sale of Campbell's international biscuits business.
- 2008
United States distribution begins
[1]Pepperidge Farm began importing Tim Tams into the United States.
- 2002
Arnott's promotes the Tim Tam drinking ritual
[1]The company used the name Tim Tam Suck in advertising for the practice later widely known as the Tim Tam Slam.
- 1994
Tim Tam Genie advertising begins
[1]Arnott's introduced a Genie-themed television advertisement featuring Cate Blanchett before her international breakthrough.
- 1964
Tim Tam launches in Australia
[1]The biscuit entered the Australian market on 10 September 1964. Arnott's launches the original chocolate-coated, chocolate-filled Tim Tam biscuit.
- 1958
Ian Norris develops the Tim Tam concept
[1]After encountering the Penguin biscuit in Britain during a world trip, Arnott's food technologist Ian Norris began developing a more substantial chocolate biscuit. The brand name refers to Tim Tam, the horse that won the 1958 Kentucky Derby.
Products and positioning
A premium, indulgent Australian chocolate biscuit distinguished by its layered construction, broad flavour experimentation and strongly associated drinking ritual.
Chocolate sandwich biscuit · 1964
Original Tim Tam
The original product consists of two malted chocolate biscuits, a light chocolate cream filling and a textured chocolate coating. It is the reference format for the wider Tim Tam range and remains the core expression of the brand. The original variety is commonly sold in multipacks through grocery and convenience channels, with exact formulation and labelling depending on market. The core Tim Tam product comprises two chocolate-flavoured biscuits with a chocolate cream filling, enclosed in a chocolate-based coating. It is the reference product for the brand and the format from which later flavour, coating and pack variations developed. The original variety is commonly sold in multipacks through grocery and convenience channels, with exact formulation and labelling depending on market.
Chocolate sandwich biscuit
Dark Chocolate Tim Tam
A darker chocolate variation of the standard biscuit, sold in Australia and selected international markets including the United States.
Flavoured chocolate biscuit
Caramel Tim Tam
A caramel-oriented variation that has become one of the established flavours distributed in Australia and the United States.
Consumption-format biscuit · 2019
Tim Tam Slam
A Slam-branded Tim Tam associated with drawing a hot beverage through the biscuit after biting away opposite corners. The format commercialises one of the brand's most recognisable consumption rituals.
Limited-edition collaboration · 2014
Zumbo Tim Tam range
A collaboration with dessert chef Adriano Zumbo that produced salted caramel, chocolate brownie, raspberry white chocolate and red velvet variants, followed by additional collaborative flavours.
Limited-edition collaboration · 2017
Gelato Messina Tim Tam range
A 2017 collaboration with Gelato Messina that explored combinations including chocolate mint, salted caramel and vanilla, coconut and lychee, and black forest.
Limited-edition flavoured biscuit · 2016
Mocktail Tim Tam range
A 2016 range inspired by piña colada, espresso martini and strawberry champagne. Arnott's later said that sales did not meet its expectations.
Flavoured chocolate biscuits
Tim Tam flavoured varieties
Arnott's has extended Tim Tam with varieties that modify the chocolate coating, biscuit, filling or flavour profile. Examples have included different chocolate styles and flavoured centres, as well as seasonal and limited-edition releases. These products are used to create novelty and repeat purchase while preserving the layered biscuit architecture associated with Tim Tam. Availability varies by country and release period.
Miniature chocolate biscuits
Tim Tam Minis
Tim Tam Minis are smaller-format products designed for portioned snacking, sharing and occasions where a full-size biscuit is less convenient. They retain the brand's chocolate biscuit concept while changing the physical format and pack presentation. Specific pack sizes and market availability are not uniform internationally.
Controversies
2014
Peanut-butter flavour labelling controversy
A limited-edition peanut-butter Tim Tam attracted criticism because it reportedly contained no peanuts and used paprika as a flavour substitute. The product also contained fewer biscuits per packet than the standard variety and received a CHOICE Shonky Award.
2004
Criticism of alcohol-inspired Tim Tam flavours
The Australian Drug Foundation criticised the sale of Tia Maria and Kahlua Mint Slice varieties in supermarkets, arguing that alcohol-flavoured biscuits could normalise alcohol tastes for children. Arnott's responded that an implausibly large quantity would be required to produce a significant blood-alcohol level.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Tay Tam
Australia
Arnott's distributed samples branded Tay Tam in Melbourne during Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concerts in the city.
Outcome. Linked the brand to a major entertainment event through a short-term sampling stunt.
- 2022National Tim Tam Day merchandise
Australia
Arnott's sold limited-edition Tim Tam merchandise including perfume, slippers and a mug, with a later store featuring body lotion, a diffuser and a candle.
Outcome. Extended the biscuit brand into novelty lifestyle merchandise.
- 2019Tim Tamworth
Australia
For National Tim Tam Day, Arnott's temporarily presented Tamworth, New South Wales, as Tim Tamworth.
Outcome. Created local and national publicity around the annual brand day.
- 2012Tim Tam Orchard
Australia
Arnott's created a temporary Tim Tam orchard in Sydney in response to a social-media fan request. The installation extended the brand's playful, surreal tone into a physical publicity event.
Outcome. Generated reported online engagement and a 23% baseline sales uplift during the campaign period.
- 2006Pink Tim Tam
Australia
Arnott's partnered with the National Breast Cancer Foundation on a pink limited edition linked to the pink-ribbon campaign.
Outcome. Connected the product with a national fundraising and awareness initiative.
- 1994Tim Tam Genie
Australia
A television campaign used a wish-granting genie and the idea of an endlessly replenished packet of Tim Tams. The concept was revived intermittently in later advertising.
Outcome. Established a recurring advertising property for the brand.
- Tim Tam Slam
Australia · New Zealand · selected international markets
Arnott's promoted the practice of biting opposite corners from a Tim Tam and drawing a hot beverage through the biscuit before eating it. The activity transformed a consumer ritual into a central brand platform and encouraged participation, demonstration and social sharing.
Outcome. The Tim Tam Slam became one of the brand's most recognisable associations and helped distinguish Tim Tam from other chocolate biscuits.
Brand decisions
2019
Commercialise the Tim Tam Slam ritualProduct launchBackground
Drinking a hot beverage through a Tim Tam had become a widely recognised consumer practice.
Action taken
Arnott's released a Slam-branded version of the biscuit.
Aftermath
The consumption ritual became more explicitly integrated into the product architecture and marketing.
2019
Sale of Arnott's to KKRM&ABackground
Campbell Soup Company reviewed and sold its international biscuits business, including Arnott's.
Action taken
KKR acquired Arnott's and related international biscuit assets, placing Tim Tam within the privately held Arnott's business that became The Arnott's Group.
Aftermath
Tim Tam continued as an active flagship brand under new ownership.
2014
Use chef collaboration for flavour innovationProduct launchBackground
Arnott's used limited editions and external creative partners to refresh the mature core brand.
Action taken
The company launched several Adriano Zumbo-inspired Tim Tam flavours.
Aftermath
The collaboration reinforced Tim Tam's practice of combining a stable base product with high-novelty flavour releases.
2008
Expand into the United StatesStrategyBackground
Arnott's pursued international distribution for its Australian flagship biscuit.
Action taken
Pepperidge Farm began importing original and selected flavoured Tim Tams into the United States.
Aftermath
Tim Tam gained a continuing presence in the American specialty-cookie market.
1964
Launch a layered chocolate biscuitProduct launchBackground
Arnott's sought to create an improved product inspired by the British Penguin biscuit.
Action taken
The company launched a biscuit made from two malted biscuits, chocolate cream and a chocolate coating.
Aftermath
The product became one of Arnott's best-known brands and the basis for a large limited-edition portfolio.
1964
Launch of the Tim Tam biscuitProduct launchBackground
Arnott's sought to introduce a distinctive chocolate-filled biscuit for the Australian market, drawing inspiration from established chocolate biscuit formats.
Action taken
The company launched a biscuit made from two chocolate biscuit layers, a chocolate cream centre and an outer chocolate coating.
Aftermath
Tim Tam became a long-running Arnott's flagship and developed into an internationally distributed brand.
Recent events
- 2024
Arnott's releases Jatz-inspired Tim Tam[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Arnott's released a Tim Tam flavour inspired by its Jatz cracker brand after first presenting the concept as an April Fools' joke in 2023.
- 2022
Tim Tams appear on Snackmasters[1]
Campaign
The brand was featured in the first episode of the second season of the cooking competition programme Snackmasters.
- 2021
Tim Tam receives a 0.5 Health Star Rating[1]
Regulation · Other
The biscuit's low Health Star Rating attracted media attention and renewed discussion about the nutritional profile of indulgent snack products.
- 2021
Tim Tam Genie returns in advertising[1]
Campaign
Arnott's revived the long-running Tim Tam Genie concept in a campaign featuring actor Tim Robards.
- 2019
Arnott's releases Slam-branded Tim Tam[1]
Product launch · Campaign
Arnott's commercialised the Tim Tam Slam consumption ritual through a product carrying Slam branding.
- 2019
Campbell Soup agrees to sell Arnott's international biscuit business to KKR[4]
M&A
Campbell Soup announced an agreement to sell Arnott's and its other international biscuit operations to KKR. The transaction separated Arnott's, including Tim Tam, from Campbell's continuing portfolio.
- 2019
The Arnott's Group changes ownership after Campbell sale[3]
M&A
Campbell Soup Company sold Arnott's and its international biscuits business to KKR. Arnott's subsequently became part of The Arnott's Group.
- 2017
Arnott's releases Gelato Messina Tim Tam flavours[1]
Product launch
The collaboration introduced flavour combinations including chocolate mint, salted caramel and vanilla, coconut and lychee, and black forest.
- 2016
Arnott's launches mocktail-themed Tim Tam range[1]
Product launch · Campaign
Arnott's introduced limited-edition piña colada, espresso martini and strawberry champagne-inspired varieties, promoted through advertising featuring Sophie Monk. The company later said sales had not met expectations.
- 2015
Arnott's and Coles dispute Tim Tam pricing[1]
Pricing · Other
Media reported that Coles resisted proposed price increases affecting Tim Tam and other Arnott's products. After the retailer declined the increase, Arnott's reportedly stopped supplying Coles for approximately two weeks.
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