 | |
| Industry | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1930 |
| Parent | August Storck |
Bendicks is a chocolate brand currently owned by August Storck KG, famed for its "quintessentially British" Bittermint dark mint chocolates, still made to the original recipe of 1931. [1]
| | |
| Industry | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1930 |
| Parent | August Storck |
Bendicks is a chocolate brand currently owned by August Storck KG, famed for its "quintessentially British" Bittermint dark mint chocolates, still made to the original recipe of 1931. [1]
In 1930 Oscar Benson and Colonel 'Bertie' Dickson purchased a confectionery business at 164 Church street in Kensington, London, with the chocolates made in a tiny basement below the shop. They used the first syllable of each of their surnames to come up with the name Bendicks.
In 1931 Benson's sister-in-law, Lucia Benson, came up with a dark chocolate so bitter that it was virtually inedible on its own, and combined it with a mint fondant that was so strongly flavoured with mint oil that it was also difficult to eat on its own. When the two parts were combined they produced a very palatable chocolate that they named Bendicks Bittermints. The chocolate coating contains 95% cocoa solids.
By 1933, Bendicks was developing a reputation for quality and a new store was opened in the heart of London's exclusive Mayfair. Prominent among the visitors was the Duke of Kent, son of King George V, who visited for the renowned Bittermints. The company soon became known as Bendicks of Mayfair.
In 1946 the business was sold to Mr. Edgar Lawley. By 1952 Bendicks had moved to a building which bridged St. Thomas Street and Little Minster Street in Winchester, Hampshire. This building, which has now been demolished and replaced by residential properties and garages, had been constructed in around 1890 and been used as The Winchester Temperance Billiards Hall. It had already acquired the business of William Cox & Son, manufacturers of Royal Winchester Chocolates (a name which has been discontinued), which had been located in St. George's Street, Winchester (now occupied by McDonald's).
The reputation of the company and its products was further enhanced in 1962 when it was awarded the coveted Royal Warrant: "By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen".
The main part of the business was chocolate coated confectionery and these were all hand dipped, giving a much thicker layer of chocolate, and the availability of female 'dippers' was a constraint on the growth of the business. They also produced confectionery products such as nougat and chocolate bars. A feature of Bittermints was that they could be purchased in 9 inch, 18 inch and 36 inch boxes (by the yard).
In 1967 the business was moved to a purpose built factory in Moorside Road, Winchester. During the 1960s it had been acquired by Wood Hall Trust Ltd. (itself subsequently being acquired by Elders IXL, the Australian conglomerate, in 1982). In later years enrobing equipment was introduced allowing an increase in production.
In the 1960s the business also owned a number of retail outlets in prestigious parts of London. Two were located in Wigmore Street and Sloane Street, both of which were also restaurants. The remaining shops were located in Bond Street, Throgmorton Street and Curzon Street (the latter trading under its own name of Supex Ltd.) Many of the products sold in these shops were chocolate confectionery packed in fine china (Wedgwood, Doulton etc.) so that the remaining 'container' became a useful quality object and customers could bring in quality china containers to have filled with confectionery to be given as gifts.
In 1983, the company was purchased by Nabisco Brands and later managed within the Biscuit Division of Nabisco Group Ltd, through its head office in Reading, Berkshire.
Since 1988 Bendicks has been a subsidiary of the German sweet producer, August Storck. [2]
The brand diversified in 2002, introducing Mingles , an ultimately unsuccessful selection box of chocolates. On 18 April 2011, Storck announced its plan to move chocolate production from its factory in Hampshire to Germany, with the loss of 84 jobs; 30 marketing and sales jobs were to remain at the Winchester site. The decision was based on economic factors, namely a weak chocolate market and lack of profitability at the English factory. The managing director of Storck, Thomas Huber, blamed the decision on a decline in the market, explaining the decision had been driven by commercial reality. [3] [4]
In December 2023, Bendicks announced via their website that they would cease their Kosher certification which until then had been provided by the London Beth Din. [5] [6] Anger amongst the Jewish community led to a clarification on the Bendicks website that no ingredients have or will change but that the company "cannot commit to the process of production required to remain certified."
Cadbury, formerly Cadbury's and Cadbury Schweppes, is a British multinational confectionery company owned by Mondelez International since 2010. It is the second-largest confectionery brand in the world, after Mars. Cadbury is internationally headquartered in Greater London, and operates in more than 50 countries worldwide. It is known for its Dairy Milk chocolate, the Creme Egg and Roses selection box, and many other confectionery products. One of the best-known British brands, in 2013 The Daily Telegraph named Cadbury among Britain's most successful exports.
Ferrero International SpA, more commonly known as Ferrero Group or simply Ferrero, is an Italian multinational company with headquarters in Alba. Ferrero is a manufacturer of branded chocolate and confectionery products, and the second biggest chocolate producer and confectionery company in the world. Ferrero SpA is a private company owned by the Ferrero family and has been described as "one of the world's most secretive firms".
Life Savers is an American brand of ring-shaped hard and soft candy. Its range of mints and fruit-flavored candies is known for its distinctive packaging, coming in paper-wrapped aluminum foil rolls.
After Eight Mint Chocolate Thins, often referred to as simply After Eights, are a brand of mint chocolate covered sugar confectionery. They were created by Rowntree Company Limited in the UK in 1962 and have been manufactured by Nestlé since its acquisition of Rowntree in 1988.
Junior Mints are a candy brand consisting of small rounds of mint filling inside a semi-sweet chocolate coating, with a dimple on one side. The mints are produced by Tootsie Roll Industries, and packaged in varying amounts from the so-called 'fun-size box' to the much larger 12 oz. box.
Quality Street is a line of tinned and boxed toffees, chocolates and sweets, first manufactured in 1936 by Mackintosh's in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. It was named after J. M. Barrie's play Quality Street. Since 1988, the confectionery has been produced by Nestlé. Quality Street has long been a competitor to Cadbury Roses, which were launched by Cadbury in 1938. Nestlé does not distribute Quality Street in the US, but it may be ordered online for delivery, or found in specialty candy shops.
Droste B.V. is a Dutch chocolate manufacturer. Its headquarters and factory are located in the village of Vaassen, Netherlands. Droste operates as an independent business unit within Hosta, a German confectionery company.
Lotte Wellfood Co., Ltd., formerly Lotte Confectionery, is a South Korean international confectionery company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. The company was established in 1967. Currently, it is the third-largest chewing gum manufacturer in the world, and its plants are located in Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Belgium, India, Russia, Myanmar, and China. Lotte Confectionery was renamed Lotte Wellfood in 2023, after being merged with Lotte Foods in 2022.
Nestlé UK Ltd., trading as Rowntree's, is a British confectionery brand and a former business based in York, England. Rowntree developed the Kit Kat, Aero, Fruit Pastilles, Smarties brands, and the Rolo and Quality Street brands when it merged with Mackintosh's in 1969 to form Rowntree Mackintosh Confectionery. Rowntree's also launched After Eight thin mint chocolates in 1962. The Yorkie and Lion bars were introduced in 1976. Rowntree's also pioneered the festive selection box which in the UK have been a staple gift at Christmas for over a century.
Terry's is a British chocolate and confectionery brand. The original company was founded in 1767 in York, England, and was part of the city's famous confectionery triumvirate along with Rowntree's and Cravens. The company's headquarters and factory, Terry's Chocolate Works, was closed by Kraft in 2005 and production moved to Kraft factories in Europe. The business returned to the UK in 2019 as Terry's Chocolate Co located in London. Their best known products include Terry's Chocolate Orange and Terry's All Gold box of assorted chocolates which were both introduced in the 1930s.
August Storck KG, doing business as Storck, is a German confectionery producer with headquarters in Berlin, owned by Axel Oberwelland. The main facility of Storck in Germany is in Halle, North Rhine-Westphalia, with another located in Skanderborg, Denmark, and one in Ohrdruf, Germany. Its among the 15 biggest manufacturers of candy worldwide.
Mingles were a type of mint chocolate made by Bendicks and sold in the United Kingdom from 2002. The chocolates were all made in the UK in a factory in Winchester. In April 2009, August Storck confirmed it was shutting the factory at the end of July and relocating production to Ohrdruf, its Eastern German plant. This would result in a loss of more than 80 jobs although it would continue to employ over 30 staff in Winchester to support marketing and sales of its brands in the UK.
Oatfield was a chocolate and confectionery manufacturer located in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. The company was the oldest confectionery manufacturer in Ireland.
Elizabeth Shaw Ltd is a Bristol-based company owned by Colian Holding that markets chocolate-based confectionery, including the brands Famous Names liqueur chocolates and Elizabeth Shaw Mint chocolates. The modern company was formed from several mergers of well established confectionery companies, first by J A & P Holland and then by James Goldsmith in the 1960s as part of his creation of his food conglomerate Cavenham Foods.
The Griffin's Foods Company is a New Zealand food company currently headquartered in Auckland and established by John Griffin as a flour and cocoa mill in the city of Nelson in 1864. The company started biscuit manufacturing in 1890. Products commercialised by Griffin's include cookies, chocolate confection, crackers, cereal bars, and snack food.
Pascall is an Australian and New Zealand confectionery brand, which is owned by Mondelēz International.
Urney Chocolates was an Irish confectionery manufacturing business founded by the Gallagher family in County Tyrone, which once operated one of the largest chocolate factories in Europe. After being sold as a going concern, ultimately to what would become Unilever, the factory closed in 1980. The brand was later operated by L.C. Confectionery Ltd., and is now handled by Hazelbrook Confectionery, based in County Kildare, Ireland.
Rowntree Mackintosh plc, trading as Rowntree Mackintosh Confectionery, was an English confectionery company based in York, England. It was formed by the merger of Rowntree's and John Mackintosh Co. The company was famous for making chocolate brands, such as Kit Kat, Aero and Quality Street. It was purchased by Nestlé in 1987, with products rebranded under its own brand.
W & M Duncan and Company, best known as "Duncan's of Edinburgh", was a Scottish confectioner. The company's most popular and enduring product was the Walnut Whip, which is now manufactured by Nestlé Rowntree's.
Ceylon Biscuits Limited is a Sri Lankan food manufacturer, the maker of Munchee biscuits and one of the oldest biscuit makers in Sri Lanka. The company owns 60% of the domestic market share in Sri Lanka.
