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Type | Confectionery |
---|---|
Place of origin | Australia (1922 ) |
Created by | James Noble Stedman |
Main ingredients | Glucose syrup, cane sugar, gelatine, mint flavour, vegetable oil |
Minties is a brand of confectionery originating in Australia and manufactured in both Australia and New Zealand for their respective markets. They are hard white, chewy, rectangular and mint-flavoured, which on chewing become so sticky that they are notorious for causing dental fillings to come out. They were originally packaged in 5lb (around 2.2 kg) bulk tins [1] or 3oz (around 85g) cardboard boxes, but now come in packs ranging from 150g - 1 kg. Minties are wrapped in waxed paper with a cartoon underneath the logo with the common caption "It's moments like these you need Minties".
About 500 million are consumed each year. [2]
In the early 1990s, Chocomints were marketed, which integrated milk chocolate into the traditional recipe. [3] Later in the 1990s, Minties released 'Spearmint Minties', but these were taken off the market for unknown reasons just before the end of 1999. In 2013, Nestlé (Australia) introduced Allen's Minties "Smooth Mints Choc & Vanilla" which had choc-mint and vanilla-mint varieties in one packet. [4]
Minties were invented in 1922 [5] by James Noble Stedman (1860–1944), son of company founder (and Australia's first confectioner) [6] James Stedman (1840–1913). [7] They were patented in 1926, [8] and were manufactured by James Stedman — Henderson Sweets Limited at the "SweetAcres" factory atRosebery, New South Wales. [9] Other well-known lines made at Sweetacres were "Fantales" and "Talky Toffee". [10]
In 1968, Stedman-Henderson was taken over by Hoadleys, which was itself acquired in 1971 by Rowntree's. Nestlé took over the Rowntree's brand globally in 1981. [6] They are now sold as "Allens Minties" [11] (Nestlé acquired the Allens brand in 1985. [6] )
In 1930 or 1931, a factory was set up in Auckland, New Zealand. Cadbury now manufactures the lollies as "Pascall Minties". [12] In November 2009, Cadbury New Zealand announced they were moving production from Auckland to Thailand and changing to a softer formulation that would be less stressful to teeth and may be consumed more quickly). [13] Curiously, the 200g packets sold in Australia as (Nestlé) Allens Minties in 2010 are clearly labelled "Made in New Zealand".
Newspaper advertising appears to have dropped off considerably, both in quantity and quality, between 1931 and 1940.
During World War II and until 1946, supply of confectionery was restricted; what output there was went to serving troops. Advertising resumed after the cessation of hostilities, anticipating eventual availability. Rationing may have been on a state-by-state basis. [14]
Catch phrases start up from unknown sources, and sweep around the world with almost unbelievable rapidity. The origin of many of them is hopelessly lost. Who, for instance, was the first person to say "There you are, then"? A few years ago it was heard on every lip. Some of them, like "Yes, we have no bananas" come from comic songs, and others from newspaper advertisements. One of the most popular of the latter variety is "It's moments like these you need 'Minties'". At the present time, one hears the phrase wherever one goes. The makers of "Minties", Messrs. James Stedman-Henderson's, of "Sweetacres", receive dozens of suggestions by every post from people instancing "Moments like these", when "Minties" would have been most acceptable. "It's moments like these" has proved itself to be one of the most catchy catch phrases that has ever caught on, and it shows no signs yet of fading out of public recognition.
Minties had been available in shops from 1923 or earlier, but became the subject of prominent advertising as "The Universal Sweet" in June 1926. Coincident with this launch, the SweetAcres company offered a "MINTIES Magic Drawing Book for your Girl or Boy" for the price of return postage (one penny). [16] This publication was a booklet of apparently blank pages whose pictures became evident when lightly rubbed with a soft pencil or crayon, similar to a brass rubbing, and was last offered in September 1932.
Minties' first cartoons, and the catchphrase "It's moments like these ..." appeared late in 1926; from then they provided an episodic documentation of an era.
At one stage in the 1940s, Minties were using three different cartoons a week, appearing on every form of printed advertising: the 3oz (around 85g) boxes in which they were originally sold, newspapers and railway station hoardings.
The cartoons depict mishaps and unfortunate experiences, sometimes featuring recognisable sporting or political figures, but more often general comic situations, captioned "It's moments like these" or "Another Minties moment". The catchphrase "It's moments like these" has become part of the Australian language. The entry for "Mintie" in a major Australian dictionary defines the phrase as "... widely current ... used allusively as an emblem of solace". [8]
At that time, the lolly wrappers (white waxed paper) were decorated only with the text "Minties" and "The Universal Sweet" in red and green. Now the only artwork is on the wrappers; simple anonymous cartoons of people engaged in recognisable activities with no attempt at humour, accompanied by the caption "It's moments like these ...".
Many cartoonists have drawn "Minties moments". While many of the cartoons were unsigned, some of the better known names are:
Jaffas are an Australian–New Zealand registered trademark for a small round confectionery consisting of a solid, orange-flavoured chocolate centre with a hard covering of a red confectionery shell. The name derives from the Jaffa orange. Jaffas are part of both Australiana and Kiwiana.
Kiwiana are certain items and icons from New Zealand's heritage, especially from around the middle of the 20th century, that are seen as representing iconic New Zealand elements. These "quirky things that contribute to a sense of nationhood" include both genuine cultural icons and kitsch.
Polo is a brand of breath mint whose defining feature is the hole in the middle. The peppermint flavoured Polo was first manufactured in the United Kingdom in 1948, by employee John Bargewell at the Rowntree's Factory, York, and a range of flavours followed. The name may derive from "polar", referencing the cool, fresh taste of the mint. Polo mints are also sold in other countries such as India and Sri Lanka by Nestlé. Polo mints are usually sold in a 34g pack containing 23 individual mints.
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.
Maxibon is a brand of ice cream sandwich made by Froneri, and also previously owned by the Swiss company Nestlé. It consists of a block of frozen dairy dessert containing small chocolate chips with one end covered in chocolate, and the other sandwiched between two biscuits.
Aero is an aerated chocolate bar manufactured by the Vevey-based company Nestlé. Originally produced by Rowntree's, Aero bars were introduced in 1935 to the North of England as the "new chocolate". By the end of that year, it had proved sufficiently popular with consumers that sales were extended throughout the United Kingdom.
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.
Mackintosh's Toffee is a sweet created by Mackintosh Company.
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.
Lyons Maid is a brand of ice-creams and ice-lollies created in 1925 as a spin-off from the J. Lyons and Co. retail organisation. It is now owned by the Froneri joint venture.
Polly Waffle is a 50 gram Australian chocolate bar. It is a waffle wafer tube filled with marshmallow and coated in compound chocolate. The confection had been introduced in 1947 by the Hoadley's Chocolate Company, then taken over by Rowntree Mackintosh Confectionery in 1972. When Rowntree Mackintosh was acquired by Nestlé in 1988, the Swiss company continued producing Polly Waffles until it was discontinued in 2009.
Red Ripperz are a red, raspberry-flavoured chewy confectionery manufactured in Australia by Nestlé under their Allen's brand.
Peppermint Crisp is a milk chocolate bar filled with a multitude of thin cylinders of mint-flavoured 'cracknel'. Invented in South Africa by Wilson-Rowntree in the 1960s, it was eventually bought out and manufactured by Nestlé South Africa. A hugely popular chocolate bar in South Africa for many decades, it is now part of that country's culture - not only as a confectionery item, but also as a popular topping used in baking and desserts.
Pineapple lumps or pineapple chunks are a chocolate-covered confection with a soft, chewy pineapple-flavoured middle from New Zealand. They are often identified as Kiwiana.
Pascall is an Australian and New Zealand confectionery brand, which is owned by Mondelēz International.
Oak is an Australian pasteurised flavoured milk brand owned by a French multinational corporation, Lactalis. It was first established in 1967 in New South Wales, as the general dairy brand of the Raymond Terrace Co-operative and its successor the Hunter Valley Co-operative Dairy Company. The origin of the Oak brand goes back to 1903. Oak flavoured milk was launched in Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria in 1998. It was discontinued in Victoria in 2006 but relaunched in 2010. Oak launched in Western Australia in October 2013.
Allen's, earlier A. W. Allen Limited, is an Australian brand of confectionery products produced by Nestlé. Allen's is the top brand of sugar confectionery in Australia. It is best known for Minties, a soft chewable mint-flavoured confectionery, and their varieties of 'Party Mix' lollies.
Fruit Tingles is a brand of confectionery originating in Australia. They are a chalky-textured, multicoloured, disc-shaped, fruit flavoured lolly. Standard packages are 34g foil wrapped sleeves with an outer multicoloured paper wrapper, and contain 16 pieces of randomly distributed flavours. Four-pack packaging containing four rolls is common for supermarket sales.