Fox's Confectionery Ltd is an English
confectionery
Confectionery is the Art (skill), art of making confections, or sweet foods. Confections are items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates, although exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confections are divided into two bro ...
company based in
Braunstone,
Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
which was founded in 1880.
History
The company was set up by Walter Richard Fox as a wholesale grocery and confectionery business in 1880. It started in a
Victorian
Victorian or Victorians may refer to:
19th century
* Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign
** Victorian architecture
** Victorian house
** Victorian decorative arts
** Victorian fashion
** Victorian literatur ...
warehouse in Leicester. By 1897 Fox was manufacturing over 100 different confectionery lines.
In 1969, the company was acquired by
Mackintosh's
Mackintosh's ( ) was a British confectionery firm founded in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. It was known for Mackintosh's Toffee, its toffee and the Quality Street (confectionery), Quality Street and Rolo brands.
Beginnings
The firm was fo ...
, a year prior to the creation of
Rowntree Mackintosh when Mackintosh merged with
Rowntree's of York. After purchasing Rowntree-Macintosh in 1988,
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. ( ) is a Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. It has been the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other metrics, since 20 ...
sold the Fox's Brand and its Leicester site to
Northern Foods
Northern Foods is a British food manufacturer headquartered in Wakefield, England. It was formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the original FTSE 100 Index. The company is credited, together with Marks & Spencer, ...
in 2001. The company was sold to
Big Bear Ltd in 2003. Big Bear Confectionery had sites in Blackburn, Leicester and Nimbus.
Peppy (from ''peppermint'') the
polar bear
The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a large bear native to the Arctic and nearby areas. It is closely related to the brown bear, and the two species can Hybrid (biology), interbreed. The polar bear is the largest extant species of bear ...
is the original trademark used for
Fox's Glacier Mints and was created by Leicester-based artist
C. Reginald Dalby, better known for illustrating ''
The Railway Series
''The Railway Series'' is a series of British books about a railway known as the North Western Railway, located on the fictional Sodor (fictional island), Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first published in May 1945 by Wi ...
'' books by the
Rev. W. Awdry.
Fox's Confectionery was acquired by
Valeo Foods
Valeo Foods is an Irish multinational producer of branded food and beverage products. The company has a portfolio of over 50 international food brands which are sold across 90 countries globally, including Rowse Honey, Odlums, Batchelors, Jac ...
in 2015.
Valeo Foods Group agrees €100 million acquisition of Raisio Plc’s confectionery division
/ref>
In Indonesia, Fox's candies are currently manufactured by PT Savoria Kreasi Rasa (a subsidiary of Djarum
PT Djarum (; ) is an Indonesian ''kretek'' (clove cigarette) manufacturer and conglomerate based in Kudus, Central Java. It produces dozens of domestic and international brands. Djarum Black, Super, and L.A. Lights are among the most popular ...
, a cigarette manufacturing company).
Products
* Fox's "Glacier" Range
** Fox's Glacier Mints
** Fox's Glacier Fruits
** Fox's Glacier Dark
* Paynes Poppets
* XXX Mints
* Just Mints
* Just Brazils
** Milk Chocolate Just Brazils
** Dark Chocolate Just Brazils
* Le Bar (discontinued ~1994)
References
External links
Company website
XXX Mints
Guardian article: Callow returns as Fox's polar bear
Guardian article: Fox's biscuits launches 'danda' ad
(mentions image rights vs Fox Polar Bear)
Nestlé brands
British companies established in 1880
Confectionery companies of the United Kingdom
1880 establishments in England
Food and drink companies established in 1880
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