Fox's Confectionery is an English

confectionery Confectionery is the Art (skill), art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlappi ...

company based in Braunstone,

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

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 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, Yorkshire, England. It was known for its toffee and the Quality Street and Rolo brands. Beginnings The firm was founded by John Mackintosh (1868-1920) and his wife, Violet (n ...

, a year prior to the creation of

Rowntree Mackintosh Rowntree Mackintosh Confectionery was a British company 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 (confectionery), Quality Street. It ...

when Mackintosh merged with Rowntree's of York. After purchasing Rowntree-Macintosh in 1988,

Nestlé Nestlé S.A. (; ; ) is a Switzerland, Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other me ...

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 hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the largest extant bear spec ...

is the original trademark used for

Fox's Glacier Mints Fox's Glacier Mints are a brand of boiled mint sold in the UK since 1918. History Background Walter Richard Fox, the founder of Fox's Confectionery, originally manufactured sweets as part of the Joyce and Fox partnership, but this was dissolved ...

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 Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first published in May 1945 by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry. T ...

'' books by the

Rev. W. Awdry Wilbert Vere Awdry (15 June 1911 – 21 March 1997) was an English Anglican minister, railway enthusiast, and children's author. He was best known for creating Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas and several other characters he created appeared in ...

. 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, Jacob' ...

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 (, literally "needle") is an Indonesian ''kretek'' (clove cigarette) brand/manufacturer founded on 21 April 1951 by Oei Wie Gwan in Kudus, Central Java. It produces dozens of domestic and international brands. Djarum Black, Super and ...

, a cigarette manufacturing company).

Products

* Fox's "Glacier" Range **

** 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 websiteXXX Mints

Guardian article: Callow returns as Fox's polar bearGuardian 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 {{food-company-stub