Allen's, earlier A. W. Allen Limited, is an Australian brand of confectionery products produced by

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 ...

. Allen's is the top brand of sugar confectionery in Australia. It is best known for

Minties 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 mentha, mint-flavoured, which on chewing become so sticky ...

, a soft chewable

mint Mint or The Mint may refer to: Plants * Lamiaceae, the mint family ** ''Mentha'', the genus of plants commonly known as "mint" Coins and collectibles * Mint (facility), a facility for manufacturing coins * Mint condition, a state of like-new ...

-flavoured confectionery, and their varieties of 'Party Mix' lollies.

History

Allen's was founded by Alfred Weaver Allen (1870–1925), a

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

confectioner. Originally employed by MacRobertson's, he commenced confectionery production in 1891 at his Fitzroy confectionery shop. By 1909, Allen's was the third largest confectionery business in Melbourne, after those of MacRobertson and Abel Hoadley. It launched as a public company in 1922. It moved from an adjacent site to a vast factory built to the design of prominent Melbourne architect Joseph Plottel in

South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at the 2021 ...

on the banks of the

Yarra River The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River, (Kulin languages: ''Berrern'', ''Birr-arrung'', ''Bay-ray-rung'', ''Birarang'', ''Birrarung'', and ''Wongete'') is a perennial river in south-central Victoria, Australia. The lower st ...

(which had formerly housed

Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. Founded in Adelaide, it was an automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter that sold cars under its own marque in Australia. It was ...

's first Australian plant and Kraft Walker Foods), in the 1950s. Its animated neon sign was a local landmark up to its demise in 1987. Allen's abandoned chocolate production after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, however it became Australia's largest confectionery company. Allen's was purchased by UK-based Rothmans Holdings in 1985. Two years later it was sold to Nestlé. Allen's have been manufacturing confectionery in the town of Broadford, in Central Victoria, Australia since 1982. The manufacturing facility operates 24 hours a day, 5 days a week and Allen's has become synonymous with the town.

Products and brands

Current

* Fantales – * Jaffas *

* Sherbies * Milko * Red Ripperz * Bananas * Classic Party Mix * Party Mix * Retro Party Mix * Chew Mix * Fruits & Cream * Jelly Beans * Killer Pythons * Kool Mints * Kool Fruits * Snakes Alive * Frogs Alive * Cheekies * Strawberries & Cream * Pineapples * Freckles * All About Red * Jungle Stretchies * Sea Stretchies * Milk Bottles * Ice Pops * Sorbet Cones * Ripe Raspberries * Spearmint Leaves – * Black Cats * Bites Mini Chocolate Raspberries * Bites Mini White Choc Raspberries * Bites Mini Chocolate Black Cat * Bites Mini Chocolate Bananas *

Oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

Flavoured Milk Bottles and Oak Iced Coffee Milk Bottles *Sourz Snakes Alive * Sourz Tangy Randoms * Sourz Frogs Alive * Sherbies Sour Fizz Chews

Former

* Ace chewing gum * Cobbers * Bursting Bees * Butter menthols * Cure-em-quick (later Check-em-quick) * Irish Moss gum jubes * Jelly Tots – First introduced in 1998, discontinued in 2004; temporarily reintroduced in 2015 * Q. T. fruit drops * Steamrollers * Tangy Tots * Green Frogs – Discontinued in 2015 due to poor sales * Kool Chocs – Discontinued in 2015 * Racing Cars * Spearmint * Oddfellows * Marella Jubes – Discontinued in 2018 due to poor sales * Grubs – Part of Allen's reduced sugar range * Strawbs – Part of Allen's reduced sugar range * Frog Family * Peaches & Cream * Drumstick * Frosty Fruits

Adjustments to product lines

In October 2014, Allen's reduced the size of the 'Killer Python' product in order to reduce its portion size. It shrunk from 47 grams to 24 grams. The price of the snake was also adjusted accordingly. In June 2015, the 'Spearmint Leaves' and 'Green Frogs' product lines were discontinued as they were not selling well, although 'Spearmint Leaves' were reintroduced in 2020 and 2024. A

spokesperson said that the 'Red Frogs' "outsell the green 10 to one". In June 2023, Allen's announced that production of Fantales was to be discontinued due to declining sales.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Nestlé Nestlé brands Australian brands Brand name confectionery Australian confectionery 1891 establishments in Australia Australian companies established in 1891 Products introduced in 1891