Allen's facts for kids
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Allen's "Minties" candy
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| Type | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Owner | Nestlé |
| Country | Australia |
| Introduced | 1891 |
| Related brands | |
| Markets | Australia |
| Previous owners | Rothmans Holdings |
| Tagline | "A little bit of fun since 1891" |
Allen's is a super popular Australian brand that makes yummy lollies and candies! It used to be called A. W. Allen Limited. Today, a big company called Nestlé owns Allen's. It's actually the number one brand for sugary treats in Australia! Allen's is famous for its chewy Minties and its fun Party Mix bags of lollies.
Contents
The Sweet Story of Allen's
How Allen's Began
Allen's was started by a man named Alfred Weaver Allen. He was a candy maker in Melbourne, Australia. Alfred began making his own sweets way back in 1891. His first candy shop was in a place called Fitzroy.
By 1909, Allen's was already one of the biggest candy businesses in Melbourne. It became a public company in 1922. This meant people could buy shares in the company.
Growing Bigger and Changing Hands
In the 1950s, Allen's moved to a huge new factory. This factory was in South Melbourne, right by the Yarra River. A famous architect named Joseph Plottel designed it. The factory even had a cool neon sign that was a local landmark!
After World War II, Allen's stopped making chocolate. But it still grew to be Australia's largest candy company. In 1985, a company from the UK called Rothmans Holdings bought Allen's. Then, just two years later, Nestlé bought Allen's in 1987.
Allen's Today
Allen's has been making candy in the town of Broadford, Victoria, since 1982. The factory there works 24 hours a day, five days a week. Allen's is now a very important part of the Broadford community.
Popular Allen's Candies
Allen's makes many different kinds of lollies. Some are still made today, and some are no longer available.
Candies You Can Find Now
Here are some of the yummy Allen's candies you might know:
- Fantales
- Jaffas
- Minties
- Sherbies
- Milko
- Red Ripperz
- Bananas
- Classic Party Mix
- Party Mix
- Retro Party Mix
- Chew Mix
- Jelly Beans
- Killer Pythons
- Kool Mints
- Kool Fruits
- Snakes Alive
- Frogs Alive
- Cheekies
- Strawberries & Cream
- Pineapples
- Freckles
- Milk Bottles
- Ice Pops
- Sorbet Cones
- Ripe Raspberries
- Spearmint Leaves
- Black Cats
- Oak Flavoured Milk Bottles
- Sourz Snakes Alive
- Sourz Tangy Randoms
- Sourz Frogs Alive
- Sherbies Sour Fizz Chews
Candies from the Past
Allen's has also made many other candies that are not sold anymore. Some of these include:
- Ace chewing gum
- Cobbers
- Bursting Bees
- Butter menthols
- Irish Moss gum jubes
- Jelly Tots (last seen in 2015)
- Q. T. fruit drops
- Steamrollers
- Tangy Tots
- Green Frogs (stopped in 2015)
- Kool Chocs (stopped in 2015)
- Racing Cars
- Spearmint
- Oddfellows
- Marella Jubes (stopped in 2018)
- Grubs
- Strawbs
- Frog Family
- Peaches & Cream
- Drumstick
- Frosty Fruits
Changes to Allen's Candies
Companies sometimes change their products based on what people like.
Size and Sales Updates
In October 2014, Allen's made its 'Killer Python' lolly smaller. It went from 47 grams to 24 grams. The price also changed to match the new size.
In June 2015, Allen's stopped making 'Spearmint Leaves' and 'Green Frogs'. This was because they were not selling very well. A spokesperson for Nestlé said that 'Red Frogs' sold much more than 'Green Frogs'. Good news for fans: 'Spearmint Leaves' were brought back in 2020 and again in 2024!
In June 2023, Allen's announced that 'Fantales' would no longer be made. This was also due to sales going down.
See Also
- List of oldest companies in Australia
