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 sweets! It's owned by a big company called Nestlé. Allen's is famous for its chewy Minties and fun 'Party Mix' lollies. These are a favourite treat for many people in Australia. They've been making lollies for a very long time, since 1891!
Contents
The Story of Allen's Lollies
Allen's was started by Alfred Weaver Allen. He was a confectioner, which is someone who makes sweets. Alfred began making lollies in 1891 in his shop in Fitzroy, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia.
Growing Bigger
By 1909, Allen's was one of the biggest lolly makers in Melbourne. In 1922, it became a public company. This meant people could buy shares in the company. In the 1950s, Allen's moved to a huge new factory. This factory was in South Melbourne, right next to the Yarra River. The factory even had a cool neon sign that was a famous landmark!
New Owners
After World War II, Allen's stopped making chocolate. But it still grew to be Australia's largest lolly company. In 1985, a company from the UK called Rothmans Holdings bought Allen's. Then, just two years later, Nestlé bought Allen's.
Today, Allen's lollies are made in the town of Broadford, in Central Victoria, Australia. They've been making lollies there since 1982. The factory works 24 hours a day, 5 days a week!
Allen's Lollies: Past and Present
Allen's makes many different kinds of lollies. Some are still around today, and some have been discontinued.
Lollies You Can Still Find
Here are some of the popular lollies Allen's makes right now:
- Fantales
- Jaffas
- Minties
- 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 Flavoured Milk Bottles and Oak Iced Coffee Milk Bottles
- Sourz Snakes Alive
- Sourz Tangy Randoms
- Sourz Frogs Alive
- Sherbies Sour Fizz Chews
Lollies From the Past
Allen's has also made many lollies that are no longer sold. Here are some of them:
- Ace chewing gum
- Cobbers
- Bursting Bees
- Butter menthols
- Cure-em-quick (later Check-em-quick)
- Irish Moss gum jubes
- Jelly Tots – These were brought back for a short time in 2015.
- Q. T. fruit drops
- Steamrollers
- Tangy Tots
- Green Frogs – These stopped being made in 2015.
- Kool Chocs – These also stopped being made in 2015.
- Racing Cars
- Spearmint
- Oddfellows
- Marella Jubes – These stopped being made in 2018.
- Grubs – These were part of a range with less sugar.
- Strawbs – Also part of the reduced sugar range.
- Frog Family
- Peaches & Cream
- Drumstick
- Frosty Fruits
Changes to Lolly Lines
Sometimes, Allen's changes its lollies. This can mean changing their size or stopping them altogether.
Killer Pythons Get Smaller
In 2014, Allen's made their 'Killer Python' lollies smaller. They went from 47 grams to 24 grams. This was done to help with portion sizes. The price of the lolly was also changed to match the new size.
Some Lollies Disappear (and Return!)
In 2015, 'Spearmint Leaves' and 'Green Frogs' were stopped. This was because they weren't selling very well. But good news for 'Spearmint Leaves' fans – they were brought back in 2020! A spokesperson for Nestlé said that 'Red Frogs' sell much, much more than 'Green Frogs'.
In June 2023, Allen's announced that 'Fantales' would no longer be made. This was sad news for many Australians, but it was because sales had gone down.
