Minties facts for kids
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| Type | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Australia (1922) |
| Created by | James Noble Stedman |
| Main ingredients | Glucose syrup, cane sugar, gelatine, mint flavour, vegetable oil |
Minties are a popular type of candy from Australia. They are also made in New Zealand. These candies are white, chewy, rectangular, and taste like mint. When you chew them, they can become very sticky. This stickiness is famous for sometimes pulling out dental fillings!
Minties used to come in big tins or small cardboard boxes. Today, you can find them in packs of different sizes, from 150 grams to 1 kilogram. Each Mintie is wrapped in special waxed paper. Underneath the Minties logo on the wrapper, there's a small cartoon. The cartoon often has the funny saying: "It's moments like these you need Minties."
People love Minties! About 500 million of these candies are eaten every year.
In the early 1990s, a version called Chocomints was made. It mixed milk chocolate with the classic Minties recipe. Later in the 1990s, 'Spearmint Minties' were released. However, these were stopped before the year 1999 ended. In 2013, a company called Nestlé Australia introduced "Allen's Minties Smooth Mints Choc & Vanilla." These packets had both chocolate-mint and vanilla-mint flavors.
The Sweet History of Minties
Minties were invented in 1922 by a man named James Noble Stedman. His father, James Stedman, was Australia's very first candy maker! The Minties candy was officially protected by a patent in 1926. They were made at the "SweetAcres" factory in Rosebery, New South Wales. Other popular candies made there were "Fantales" and "Talky Toffee."
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Over the years, the company that made Minties changed hands. In 1968, another company called Hoadleys took over Stedman-Henderson. Then, in 1971, Rowntree's bought Hoadleys. Finally, in 1981, Nestlé took over the Rowntree's brand around the world. Today, Minties are sold as "Allens Minties" in Australia. Nestlé bought the Allens candy brand in 1985.
In New Zealand, a Minties factory opened in Auckland around 1930 or 1931. Now, a company called Cadbury makes them there as "Pascall Minties." In 2009, Cadbury New Zealand announced they would move production to Thailand. They also changed the recipe to make the candies softer. Interestingly, some 200-gram packets of Allens Minties sold in Australia in 2010 were still labeled "Made in New Zealand."
Minties During Tough Times
During the 1930s, advertising for Minties became less common. This was a time of economic difficulty.
Later, during World War II (until 1946), it was hard to get candy. Most of the candy that was made went to soldiers. After the war ended, advertising started again. People hoped that candy would soon be available for everyone.
Minties in Australian Culture
Minties were in stores by 1923. But they became very famous in June 1926 with a big advertising campaign. They were called "The Universal Sweet." Around this time, the SweetAcres company offered a special "MINTIES Magic Drawing Book." Kids could get this book by sending in a penny for postage. The book had pages that looked blank, but pictures would appear if you rubbed them lightly with a pencil. This offer lasted until September 1932.
The first Minties cartoons and the famous saying "It's moments like these..." appeared in late 1926. These cartoons showed funny or unlucky situations. They sometimes featured famous sports stars or politicians. But mostly, they showed everyday funny moments. The saying "It's moments like these" has become a common phrase in Australia. It means a time when you need a little comfort or a break.
In the 1940s, Minties used three different cartoons each week. These cartoons appeared everywhere: on the candy boxes, in newspapers, and on big signs at train stations.
Today, the cartoons are only on the wrappers. They are simple drawings of people doing everyday things. They are not meant to be super funny, but they still have the caption "It's moments like these...". Many artists have drawn these "Minties moments." Some of the well-known cartoonists include:
- Dick Alderton
- George Aria
- James Bancks (who created "Ginger Meggs")
- Ian Gall
- Alex Gurney (who created "Bluey and Curley")
- Peter Harrigan "Middy"
- Norman Hetherington "Heth" (who created Mr Squiggle)
- Eric Jolliffe
- Hardtmuth Lahm "Hotpoint" "Hotti" or "Hottie"
- Percy Lindsay
- F G Longstaff
- Jack Lusby
- Stewart McCrae "Pep"
- Arthur Mailey
- Emile Mercier
- Syd Miller (artist for Chesty Bond)
- Minainnick
- Norm Mitchell
- Rufus Morris
- Morrissey
- Syd Nicholls (who created "Fatty Finn")
- Adrienne Parkes
- Petrov
- William Edwin Pidgeon "Wep"
- Hal Quinlan
- Virgil Reilly "Virgil"
- Jim Russell (who drew "The Potts")
- Ted Scorfield (who drew the most cartoons)
- David Souter
- Les Such
- Dorothy Wall
- Harry John Weston (1874–1938)
- Unk White
- Jeremy Andrew
