Oatfield (confectioner) facts for kids
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| Confectionery Manufacturer | |
| Founded | 1927 |
| Defunct | 2012 (Brand and products still produced by Valeo Confectionery) |
| Headquarters | Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
| Products | Confectionery |
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Number of employees
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95 (peak) |
| Parent | Zed Candy Ltd. |
Oatfield was a famous company that made chocolates and sweets. It was located in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. For many years, it was the oldest sweet maker in Ireland. Even though the factory closed, you can still find Oatfield sweets today!
Contents
The Sweet Story of Oatfield
How It All Began
The Oatfield story started with the McKinney family. They had a shop on Port Road in Letterkenny. In 1927, they began making their own sweets. The very first sweets were made over an open fire in a small shed.
Soon, the family bought land to build a factory. This happened in 1929. By 1930, the factory was being built, and six people worked there.
The company was first called Mayfield Confectionery. But they soon changed the name to Oatfield. This was because another company in Manchester already used the name Mayfield. The land where the factory was built was known as "Oatfield." So, they simply used that name! In the early days, the factory made about 3 tons of sweets each week.
Where Ingredients Came From
In the 1930s, Oatfield bought sugar from a company called Tate & Lyle. Glucose, another important ingredient, came from Manchester. These ingredients arrived by ship and train through Derry. Later, glucose was shipped from the Netherlands directly to Letterkenny Port. Over time, Oatfield started using only Irish sugar and Irish glucose. The butter they used was always Irish Creamery Butter.
Growing Bigger and Selling Worldwide
By 1960, Oatfield made a big decision. They decided to stop selling sweets made by other companies like Cadbury's and Rowntree's. Instead, they chose to focus only on making and selling their own Oatfield sweets. This decision was a huge success for the company!
In 1964, Oatfield began exporting its sweets. The first sweets were sent to Northern Ireland. At its busiest time, Oatfield sweets were sent all over the world. You could find them in countries like the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, Kuwait, Greece, and France.
Oatfield Today
In 1999, a company called Donegal Creameries PLC bought Oatfield. Then, in 2007, Zed Candy bought the brand from Donegal Creameries. Zed Candy is an Irish company known for its chewing gum.
Before the factory closed, about 15 people worked there. They produced up to 65 tons of sweets each week! Some of their most popular sweets were Emerald, Toffees, Eclairs, and Boiled sweets. The biggest sellers were Emerald, Colleen Assortment, and Orange Chocolate.
The Oatfield factory in Letterkenny closed its doors on May 27, 2012. Production of the sweets moved to the UK. In May 2014, the old factory building was taken down. But don't worry, the Oatfield brand and its delicious sweets are still made today by Valeo Foods. You can still buy them all across Ireland!
Popular Oatfield Sweets
Oatfield made many different kinds of sweets over the years. Here are some of their well-known products:
- Oatfield Emerald
- Oatfield Eskimo Mints
- Oatfield Clove Drops
- Oatfield Eclairs
- Oatfield Glucose Barley
- Oatfield Glucose Fruits
- Oatfield Irish Butter Toffee
- Oatfield Liquorice Toffee
- Oatfield Mint Humbugs
- Oatfield Orange Chocolate
