W & M Duncan and Company facts for kids

W & M Duncan and Company, often called "Duncan's of Edinburgh", was a famous Scottish company that made sweets. Their most popular sweet was the Walnut Whip. Today, Nestlé Rowntree's makes the Walnut Whip.

How Duncan's Started

The story of Duncan's began in 1861. A woman named Mary Duncan and her oldest son, William, started a business in Dundee, Scotland. They began by making cakes.

In 1884, the company moved to Edinburgh. This was a big change because they started making chocolate sweets instead of just cakes. Later, in 1896, they moved their factory to Beaverhall Road in Edinburgh.

The Famous Walnut Whip

One of Duncan's most exciting moments was in 1910 when they launched the Walnut Whip. This sweet quickly became very popular! By 1916, their factory was six times bigger than when they started, showing how well the business was doing.

Changes Over the Years

In 1927, a larger company called Rowntree bought Duncan's. However, they kept the "Duncan's" name because it was so well-known.

Later, in 1967, the Edinburgh factory stopped making all other sweets and focused only on the Walnut Whip. This shows how important the Walnut Whip was to the company.

A New Chapter

In 1987, Rowntree closed the factory. But the story didn't end there! A group of managers bought the company and reopened it right away. They called it "Duncans of Scotland," bringing the old name back to life.

In 1991, a person named Jeremy Salvesen bought the new Duncan's business. He moved the company to Bellshill, which is in Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Chocolate for Soldiers

Duncan's also made chocolate for a special customer: the military! In 1991, Duncan's won a contract to supply chocolate bars for soldiers' ration packs. These were special food packs for soldiers.

From 1991 to 2003, Duncan's provided over 4 million chocolate bars to the armed forces. At first, they supplied two kinds: a Raisin and Cereal bar and a plain milk chocolate bar.

Over the years, they made more flavors for the soldiers. In 1993 and 1994, they supplied eight different flavors, including:

• Rum and Raisin
• Raisin and Cereal
• Plain Milk
• Milk Chocolate With Mint
• Mint Crisp
• Milk Chocolate With Orange

Later, to make things simpler and save money, they mostly supplied only the plain milk and raisin and cereal bars.

The End of Duncan's

Duncan's of Scotland was owned by a few different companies over time. Eventually, the company went out of business in February 2003. The parent company that owned Duncan's was officially closed in September 2020. Even though the company no longer exists, the Walnut Whip lives on!