Fox's Glacier Mints are a brand of boiled mint sold in the UK since 1918 and now manufactured by Valeo Confectionery.[1]
History
editBackground
editWalter Richard Fox, the founder of Fox's Confectionery, originally manufactured sweets as part of the Joyce and Fox partnership, but this was dissolved in 1897. Fox continued to make confectionery, and was joined in 1914 by his son Eric.[2]
Product creation and development
editGlacier Mints were first created in 1918 by Eric Fox.[1][3][4] To begin with, they were called Acme Clear Mint Fingers,[5] but this was changed to Glacier Mints in 1919, apparently on the advice of Eric Fox's wife.[2][4] From 1928, the mints have been individually wrapped.[5]
Since 1922, the mints have been branded with Peppy the polar bear,[6] who was designed by Clarence Reginald Dalby.[4][7] As part of an advertising campaign. Fox's commissioned a taxidermist to shoot and stuff a real polar bear for display purposes; the stuffed bear was shown at public events until in 1969, upon Fox's acquisition by Rowntree's, it was retired and replaced by a cartoon.[7] Peppy is typically depicted as though standing on one of the mints.[4] Glacier Mints resemble miniature blocks of ice and are clear and translucent. Companion products are Fox's Glacier Fruits (launched 1956) and Fox's Glacier Dark (launched 2002).[6]
The mint's centenary year in 2018 was marked with the release of two new products: spearmint-flavour mints and a selection of fruit flavoured sweets as part of a tropical selection.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b "New owners at former Leicester Fox's Mints factory". BBC. 13 December 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ a b Opie, Robert (2008-04-21). Sweet Memories. Pavilion Books. ISBN 978-1-905400-62-1.
- ^ Emily Gosden (1 March 2019). "Glacier mint factory melts into history". The Times. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Tom Pegden (28 February 2019). "The story of Fox's Glacier Mints in Leicester". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ a b Berry, Steve; Norman, Phil (2014). A History of Sweets in 50 Wrappers. London: The Friday Project. pp. 44–45. ISBN 9780007575480.
- ^ a b "The Fox's Glacier Family". Fox's Confectionery. Archived from the original on 15 September 2007. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ a b Maia Snow (28 February 2019). "What happened to Peppy the Fox's Glacier Mint polar bear?". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 16 June 2021.