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Who Makes Sweets?

This page shows you a little about the old fashioned Traditional Sweet Manufactures who supply many of our Retro Sweets range.
For info on our large range of American Sweets please see our World Sweets page.

Edwardian Confectionery CO. Ltd.
The company name may well continue reflecting how they still use traditional machinery to finish an artful hand manufacturing process creating various confectionery. But Mrs Shirley Ward shares knowledge that it was her father Alan and his brother Harold Edwards who started running this small family named factory.

Huthwaite used to have a few other sweet makers associated with their own local shops. Listed among a 1932 commercial directory, however, and addressed among pit houses at 183 Sutton Road, is one of many home run businesses first identifying Mrs Henrietta Sarah Elizabeth Edwards as a confectioner. Confirming a related grandmother clearly suggests that while her miner husband held employment at New Hucknall Colliery, Henrietta had founded her own family trade, which led two sons into setting up a joint venture.

The original Barker Street factory jointly run by Alan Edwards and Harold Edwards apparently made way for two later fronting bungalows. Entrance between those leads to the rear white building, which is where the works were relocated utilising old army Nissan huts. It dates from around the same year Huthwaite Secondary School opened directly behind in 1960. That school has since been adopted for the John Davis Primary children, and there's sure to be some parents now familiar with passing the minty aroma which enticed us to occasional treats in the Toffee or Tuffy Factory counter, plus watching the sugary work in progress.

Edwardian Confectionery was most successfully founded with exports once to the British Colonies, while it continues to supply national markets way beyond Huthwaite. The Edwards brothers sold off the company around 1986, although its new owner wisely kept the widely trusted name. Long service was known given by local workers and shared between some family members. Current staff add the number to those who would be able to proudly share tasty memory of times when working at this very sweet profession.

 Brays Sweets Newport Limited
History of Brays Sweets
Welcome to the Welsh Sweet Shop, the Internet site for Brays Sweets Limited. We are one of the few remaining traditional sweet manufacturers left in the UK. We have been making sweets for over 100 years!

Brays Sweets prides itself on quality, tradition and flavour, In our online shop, you will find a huge range of traditional handmade sweets together with a range of sweets from yesteryear.
The Factory
In our factory in South Wales, we make boiled sweets, fudges, toffees, chews and nougat. These sweets are made by hand to traditional family recipes, call in and see us, the smells are irresistible!.

Due to the unprecedented demand for an online ordering and payment method, a decision was taken to sell our sweets direct to our customers, via an online Internet shop. Note, we are not to be confused with the majority of online sweet shops, WE actually make our own sweets!

Boiling the Syrup
ALL OF THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN IN OUR FACTORY 
The ingredients for our sweets are hand weighed and stirred with long spatulas into shiny copper pans and heated over traditional open gas fires. This form of batch open pan gas/air forced draught cooking is the only real traditional method of cooking.
Boiling the Syrup
Tipping
Once the sugar/glucose mixture has reached hard crack, 150-154' c, it is removed from the fire and carefully tipped onto a water-cooled cast iron cooling table. The molten mass spreads and fills the table with a layer of sweet product.
Tipping
Mixing
The syrup mixture is left for a few minutes to cool before it is turned in with a pair of scissors and a pallet knife. The Sugar boiler then adds the flavourings plus any dextrose or food acid powders. These are mixed into the mass and kneaded until dissolved.
The batch is then cut into three pieces: a small part which will later form the white strip; a larger part which will form the centre of the sweet; and the third part, which is usually the biggest, will form the outer casing of the sweet.
Mixing

Pulling the Stripe
The smallest section is then taken to a small pulling machine. This machine has rotating arms which pull and aerate the sugar mixture which then changes colour, as if by magic, to a white creamy mass.
Pulling the Stripe

Striping
The "stripe" is then further kneaded until soft and light. It is added to the outer casing in the form of stripes, the number of stripes depends on the product, but it is generally between four and twelve. The art is to ensure that each stripe is uniform and identical to all the other stripes.
Striping

Putting it Together
The striped outer casing is flipped over and the centre is rolled into a cylinder. The centre is then placed on top of the casing and the casing is then folded around the centre. This forms a giant sweet! This monster sweet, which can weigh almost 100 pounds (50kg) is carried by two people and placed into the batch roller which is heated. The batch roller has four rotating conical rollers which taper the giant sweet into a manageable size or "rope".Putting it Together
Forming the Sweets
The "giant" sweet is fed into the forming dye which stamps out each individual shape. At this stage, the sweets are still warm and are joined together at the corners. They follow each other 'nose to tail' along the conveyor belt, onto which is blown cold air. They end up around the carousel, cooling and waiting to be taken to the next stage.
Forming the Sweets

Forming and Cooling
The sweets follow each other 'nose to tail' along the conveyor belt, onto which is blown cold air. They end up around the carousel, cooling and waiting to be taken to the next stage. The sweets are sieved to eliminate any sharp edges and transferred to a wrapping machine.
Forming and Cooling

Wrapping the Sweets
We have two types of wrapping machine: automatic and semi-automatic. The image shows an operative feeding the machine on a semi-automatic wrapping machine. The sweets can be wrapped in cellophane, wax or more recently PVC wrapping films. However, the style is always the familiar fan tail twist wrap.
The finished wrapped sweets are then inspected and taken for packing either into jars, bags or packets.
Wrapping the Sweets
It's a Secret!
You now know how to make sweets. Please don't tell anyone, it's a secret!
Why don't you make your own? Refer to the "Make Sweets at Home" section on this site.
Maxons
Maxons is a family run business based in Sheffield -
one of the few remaining traditional sweet manufacturers
in the north of England.

We manufacture and supply a full range of the highest quality
boiled sweets to a range of specialist retailers, wholesalers,
and cash & carries under our various brands; Maxons, Dixons and Jesmona.

Through a network of selected distributors and partners, Maxons' products are available throughout the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Continental Europe and the USA.
We are actively looking to expand our range of partners and activities.

We also undertake contract and own label work for distributors and manufacturers in the UK and Europe as well as being one of the main suppliers of boiled confectionery to the expanding branded heritage market.

We specialise in boiled sugar confectionery and flavoured sherbets.

With our dedicated team of experienced manufacturing craftsmen, we would be delighted to discuss bespoke product needs, for small or large orders.


Our history

The history of Maxons Ltd. is very much centred around the enterprise of one man - Ralph Pitchfork - who wanted to be his own boss and improve the living standards for his growing family.

Ralph Pitchfork was born in 1913, the son of a Sheffield newsagent, who, on leaving school in 1931, when employment was scarce following the great depression, managed to gain employment with one of his father's suppliers - a local wholesaler. He remained with them until 1950 when he purchased a local wholesale and manufacturing confectioners in Sheffield.

The wholesaling company traded as Ralph Pitchfork Ltd. with the manufacturing arm trading as Maxons Ltd.

Following the end of sweet rationing in 1953, both the wholesale and manufacturing companies began to expand and, in 1958, Ralph Pitchfork merged his two companies with those of another Sheffield confectioner of a similar size.

Henry Dixon Ltd. had existed since the late nineteenth century and had acquired a significant reputation and history in the area.

The merger created a substantial wholesale company that traded under the name of Dixon Pitchfork Ltd. The enlarged Maxons included not only the Maxons branded range, but also added the Dixons range to its portfolio of products - these included the regional favourites; Mint Rock, Cherry Balsams and Buttermints.

It was also in the 1960s that the registered name of Jesmona Black Bullets was acquired in from a company in the North East of England and the production of their weigh-out jars, pre-packs, 1/2lb and 1lb tins was moved to the factory in Sheffield.

The wholesale company of Dixon Pitchfork Ltd. was sold in the late 1960s and eventually, like many privately owned wholesale confectioners lost its identity to one of the national groups.

Maxons continues as a privately owned, independent, manufacturing company under the direction of Ralph's son - Roger Pitchfork, and grandsons - Chris & Richard Pitchfork. The traditional brands of Maxons, Dixons, and Jesmona account for the majority of production that is distributed predominantly in the North of England through the wholesale distribution networks.

However, there is also a growing own-label business making for many regional wholesalers and various niche markets. Notable amongst these is the rapidly expanding "heritage" markets as well as some of London's prestigious department stores.

Maxons products are also available in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Uncle joe's sweets

The founder of the company was called William Santus. He was born on July 27th in 1873 and like so many Wiganers of that era, grew up in poverty; one of seven brothers and sisters, with their father working as a shot firer in the local colliery. The family lived at 73 Platt Lane, Scholes (then known as St. Catherine’s ward.) Little is known of his childhood, except that he left school at fourteen, most probably working on a fruit stall in Wigan Market Hall. He eventually bought his own stall, number 125, selling fruit and vegetables to the Wigan public. He would probably have continued in this line of trade had he not married a local girl named Ellen Seddon; a dressmaker by profession.

It so happened that Ellen's family had some great friends known as the Attys. They were a family of established confectioners and it was most likely they who taught Ellen Seddon the skilful art of making toffee. The sweets started off as a sideline on the corner of his fruit stall, but Ellen must have shown a natural aptitude because within a few years they were to become William’s exclusive trade. They were married in 1898 at Greenough Street Methodist church (incidentally, the only place in Wigan to be bombed in World War II) and went to live in a little house at 6 Acton Street, Wigan.

By the year 1908, William owned market stalls, not only in Wigan but also at Bolton and St. Helens. The sweets were immensely popular and with a business thriving, the tiny kitchen in Acton Street was overloaded. Being a shrewd businessman William realised it was time to expand and so the ‘Swinley Confectionery Company’ was born. William and Ellen went into partnership with William’s brother-in-law; a well-known Wiganer charismatically titled J.J. Fortune. He owned some property at 62 Kenyon Road and so, in the shadow of the huge Rylands Cotton Mill, a small domestic factory was built where this new company would produce their mint balls and treacle toffee amongst others. William sold his market stalls in Bolton and St. Helens and all the sweets were destined to be eaten by Wiganers. The toffee was transported from Gidlow to the Market by means of a small truck and a small boy, Eric. The boy attended Wigan Grammar School (along with future Governing Director of the company, Frank Winnard.) He used to get up early and hand wrap all the sweets that he was to deliver. He would then take them down to the market and collect them again at lunchtime. In return, he would receive what every schoolboy dream of, a few bob a week and as many sweets as he could eat. This arrangement lasted for around six years. But once again the demand for toffee forced another move, one that was to last until the present day. In 1919, construction commenced on a new factory. at Dorning Street, off Wallgate. “The firm is to be congratulated” stated the Wigan Observer that year “on their enterprise in embarking on their new development as it will find employment for a considerable number of people.”

The new factory was soon completed at a cost of £2,400 and ‘Swinley Confectionery Company’ underwent another change. Mr Fortune retired from business to become a Justice of the Peace and so the name of the firm was altered to ‘William Santus and Company’. Obviously, production increased and new workers were hired. Mr Santus began an informal policy of only employing staff if they met two criteria. Firstly, they had to know someone who already worked at the factory - and they had to be Methodists. This assured that the working atmosphere was always friendly and happy. He was a good boss; firm but fair and the workers had a healthy respect for his temper!

The 1930's were possibly the most significant years in the history of the company. 1933 saw the official patenting of the Uncle Joe's Mint Balls and in 1937 the company became fully registered. Mr Santus must have decided that they were in a position to advertise their services. He had great faith in his product, and in a letter to his advertising agency, dated 1937 wrote, "Most people would like Uncle Joe's Mint Balls if only they could try them once - this seems to be a proven fact."

So in an advertising campaign of the 1930's he set great store by sampling. Men, women and children were each targeted separately. Free samples were distributed to men queuing in the cold outside football and rugby grounds. Once inside there were more packets for sale and these often enclosed another sample packet containing one mint balls printed with the slogan "Take this one home for the kiddie". Most men would comply with this suggestion and the mint ball would be taken home and presented as a gift.
 
FOX'S / PAYNES
FOX'S GLACIER MINTS
Fox's Glacier Mints have a history that dates back to 1918. The mints were developed by Eric Fox, one of the founders of Fox's Confectionery business. The sweets quickly established themselves as a favourite amongst consumers of all ages and today still have a strong, loyal and established customer base.
In 1922 Peppy the polar bear was introduced to both packs and advertising as the icon for the Glacier Mints product and he still remains on pack today not only on our Mint packaging but on all the variants of the Fox's Glacier range. Fox's Glacier Mints are the leading, branded, boiled mint on the market. The sweets are produced using natural mint oils and no artificial colours and we ensure that only the best ingredients are used. Fox's Glacier Mints have strong distribution throughout the UK and can be purchased from outlets such as Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, Cash & Carry's, Garage Forecourts and Corner Shops. Next time you visit a hotel or restaurant look out for our distinctive blue wax wraps on receptions and rooms, as they are often a favourite in outlets like these.
FOX'S GLACIER FRUITS
Fox's Glacier Fruits were launched in 1956 as an extension to the Glacier range and soon became an integral part of Fox's Confectionery portfolio.
The quality of the product remains key to the continued success of the brand and today in line with all of the Glacier range, the sweets are made using only the finest quality ingredients. Fox's Glacier Fruits are made with real concentrated fruit juice and contain no artificial colours and now with added vitamin C. Each pack contains a mix of six flavours, Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackcurrant, Orange, Lemon and Lime and are "Clearly Better Sweets". 100ml of our concentrated fruit juices contain the equivalent of at least 650ml of single strength fruit juice and 6 sweets contain 40% of recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. Along with Glacier Mints lookout for our sweets in supermarkets, convenience stores, Cash & Carries and a multitude of other outlets. Don't forget Glacier Fruits are great to share on a long journey!
FOX'S GLACIER DARK
In September 2002, Fox's Liquorice & Aniseed (Glacier Dark) was launched as an addition to the range.
In line with the rest of Fox's Glacier range, the product is produced using real liquorice extract to deliver an intense and unique flavour. Since the launch of the product in 2002, the product has become a strong member of Fox's Glacier family and demand for the product is growing year on year. In August 2005 Liquorice & Aniseed rebranded to Fox's Glacier Dark with an updated contemporary design to ensure consistency throughout the Glacier range.

Tilley's - Oakfield & Zed Candy

About Us
Zed Candy was formed in 1999 producing bubble gum to be enjoyed the world over. In 2001 Zed Candy purchased Tilley’s, a producer of traditional boiled sweets. In 2007 Oatfield sweets joined the group – their range includes toffee, jellies and boiled sweets.

For more information please see the company profiles.

Zed Candy

Zed Candy is the brainchild of two Irish entrepreneurs: Brendan Roantree and Donal Kavanagh. Having gained many years of experience in the confectionery industry the duo decided on board a turbulent flight from Australia that they would start up their own company making Bubblegum. And so late one night high over the waves of the Indian Ocean Zed Candy was born.
In 1999, Zed Candy was opened for business. Calling on the manufacturing experience gained by Brendan and the imagination and designs of Donal the company grew from strength to strength introducing the world to new concepts in gum with exciting graphics, unimaginable characters and an assortment of extreme and exciting flavours to compliment the milder ones.
A growing company needed a bigger manufacturing site and in 2001 Zed Candy acquired Leaf Ireland Ltd., where the range continued to grow. Leaf Ireland was set up in 1959 by the Leaf family to satisfy a European taste for Bubblegum that had emerged after World War 2, during which the Europeans developed a liking for this new bubblegum taste from the US as favoured by the American GI’s. Today Zed Candy distributes a range of confectionery to 25 countries worldwide.

Most famous for our Jawbreakers – a serious piece of hard candy with a gum centre that is available in a variety of sizes from Mini Jawbreaker to Jumbo Jawbreaker right up to Mammouth Jawbreaker (the 8-hour challenge) and flavours ranging from the ever-popular Strawberry Jawbreaker, the super Sour Jawbreaker and the devilishly hot Fireball Jawbreaker. Jawbreaker features as the elusive prize in the cartoon Ed, Ed & Eddie. The Jawbreaker Tetine, a soother shaped jawbreaker is a favourite for jawbreaker lovers in France.
Another one of our mega brands is Fizz Bombs a sour, fizzy boiled sweet Fizz Bombs must be tried. You will undoubtedly know some of our soft gum range – Golf Balls, Rainblo, Eyepoppers and Bubble King to name a few.
At Zed Candy, we are committed to coming up with new, exciting products with extreme flavours to thrill our customers and keep them wanting more of our great flavours.
Coming soon at Zed Candy is our brand new range of gummies/jellies all made with real fruit juice and low in fat.

Tilley's

Francis Tilley was a man of vision, a man with a dream – he wanted to capture the flavours of life and share them with his family, friends, neighbours, strangers – anyone who longed for a sweet.

But Francis was a perfectionist – so these were no ordinary sweets. In 1885 Tilley began to make confectionary in his small shop in London. His exotic flavours were procured from the far-reaching corners of the British Empire, his sugar transported from the New World – his sweets tasted like nothing England had ever witnessed before.

From that small shop in London in 1885 Tilley’s Sweets grew and prospered and today we strive to achieve the same high standards established over a century ago and share with you Tilley’s superbly exquisite confectionary, derived from the best ingredients available today.

In Tilley’s Sweets, Francis Tilley achieved what he set out to do and is now the first and last word in traditional boiled sweets the world over. Famous for his amazing Mint Humbugs, superb Sherbet Lemons¸ exquisite Chocolate Limes and traditional Rhubarb and Custard, Tilley’s Sweets promises to deliver the best in traditional English boiled sweets.

We hope that you enjoy eating Francis Tilley’s uniquely special legacy of quintessential confectionary made for the most discerning of palettes.

Oatfield

In 1927, a family-owned wholesaler in Letterkenny, a small town in Donegal, on Ireland's north-west coast was faced with a problem – they could not source the high-quality Toffees or traditional boiled sweets that they required for the shops that they distributed to but they could get an ample supply of sugar.

The solution was obvious - make the sweets themselves but they were wholesalers not manufactures! They took about the task with enthusiasm and a sense of adventure into the unknown. Oatfield Sweets was born in a family kitchen on the main street of Letterkenny. It was rumoured that the stoves of that kitchen never went out once the sweet smell of the delicious Toffee and delectable Boiled Sweets meandered its way through the streets of this small town and into the hearts of its people and beyond.

In 1933, the taste for these sweets was so great that a factory had to be opened to deal with the ever-increasing demand.

Today the Toffees and Boiled Sweets are made in the same traditional fashion, the ingredients are hand filled and boiled in copper kettles, then laid out to cool on tables, and cut into sections by heated knives.

Try to find two pieces of Oatfield Toffee that are the same – its almost impossible because as our toffee cools it finds its own shape – making each piece as individual as a snowflake.

Today our range has broadened to include a wide range of Traditional Toffees, Jellies and Boiled Sweets, as well as chocolate with some of our well, know brands enjoyed in the far corners of the world. Our coconut flavoured chocolate covered caramels - Emeralds are a favourite throughout the world, while our chocolate-filled Eclairs promise to keep your mouth busy enjoying the chewy delight, while our Eskimo Mints will keep your breath fresh for hours.

In 1927, the task was mighty but as today in Letterkenny, as the sweet smell still meanders through the streets we say the risk was worth it – what do you think?

Stockleys Sweets

As one of the countries most loved sweet manufacturers, Stockleys has a rich history filled with sweet success and fantastic memories.

Our medicinal sweets are renowned throughout the country and recently we have begun producing sugar-free products for those with dietary requirements.

History

As the first world war ended, Malcolm Stockley returned to his native Accrington to recommence the craft he had pursued as a younger man - the art of toffee making. 

It was from these humble beginnings in a shed in High Street, Rileys Hill that the name of Stockley's first became recognised as quality sweet manufacturers...that quality tradition continues today. 

The name of Stockley's was first seen in many different places, from Market stalls in Lancashire to retail stands at Blackpool Pleasure Beach and from England to America, where Stockley's proudly exhibited their goods at the World Exhibition in San Francisco in 1939. 

The name Stockley's is synonymous with such wonderful names as Winter Nips, Herbal Candy, Cinder Toffee, Bronchial Lozenges, Sarsaparilla Sticks, Pear Drops, Barley Sugar, Caramels and their world-famous Coltsfoot Rock.

Sweets Nutritional Advice

Eating sweets is a treat that was very rare when Malcolm Stockley first started his business; after the war, British people had endured great hardships and his sweets brought smiles back to the faces of many adults and children lucky enough to taste his recipes.

These days sweets are commonplace and considered everyday items in daily diets rather than a special event cherished and longed for by children of yesteryear.

Having sweets so close to hand, especial small hands means that involving them in your daily diet is an important concern as any dentist and doctor will tell you.

While the old saying has an air of truth where anything that tastes good must be bad, even more so is the fact that something that is bad for you in moderation is fine.

If you use common sense where sweets are concerned then adults and children alike can enjoy the benefits of their flavours and avoid the downside of these little gems - a good idea to help you is to buy smaller packets of sweets rather than large jars this way you can bring them out and finish the bag without eating a kilo of sweets.

But if you must have a large jar (as we all have from time to time) then keep it in a high place out of sight to avoid little hands and greedy eyes.

Not all sweets are so bad, especially Stockleys Traditional sweets; the majority of Malcolm's recipes originated as soothers for ailments such as sore throats, fresh breath or even energy boosts - so when you are feeling run down try a Barley Sugar Stick!

There are many benefits to these traditional sweets and where we can, we have outlined the origins and thoughts behind Malcolm's recipes for you to enjoy - so sit back and ease your mind knowing that Stockleys Sweets are prepared using traditional methods and where possible are made using no artificial colours or preservatives

Stockley's Sweets has been acquired by Yorkshire wholesaler Morris and Son which will be it's second sweet manufacturing purchase within three months.
Leeds-based £15m turnover Morris and Son has acquired the assets and goodwill of Sweet Luxuries, a specialist sugar-free sweet manufacturer based in Cleckheaton which supplies products under the ‘Sugarless’ brand. 

The deal follows Morris and Son's purchase of Stockley's Sweets in November, creating an extended range of quality sweets to suit all customers.

Stockley's Sweets are back from the brink!

November 16, 2009: Manchester Evening News

A historic Lancashire sweets manufacturer has been bought out of administration, securing the future of the 90-year-old firm and all 38 staff.

Accrington-based Stockley's Sweets makes a range of traditional confectionery including pear drops, barley sugars and cinder toffee, but the collapse of Woolworths led to the failure of its parent company Mr Lucky Bags in September.

Now Stockley's has been bought out by Leeds-based wholesaler Morris and Son, which wanted to strengthen its supply chain and broaden its product range.

The internally funded deal, for an undisclosed amount, was pulled together in just three days after interest from other parties.

Morris and Son managing director Andy Needham said: “Stockley’s has always been a very solid business that was unfortunately dragged into problems caused by the failure of its parent company.

“We saw a really good fit between our businesses and have been able to secure a deal with the administrators that saves all the jobs, helps us grow our business and creates more opportunities for Stockley’s too, so it's a dream deal for us.”

Founded in 1918, £2m turnover Stockley’s parent Mr Lucky Bags was lumbered with bad debt after Woolworths stopped trading last November.

Steve Roberts, who advised on the deal for BTG McInnes, said: “The Stockley's management team led by Phil and Kath Lawson, the highly skilled workforce, and a well-established brand and product range, are great assets.

“Combined with Morris’ financial strength, purchasing power, distribution and operating facilities, alongside many additional routes to market, should see the consolidated business bedding down very quickly indeed.
RILEYS CHOCOLATES -
known for Riley's Toffee Rolls - About Us

The Director of Ella Riley Ltd (Mrs Freya Sykes)  is the Granddaughter of Ella Riley after whom she named the company in honour of her much loved Granny.   It was Ella (shown left), who wrote down the recipe by hand along with the instructions to make that same creamy delightful toffee of yesteryear. 
Until recently it was thought that the original family toffee recipe had been lost forever. Gone and forgotten in the mists of time.  However, we were wrong.  You see, Ella was a good old fashioned hoarder, being of the generation who went through the war it came as second nature to her save everything "just in case it would come in handy".  As such, Ella Riley had written down the family recipe for toffee and had placed it in her cookery book along with lots of other handwritten recipes and others that had been clipped out of newspapers.   When Ella passed away in the 1980s that recipe book passed to her daughter in law - Freya's Mother.  When Freya's Mother passed away in early 2002 the recipe book then passed to Freya, and astoundingly sat on her bookshelf for 6 years before seeing the light of day again! 
It was during the Easter school holiday that Freya took the recipe book down from the shelf and decided to try out some of the family recipes...when upon mentioning that she was making toffee to friends and family, the idea came about to start producing the toffee again, but this time under the name of "Ella's Toffee" in memory of her Grandmother who had written down the recipe Freya was using.
It was from these same conversations that the idea was born for the shop as a place to produce the toffee from and to sell all the other old fashioned traditional sweets that people remembered too.
And so the delicious toffee of years gone by is back in production, under the name of Riley's Toffee Rolls and the company and shop is called Ella Riley's in homage to Freya's Grandmother.
We also make other confectionery, such as treacle, cinder and butter toffee, Scottish tablet, coconut ice and are committed to producing new lines on a regular basis.
As the owners of an independent, family-run sweet shop we are also committed to helping other small sweetshops and family-run enterprises like cafe's, deli's and farm shops.  As such you will only ever find our products being sold in places like that and not in supermarkets. t toffee. Coated in a subline, rich flavoured dark chocolate brings out the sweetness of the toffee perfectly.

 

The Director of Ella Riley Ltd (Mrs Freya Sykes)  is the Granddaughter of Ella Riley after whom she named the company in honour of her much loved Granny.   It was Ella (shown left), who wrote down the recipe by hand along with the instructions to make that same creamy delightful toffee of yester-year. 

Until recently it was thought that the original family toffee recipe had been lost forever. Gone and forgotten in the mists of time.  However, we were wrong.  You see, Ella was a good old fashioned hoarder, being of the generation who went through the war it came as second nature to her save everything "just incase it would come in handy".  As such, Ella Riley had written down the family recipe for toffee and had placed it in her cookery book along with lots of other hand written recipes and others that had been clipped out of newspapers.   When Ella passed away in the 1980's that recipe book passed to her daughter in law - Freya's Mother.  When Freya's Mother passed away in early 2002 the recipe book then passed to Freya, and astoundingly sat on her book shelf for 6 years before seeing the light of day again! 

It was during the Easter school holiday that Freya took the recipe book down from the shelf and decided to try out some of the family recipes...when upon mentioning that she was making toffee to friends and family, the idea came about to start producing the toffee again, but this time under the name of "Ella's Toffee" in memory of her Grandmother who had written down the recipe Freya was using.

It was from these same conversations that the idea was born for the shop as a place to produce the toffee from and to sell all the other old fashioned traditional sweets that people remembered too.

And so the delicious toffee of years gone by is back in production, under the name of Riley's Toffee Rolls and the company and shop is called Ella Riley's in homage to Freya's Grandmother.

We also make other confectionery, such as treacle, cinder and butter toffee, Scottish tablet, coconut ice and are committed to producing new lines on a regular basis.

As the owners of an independant, family run sweetshop we are also committed to helping other small sweetshops and family run enterprises like cafe's, deli's and farmshops.  As such you will only ever find our products being sold in places like that and not in supermarkets. 

To find your nearest vendor of our goodies simply go to our stockists page for details.

 

The Director of Ella Riley Ltd (Mrs Freya Sykes)  is the Granddaughter of Ella Riley after whom she named the company in honour of her much loved Granny.   It was Ella (shown left), who wrote down the recipe by hand along with the instructions to make that same creamy delightful toffee of yester-year. 

Until recently it was thought that the original family toffee recipe had been lost forever. Gone and forgotten in the mists of time.  However, we were wrong.  You see, Ella was a good old fashioned hoarder, being of the generation who went through the war it came as second nature to her save everything "just incase it would come in handy".  As such, Ella Riley had written down the family recipe for toffee and had placed it in her cookery book along with lots of other hand written recipes and others that had been clipped out of newspapers.   When Ella passed away in the 1980's that recipe book passed to her daughter in law - Freya's Mother.  When Freya's Mother passed away in early 2002 the recipe book then passed to Freya, and astoundingly sat on her book shelf for 6 years before seeing the light of day again! 

It was during the Easter school holiday that Freya took the recipe book down from the shelf and decided to try out some of the family recipes...when upon mentioning that she was making toffee to friends and family, the idea came about to start producing the toffee again, but this time under the name of "Ella's Toffee" in memory of her Grandmother who had written down the recipe Freya was using.

It was from these same conversations that the idea was born for the shop as a place to produce the toffee from and to sell all the other old fashioned traditional sweets that people remembered too.

And so the delicious toffee of years gone by is back in production, under the name of Riley's Toffee Rolls and the company and shop is called Ella Riley's in homage to Freya's Grandmother.

We also make other confectionery, such as treacle, cinder and butter toffee, Scottish tablet, coconut ice and are committed to producing new lines on a regular basis.

As the owners of an independant, family run sweetshop we are also committed to helping other small sweetshops and family run enterprises like cafe's, deli's and farmshops.  As such you will only ever find our products being sold in places like that and not in supermarkets. 

To find your nearest vendor of our goodies simply go to our stockists page for details.

 

The Director of Ella Riley Ltd (Mrs Freya Sykes)  is the Granddaughter of Ella Riley after whom she named the company in honour of her much loved Granny.   It was Ella (shown left), who wrote down the recipe by hand along with the instructions to make that same creamy delightful toffee of yester-year. 

Until recently it was thought that the original family toffee recipe had been lost forever. Gone and forgotten in the mists of time.  However, we were wrong.  You see, Ella was a good old fashioned hoarder, being of the generation who went through the war it came as second nature to her save everything "just incase it would come in handy".  As such, Ella Riley had written down the family recipe for toffee and had placed it in her cookery book along with lots of other hand written recipes and others that had been clipped out of newspapers.   When Ella passed away in the 1980's that recipe book passed to her daughter in law - Freya's Mother.  When Freya's Mother passed away in early 2002 the recipe book then passed to Freya, and astoundingly sat on her book shelf for 6 years before seeing the light of day again! 

It was during the Easter school holiday that Freya took the recipe book down from the shelf and decided to try out some of the family recipes...when upon mentioning that she was making toffee to friends and family, the idea came about to start producing the toffee again, but this time under the name of "Ella's Toffee" in memory of her Grandmother who had written down the recipe Freya was using.

It was from these same conversations that the idea was born for the shop as a place to produce the toffee from and to sell all the other old fashioned traditional sweets that people remembered too.

And so the delicious toffee of years gone by is back in production, under the name of Riley's Toffee Rolls and the company and shop is called Ella Riley's in homage to Freya's Grandmother.

We also make other confectionery, such as treacle, cinder and butter toffee, Scottish tablet, coconut ice and are committed to producing new lines on a regular basis.

As the owners of an independant, family run sweetshop we are also committed to helping other small sweetshops and family run enterprises like cafe's, deli's and farmshops.  As such you will only ever find our products being sold in places like that and not in supermarkets. 

To find your nearest vendor of our goodies simply go to our stockists page for details.

            THE HISTORY OF CLEEVES TOFFEES -
Cleeves Toffees owes its origins to the entrepreneurship of one man, Thomas Henry Cleeve (pictured right). His father was an Englishman who emigrated to Canada and married an Irish woman of a Huguenot background.
Thomas was born in Quebec in 1844. He was reared and educated in Canada and came to Limerick, Ireland in 1864 to assist his uncle, Mr Ben Journeaux, who had a large agricultural machinery business there called J.P. Evans and Company. Thomas quickly took to business affairs, his responsibilities within his uncle’s business kept increasing and he saw numerous opportunities presented by the great agricultural resources of Limerick and surrounding counties. He was a restless individual, always eager to get ahead and soon he started his own business having persuaded his three brothers to join him in Limerick.

He acquired a mill and turned it to an enterprise baling hay into compact-sized bales that were easy to handle and transport and very soon he was exporting hay to England. However, it was the dairy industry where Thomas came to make his mark. Again Thomas acquired a mill that had been used for textiles and then flour but which he rearranged for the manufacture of butter and other dairy products.
His brothers were instrumental in establishing a large number of creameries throughout Munster and their output was channelled into a new factory which Thomas opened in 1889 and which he situated across the road from his mill.
Within 10 years, the Cleeves Brothers operated the largest milk processing factory in Ireland.
But ahead of his time, Thomas saw the advantage of adding value as well as forward integration to his operations and so aside from processing the cream and skim milk, the factory branched out into the manufacture of butter, chocolate, tinned condensed milk, cream, boxes and most importantly for our business, sweets and particularly toffee.

THE HISTORY OF CLEEVES TOFFEES - 

In the early 1900s, the factory was producing not just 60,000 tins of condensed milk each day but was also producing the tins and transporting the various products of the factory to all parts of the British Empire. Business peaked with the start of World War One in 1914 and condensed milk sales boomed throughout the war. The factory employed in excess of 1,000 workers in the period from 1900 to 1918.
Sir Thomas Cleeve, as he had become, died in 1908, and the business suffered a change in fortune once the war ended, partly due to civil and economic unrest in Ireland at the time. The company went into liquidation in 1923. The State took over the running of the Condensed Milk Company of Ireland and the Cleeves name was maintained only through the continued operation of the sweet factory.

Cleeves Slab Toffee, sometimes with the sub-branding ( Limerick Cream), then became the company's major product until it ceased manufacturing in 1974. The product was exported all over the world and is fondly remembered as being an integral part of Ireland's confectionery industry for most of the 20th century. The product is featured in the international bestseller, Angela's Ashes, the autobiographical account by Frank McCourt of his Limerick childhood.

Brian McMahon acquired the Cleeves brand in 1974 and used the brand on a range of toffee and chocolate products which he manufactured between 1974 and 1986. Between 1986 and 2007, the Cleeves brand was owned first by Clara Candy and then Wilton Candy. Although both companies used the brand name, neither company did anything about reintroducing the slab toffee product.

Leo Cummins of L.C. Confectionery Ltd acquired Wilton Candy in 2007 and has successfully re-established the Cleeves brand in the international confectionery industry. L.C. Confectionery made it a priority to reintroduce the pivotal product in 2008 - the centenary year of the death of Sir Thomas Cleeve. Cleeves Golden Days toffee is the next Cleeves product to be revived - coming to market very soon.


In the early 1900’s, the factory was producing not just 60,000 tins of condensed milk each day but was also producing the tins and transporting the various products of the factory to all parts of the British Empire. Business peaked with the start of World War One in 1914 and condensed milk sales boomed throughout the war. The factory employed in excess of 1,000 workers in the period from 1900 to 1918.
Sir Thomas Cleeve, as he had become, died in 1908, and the business suffered a change in fortune once the war ended, partly due to civil and economic unrest in Ireland at the time. The company went into liquidation in 1923. The State took over the running of the Condensed Milk Company of Ireland and the Cleeves name was maintained only through the continued operation of the sweet factory.

Cleeves Slab Toffee, sometimes with the sub-branding ( Limerick Cream), then became the company's major product until it ceased manufacturing in 1974. The product was exported all over the world and is fondly remembered as being an integral part of Ireland's confectionery industry for most of the 20th century. The product is featured in the international bestseller, Angela's Ashes, the autobiographical account by Frank McCourt of his Limerick childhood.

Brian McMahon acquired the Cleeves brand in 1974 and used the brand on a range of toffee and chocolate products which he manufactured between 1974 and 1986. Between 1986 and 2007, the Cleeves brand was owned first by Clara Candy and then Wilton Candy. Although both companies used the brand name, neither company did anything about reintroducing the slab toffee product.
In the early 1900’s, the factory was producing not just 60,000 tins of condensed milk each day but was also producing the tins and transporting the various products of the factory to all parts of the British Empire. Business peaked with the start of World War One in 1914 and condensed milk sales boomed throughout the war. The factory employed in excess of 1,000 workers in the period from 1900 to 1918.
Sir Thomas Cleeve, as he had become, died in 1908, and the business suffered a change in fortune once the war ended, partly due to civil and economic unrest in Ireland at the time. The company went into liquidation in 1923. The State took over the running of the Condensed Milk Company of Ireland and the Cleeves name was maintained only through the continued operation of the sweet factory.

Cleeves Slab Toffee, sometimes with the sub-branding ( Limerick Cream), then became the company's major product until it ceased manufacturing in 1974. The product was exported all over the world and is fondly remembered as being an integral part of Ireland's confectionery industry for most of the 20th century. The product is featured in the international bestseller, Angela's Ashes, the autobiographical account by Frank McCourt of his Limerick childhood.

Brian McMahon acquired the Cleeves brand in 1974 and used the brand on a range of toffee and chocolate products which he manufactured between 1974 and 1986. Between 1986 and 2007, the Cleeves brand was owned first by Clara Candy and then Wilton Candy. Although both companies used the brand name, neither company did anything about reintroducing the slab toffee product.
In the early 1900’s, the factory was producing not just 60,000 tins of condensed milk each day but was also producing the tins and transporting the various products of the factory to all parts of the British Empire. Business peaked with the start of World War One in 1914 and condensed milk sales boomed throughout the war. The factory employed in excess of 1,000 workers in the period from 1900 to 1918.
Sir Thomas Cleeve, as he had become, died in 1908, and the business suffered a change in fortune once the war ended, partly due to civil and economic unrest in Ireland at the time. The company went into liquidation in 1923. The State took over the running of the Condensed Milk Company of Ireland and the Cleeves name was maintained only through the continued operation of the sweet factory.

Cleeves Slab Toffee, sometimes with the sub-branding ( Limerick Cream), then became the company's major product until it ceased manufacturing in 1974. The product was exported all over the world and is fondly remembered as being an integral part of Ireland's confectionery industry for most of the 20th century. The product is featured in the international bestseller, Angela's Ashes, the autobiographical account by Frank McCourt of his Limerick childhood.

Brian McMahon acquired the Cleeves brand in 1974 and used the brand on a range of toffee and chocolate products which he manufactured between 1974 and 1986. Between 1986 and 2007, the Cleeves brand was owned first by Clara Candy and then Wilton Candy. Although both companies used the brand name, neither company did anything about reintroducing the slab toffee product.