Minties

Minties

Minties™ is a brand of confectionery originating in Australia. They are a hard, white and chewy, square mint-flavoured lolly. They were originally packaged in 5lb (around 2.2 kg) bulk tins[1] or 3oz (around 85g) cardboard boxes, but now come in packs ranging from 150g - 1 kg. Minties are wrapped in waxed paper with a cartoon underneath the logo with the common caption "It's moments like these you need Minties". About 500 million are consumed each year. People often compete with each other in tearing the wrapper, which is square when laid flat, into the longest single strip. They were notorious for causing fillings to come out while being chewed.

Contents

History

Minties were invented in 1922[2] by James Noble Stedman (1860–1944), son of company founder (and Australia's first confectioner)[3] James Stedman (1840–1913).[4] Minties were patented in 1926,[5] and were manufactured by James Stedman - Henderson Sweets Limited at the "SweetAcres" factory at Rosebery, New South Wales.[6] Other well-known lines made at Sweetacres were "Fantales", "Throaties" "Jaffas" and "Sunbuds", and were distributed by Nestlé from around 1930.[7]

In 1968, Stedman-Henderson was taken over by Hoadleys, which was acquired in 1971 by Rowntree's which was taken over globally by Nestlé in 1981.[3] They are now sold as "Allens Minties"[8] (Nestlé acquired the Allens brand in 1985).[3]

In 1930 or 1931, a factory was set up in Auckland, New Zealand. Cadbury now manufacture the lollies as "Pascall Minties".[9] In November 2009, Cadbury New Zealand announced they were moving production from Auckland to Thailand and changing to a softer formulation (less stressful on teeth and may be consumed more quickly).[10] Curiously, the 200g packets sold in Australia as (Nestlé) Allens Minties in 2010 are clearly labelled "Made in New Zealand".

Depression, then wartime shortages

Newspaper advertising appears to have dropped off considerably, both in quantity and quality, between 1931 and 1940.

During World War II and until 1946, supply of confectionery was restricted; what output there was went to serving troops. Advertising resumed after cessation of hostilities, anticipating eventual availability. Rationing may have been on a state-by-state basis.[11]

Place in Australian culture

MODERN CATCH WORDS.

   Catch phrases start up from unknown sources, and
sweep around the world with almost unbelievable rapidity.
   The origin of many of them is hopelessly lost. Who, for
instance, was the first person to say " There you are, then"?
A few years ago it was heard on every lip. Some of them,
like "Yes, we have no bananas" come from comic songs,
and others from newspaper advertisements.
   One of the most popular of the latter variety is "It's mo-
ments like these you need 'Minties'". At the present time,
one hears the phrase wherever one goes.
   The makers of "Minties", Messrs. James Stedman-
Henderson's, of "Sweetacres", receive dozens of suggest-
ions by every post from people instancing "Moments like
these", when "Minties" would have been most acceptable.
   "It's moments like these" has proved itself to be one of the
most catchy catch phrases that has ever caught on, and it
shows no signs yet of fading out of publie recognition.

      The (Rockhampton) Morning Bulletin, 19 July 1927.[12]

Minties' first cartoons appeared in 1927; from then on providing an episodic documentation of an era.

At one stage in the 1940s Minties were using three different cartoons a week, appearing on every form of printed advertising: the 3oz (around 85g) boxes in which they were originally sold, newspapers and railway station hoardings.

The cartoons depict mishaps and unfortunate experiences, sometimes featuring recognisable sporting or political figures, but more often general comic situations, captioned "It's moments like these" or "Another Minties moment". The catchphrase "It's moments like these" has become part of the Australia language. The entry for "Mintie" in a major Australian dictionary defines the phrase as "... widely current ... used allusively as an emblem of solace".[5]

At that time, the lolly wrappers (white waxed paper) were decorated only with the text "Minties" "The Universal Sweet" in red and green. Now the only artwork is on the wrappers; simple anonymous cartoons of people engaged in recognisable activities with no attempt at humour accompanied by the caption "It's moments like these ...".

The number of cartoonists to have drawn "Minties moments" is large. Many were unsigned, but some of the better known names are:

  • Dick Alderton
  • George Aria
  • James Bancks (creator of "Ginger Meggs")
  • Ian Gall
  • Alex Gurney (created "Bluey and Curley")
  • Peter Harrigan "Middy"
  • Norman Hetherington "Heth" (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
  • Minainnick
  • Norm Mitchell
  • Rufus Morris
  • Morrissey
  • Syd Nicholls (creator of "Fatty Finn")
  • Adrienne Parkes
  • Petrov
  • William Edwin Pidgeon "Wep"
  • Hal Quinlan
  • Virgil Reilly "Virgil"
  • Jim Russell (drew "The Potts")
  • Ted Scorfield (largest number of contributions)
  • David Souter
  • Les Such
  • Dorothy Wall
  • Harry J Weston
  • Unk White

Some newspaper advertisements

(text in quotes are descriptions where no caption supplied)

Photograph rather than cartoon

No humour intended

Minties Magic Drawing Book for your Girl or Boy[13]

"Moments in History" series

Willie and Lily" versified series (Ted Scorfield)

Cricketears" series (Adrienne Parkes)[14]

Cartoonists celebrated

"Another Minties Moment" - "Heth" (1946).

Credited situation humour

Uncredited situation humour

References

  1. ^ Brisbane Courier 1 June 1929
  2. ^ ""Minties" - Name in dispute". The West Australian. National Libary of Australia (Trove Australia). Wednesday 31 August. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/32049714. Retrieved 1 November 2011. 
  3. ^ a b c 2002 Report for US Confectionery Industry Export Program
  4. ^ Australian Dictionary of Biography entry
  5. ^ a b Samson, W. S. (ed.) The Australian National Dictionary Oxford University Press 1988 ISBN 0 19 554736 5
  6. ^ Sydney Morning Herald Wednesday 8 October 1919
  7. ^ West Australian 9 October 1930
  8. ^ http://www.goodygoodygumdrops.com.au/shop/catalog/product_586_Allens_Minties_1Kg_BULK_Pack_cat_66.html
  9. ^ http://www.foodshop.co.nz/en/cp/Minties
  10. ^ http://www.cadbury.co.nz/About-Cadbury/News.aspx?newsID=75
  11. ^ (Hobart) Mercury 10 November 1943
  12. ^ Modern Catch Words, The (Rockhampton) Morning Bulletin (19 July 1927), p.8.
  13. ^ James Stedman-Henderson's Sweets Ltd., The "Minties" Magic Drawing Book, James Stedman-Henderson's Sweets, (Sydney), c.1926: ""Scribble an ordinary lead or coloured crayon pencil lightly over the inside blank pages of this book and the magic "Minties" pictures will appear." The book was being distributed at the Royal Melbourne Agricultural Show in September 1926: Hall of Manufacturers, The Age, (Friday, 17 September 1926), p.13.
  14. ^ Adrienne Parkes (1910-1943) was the grand-daughter of Sir Henry Parkes. She was a cartoonist, illustrator, print-maker and writer.[1] Her signature was a flower [2]
  15. ^ Also at West Australian 12 June 1934.

Sources


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