Uncle Joes Mint Balls 120g tin

Product Information

William Santus Co Ltd has been making mints and traditional sweets by hand since 1898, in fact you could say it’s the ‘Original Traditional Sweet Shop’ and is the home of the world famous, Uncle Joes Mint Ball. Chocolates and toffees come and go in fads, but the perennial appeal of “Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls” lives on and after all these years the factory remains. The same sweets are produced in the same, careful manner; over gas fires and hand-made. Uncle Joes (William Santus Co Ltd) is a traditional British sweet retailer selling old-fashioned, traditional sweets, retro sweets and candy gifts. With a fantastic range of old-school, retro sweets that taste delicious. Naturally, the Second World War posed a problem for sweet production leaving the factory with almost no sugar boilers as they all headed off.

The early mint balls were made by William Santus' wife, Ellen, before production moved to a factory near Wigan Wallgate railway station in 1919. [3] Antony says it's a 'basic' production method that has remained since 1898 (Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)The comic magazine Viz made a strip called 'Uncle Joe's Mint Balls' which was about Joseph Stalin, who was sometimes called 'Uncle Joe' by Western media, and his quest to show off his untarnished testicles to the world's press (such testicles would be known as 'mint balls' in the vernacular of Northern England, where the comic is printed.) John hopes the company will continue to do Wiganers proud. He added: "I think when people talk about Wigan they generally mention Uncle Joe's in their favourite things about the town. I think pies are probably high up there as well." Singer/songwriter and humorist Mike Harding has a song called "Uncle Joe's Mint Balls" on his 1975 album Mrs. 'Ardin's Kid. It also appeared as the B-side to his 1975 single "My Brother Sylveste". [4] [5] [6]

The 1930′s were possibly the most significant years in the history of the company. Wiganers were first introduced to Uncle Joe through the campaign of adverts that appeared in the Wigan Observer in October 1932. The sweets had been in production prior to that, but his celebrity status was only just beginning. 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.” Today, the business is in the hands of brothers John and Antony Winnard. Their great-great-uncle focused sweet sales on Wigan, Bolton and St Helens - but now Uncle Joe's is a global brand. The brand may be spotted around the world, but take a walk through the Dorning Street building which produces Uncle Joe's and you soon realise how small the company really is. Every sweet produced by Uncle Joe's is made downstairs in the factory, with the production of the sweet itself taking place in just one room. Read More Related Articles

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The company has worked with other businesses on spin-off products over the years, from Uncle Joe's gin to ice cream. With another trade exhibition in the US coming later this year, John and Antony are looking forward to taking Mint Balls to even more corners of the earth ahead of the company's 125th anniversary. To work at the factory, workers had to pass two quite niche criteria – they had to be Methodist and know someone who already worked at the factory to ensure a ‘friendly and happy’ atmosphere. We're still making them as we did in 1898 and long may it reign. Our father and grandfather basically said 'if it's not broke don't change it'. It was a good recipe to start off with."

Brown cane sugar is boiled in copper pans up to the perfect temperature - hot enough to caramelise it for a distinctive flavour, but not too hot that it burns. Once at that point, it is poured onto a table for cooling before peppermint oil is added, causing a rush of minty steam to soar into the air and clear any nostril in the room. I think one of the proudest moments for me was going into Bloomingdale's in New York and seeing our Uncle Joe's Mint Balls on the shelves there, then Ant and I went to San Francisco and they were in the airport shop there. It's a major buzz really - a little Wigan delicacy in famous places." We have products that cover Gluten-Free, Vegan, Sugar Free and Traditional. All aimed at impulse buying, gift and seasonal markets. Sadly, not all those small businesses have survived the coronavirus pandemic, and Santus admits turnover is still not as high as three years ago. And, as with so many other small firms, the company is currently facing rising costs - yet it still uses the same ingredients and works with the same company for its iconic red tins, fiercely refusing to compromise on quality in a way bigger firms might be tempted to. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.At the moment we've got customers in Japan, the US, Australia and New Zealand," said John, who received an MBE in 2012. "We're scattered all over the world. A new range of lever lid tins now available including flavours such as Wildberry Gin, Dark Rum, Apple Cider and many more

The cream of tartar gives the sweet its consistency, and this allows the mixture to be folded up on the cooling table, meaning the flavour is spread throughout. It's an exact science for the Santus team - workers simply use touch and feel to know when the mixture is ready for the next stage, otherwise it could break the forming machine used to create each individual sweet. Uncle Joe's Mint Balls are mints produced by William Santus & Co. Ltd. in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England since 1898. [1] Despite their name, the mints are not truly spherical but oblate spheroids. The ingredients of Uncle Joe's Mint Balls are pure cane sugar, oil of peppermint and cream of tartar and are described on the tin as "suitable for vegans". The humble simplicity of the process is part of the reason why Uncle Joe's is becoming loved all over the world. There is an artisanal feel to the brand - the sweets have a distinct look and taste, the logo is instantly recognisable and the company is proud to be from Wigan.That tight-knit ethos is clear to see at the Dorning Street factory - where just 12 locals work including John, Antony and Anita. The workforce includes Denise Banks, who has been with the company since leaving school in 1978. After a successful few years in business with his brother, William sold his market stalls in Bolton and St. Helens to focus on production in Wigan. The sweets are loved all over the world, but only 12 people make them (Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News) John Winnard MBE next to the factory's iconic red gable end (Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)