Allens is an Australian brand of confectionery presently produced by Nestle

Nestlé

Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...

. It is best known for 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 bulk tins or 3oz cardboard boxes, but now come in packs ranging from 150g - 1 kg...

, a soft chewable mint flavoured confectionery.

History

Allens was founded by Alfred Weaver Allen (1870-1925), a Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 confectioner. Originally employed by MacRobertson's

MacRobertson's

MacRobertson's, officially the MacRobertson's Steam Confectionery Works, was the name of a company that produced chocolates and various other confectionery in Australia. The company was founded in 1880 by Sir Macpherson Robertson and takes its name from a combination of his first and last name...

, he commenced confectionery production in the 1890s at his Fitzroy confectionery shop. By 1909, Allens was the third largest confectionery business in Melbourne, after those of MacRobertson

MacRobertson's

MacRobertson's, officially the MacRobertson's Steam Confectionery Works, was the name of a company that produced chocolates and various other confectionery in Australia. The company was founded in 1880 by Sir Macpherson Robertson and takes its name from a combination of his first and last name...

 and Abel Hoadley

Abel Hoadley

Abel Hoadley was the inventor of the popular Australian confectionery bar, the Violet Crumble.He was born in Willingdon, Sussex, England, the son of Peter Hoadley and Elizabeth Ann Wheeler. Hoadley arrived in Australia in 1865...

. It launched as a public company in 1922. Allens abandoned chocolate production after World War 2, however it went on to become Australia's largest confectionery company. Allens was purchased by UK-based Rothmans Holdings in 1985 and later sold to Nestle. Allens is presently the top brand in sugar confectionery in Australia.