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Smarties (Nestlé)
Encyclopedia
Nestlé Smarties are a colour-varied sugar-coated chocolate
confectionery
popular primarily in the United Kingdom
, Canada
, Ireland
, Germany
and Greece
. They have been manufactured since 1937, originally by H.I. Rowntree & Co.
.
Smarties are oblate spheroids with a minor axis of about 5 mm (0.2 in) and a major axis of about 15 mm (0.6 in). They come in eight colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, pink and brown, although the blue variety was temporarily replaced by a white variety in some countries, while an alternative natural colouring dye of the blue colour was being researched.
, England, have been making "Chocolate Beans" since at least 1882. The product was renamed "Smarties Chocolate Beans" in 1937. Rowntrees was forced to drop the words "chocolate beans" in 1977 due to trading standards requirements (the use of the word "beans" was felt to be misleading) so adopted the "Milk Chocolate in a Crisp Sugar Shell". Later, the sweet was rebranded as "Smarties".
Smarties are no longer manufactured in York; production has now moved to Germany, where a third of them were already made. Outside Europe, Nestlé's largest production facility for Smarties is in Canada
, where Nestlé has been manufacturing products since 1918.
In one of the earlier ranges of colours, there was a light-brown Smartie. This was replaced in 1988 by the blue Smartie. Before 1958, the dark-brown Smarties had a plain-chocolate centre, while the light-brown one tasted of coffee. The orange Smarties contained, and still contain in the UK, orange-flavoured chocolate. This fact was not widely publicized, and was passed on as a 'secret' between schoolchildren, many of whom had not noticed the flavour difference.
In 2006 it was announced that Nestlé were removing all artificial colourings from Smarties in the UK, owing to consumer concerns over the effect of chemical dyes on children's health. Nestlé decided to replace all synthetic dyes with natural ones, but as they were unable to source a natural blue dye, the blue Smarties were removed from circulation (which led to the common misbelief that only the blue Smarties would trigger hyperactivity in some children), and white Smarties were introduced in their place (despite originally not being allowed to make white ones due to their resemblance to tablets). White Smarties were later removed from the range, and blue Smarties were re-introduced in the UK in February 2008, using a natural blue dye derived from the cyanobacterium spirulina
.
Artificial colouring was removed from Smarties in the Canadian market in March 2009. The new range includes yellow, brown, orange, red, green, pink and purple; the blue smarties were readded in May 2010.
Violet Smarties were previously dyed with cochineal
, a derivative of the Cochineal insect which is made by crushing female Cochineal insects. In the UK, they are now dyed using red cabbage.
Smarties are not distributed in the United States
, except by specialist importers. The Ce De Candy company manufactures a hard, tablet sweet under the name Smarties
(known as Rockets in Canada), which is unrelated to the Nestlé product. M&M's
are also similar to Smarties.
Smarties are also sold in the form of chocolate bars and eggs with fragments of Smarties in them, and chocolate-and-vanilla ice cream
with Smarties pieces in it known as Smarties Fusion. A variant on Smarties ice cream is the Smarties McFlurry, sold by McDonald's
. A Smarties Blizzard is available at Dairy Queen
in Canada.
In 1997, larger-sized Giant Smarties were introduced, and, in 2004, Fruity Smarties. Another variation of Smarties, which contained white chocolate rather than milk chocolate, was also introduced. These were trialled as Smartics, however upon their proper release a year or so later, they were simply called White Chocolate Smarties.
In 1998, a product known as 'Smarties Secrets' was introduced which contained sweets of varying designs, colours and flavours. The packaging also contained a small comic book. This product is no longer available.
In Canada, there was a limited line of red and white smarties where the white smarties sport a red maple leaf, reminiscent of the Canadian flag
. Holiday packaging for Christmas and Valentine's Day (containing only pink and red Smarties) is common. Also in Canada, Nestlé has introduced Peanut and Peanut Butter Smarties.
Around Christmas
, Nestlé Australia and Canada often releases Smarties in the Christmas colours of red, green and white.
Smarties in the UK were traditionally sold in cylindrical cardboard tubes, capped with a colourful plastic lid usually having a letter of the alphabet
on it. The purpose of this, according to a Rowntrees' spokesperson in the 1980s, was for them to be useful as a teaching aid to encourage young children to recognise the letters. Over the last 25 years, Nestlé has manufactured five billion Smarties lids. Some lids are very rare and are now regarded as collectors' items.
In February 2005, the Smarties tube was replaced with a hexagonal design. The rationale behind changing the design was, according to Nestlé, to make the brand "fresh and appealing" to youngsters; the new packaging is also lighter and more compact, and the lid (which is now a hinged piece of cardboard) has a card clip which holds the lid shut when it is folded over, however the tab which clips it can become wet and flimsy when the tube is emptied into the mouth, making the mechanism less effective, and also giving the user the feeling of wet card on their lips. This new design has received lots of criticism from the public, and there have been many petitions to bring back the old tube. The new lid still features a letter like the old plastic lids, but it is in the form of a "what [letter] is a [thing]?" question, the answer for which can be read when the lid is open, next to the hole giving access to the rest of the tube. The hexagonal box is made of one piece of card which is diecut then folded and glued. The hexagon can also be stacked in many layers without the pile collapsing, which is an advantage at the point of sale. The last 100 tubes to leave the factory in York
had a certificate inside them.
In other countries, like Canada, there is more variety in packaging. Smarties can be purchased in rectangular boxes, a giant tube, or in a stand-up plastic bag, and in 410 g bags in Australia and New Zealand.
In the Czech Republic
and in Slovakia
, Smarties are called Lentilky and manufactured by Nestlé
.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the phrase "Buy some for Lulu" was sung school-yard style (in the fashion of nyah-nah-nah nah-nah) as a tagline in commercials. This was before the rise of the singer Lulu
.
Mid-1980s television commercials were notable for their advanced use of computer-generated imagery
, produced by Martin Lambie-Nairn
.
And His Skiffle Group's "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On The Bedpost Over Night)". Another version of the lyrics is, "When you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last? Do you dive right in the middle, do you catch them on a pass. Do you eat them on your ice cream, Smarties are a blast! When you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last?". Today "Show YOUR colours!" is splashed across the packaging. The original idea for the campaign was from the daughter of a couple that worked at the Rowntree's facility, who always ate the red smarties last. The father suggested it as an idea and the campaign took off, it's now known as one of the best marketing campaigns for any candy.
The 2008 advertising campaign shows various people who sang to the song "Everyday People" by Sly and the Family Stone.
This is often printed on one of the sides of the smarties box in brown lettering simply as a single word, "Wotalotigot".
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
confectionery
Confectionery
Confectionery is the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well...
popular primarily in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. They have been manufactured since 1937, originally by H.I. Rowntree & Co.
Rowntree's
Rowntree's was a confectionery business based in York, England. It is now a historic brand owned by Nestlé, used to market a range of fruit gums and pastilles formerly owned by Rowntree's. Following a merger with John Mackintosh & Co., the Company became known as Rowntree Mackintosh, was listed on...
.
Smarties are oblate spheroids with a minor axis of about 5 mm (0.2 in) and a major axis of about 15 mm (0.6 in). They come in eight colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, pink and brown, although the blue variety was temporarily replaced by a white variety in some countries, while an alternative natural colouring dye of the blue colour was being researched.
History
Rowntrees of YorkYork
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, England, have been making "Chocolate Beans" since at least 1882. The product was renamed "Smarties Chocolate Beans" in 1937. Rowntrees was forced to drop the words "chocolate beans" in 1977 due to trading standards requirements (the use of the word "beans" was felt to be misleading) so adopted the "Milk Chocolate in a Crisp Sugar Shell". Later, the sweet was rebranded as "Smarties".
Smarties are no longer manufactured in York; production has now moved to Germany, where a third of them were already made. Outside Europe, Nestlé's largest production facility for Smarties is in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where Nestlé has been manufacturing products since 1918.
Manufacturing process
- The Smartie making process starts with the melted chocolate.
- The melted chocolate is poured between a pair of very cold metal roller moulds. As the two rollers come together, they form a sheet of chocolate beans joined together with a thin chocolate web.
- This chocolate bean sheet is moved along a conveyor belt to cool and harden.
- Once cooled the unwanted chocolate around the edge of the bean is removed, in a de-webbing drum. The excess chocolate that is taken off is melted down and used again.
- The resulting beans are then passed through another rotating drum. This is a smoothing drum, and removes the rough edges from the beans.
- The beans are then placed in large rotating drums and their coating is sprayed on. The first coat is the soft coat, (a mixture of flour, starch and syrup) and is built up gradually. The second hard coat of syrup is then built up in the same way. Finally the colour and wax are added.
Colours
In 2006 it was announced that Nestlé were removing all artificial colourings from Smarties in the UK, owing to consumer concerns over the effect of chemical dyes on children's health. Nestlé decided to replace all synthetic dyes with natural ones, but as they were unable to source a natural blue dye, the blue Smarties were removed from circulation (which led to the common misbelief that only the blue Smarties would trigger hyperactivity in some children), and white Smarties were introduced in their place (despite originally not being allowed to make white ones due to their resemblance to tablets). White Smarties were later removed from the range, and blue Smarties were re-introduced in the UK in February 2008, using a natural blue dye derived from the cyanobacterium spirulina
Spirulina (genus)
Spirulina is a genus of cyanobacteria. As a photosynthetic organism capable of fixing nitrogen, its non-protein nutrient values are relatively low. Spirulina is used in some foods for aquarium fish...
.
Artificial colouring was removed from Smarties in the Canadian market in March 2009. The new range includes yellow, brown, orange, red, green, pink and purple; the blue smarties were readded in May 2010.
Violet Smarties were previously dyed with cochineal
Cochineal
The cochineal is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the crimson-colour dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessile parasite native to tropical and subtropical South America and Mexico, this insect lives on cacti from the genus Opuntia, feeding on plant moisture and...
, a derivative of the Cochineal insect which is made by crushing female Cochineal insects. In the UK, they are now dyed using red cabbage.
Variants
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, except by specialist importers. The Ce De Candy company manufactures a hard, tablet sweet under the name Smarties
Smarties (Ce De Candy)
In the United States, Smarties are a type of artificially fruit-flavored tablet candy produced by Smarties Candy Company, since 1949. They are marketed in Canada under the brand name Rockets, to avoid confusion with Nestlé Smarties. They are similar to the English Fizzers from Swizzels Matlow...
(known as Rockets in Canada), which is unrelated to the Nestlé product. M&M's
M&M's
M&M's are dragée-like "colorful button-shaped candies" produced by Mars, Incorporated...
are also similar to Smarties.
Smarties are also sold in the form of chocolate bars and eggs with fragments of Smarties in them, and chocolate-and-vanilla ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
with Smarties pieces in it known as Smarties Fusion. A variant on Smarties ice cream is the Smarties McFlurry, sold by McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
. A Smarties Blizzard is available at Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen, often abbreviated DQ, is a chain of soft serve and fast food restaurants owned by International Dairy Queen, Inc, who also owns Orange Julius and Karmelkorn. The name "Dairy Queen" is taken from the name of their soft serve product, which the company refers to as "Dairy Queen" or...
in Canada.
In 1997, larger-sized Giant Smarties were introduced, and, in 2004, Fruity Smarties. Another variation of Smarties, which contained white chocolate rather than milk chocolate, was also introduced. These were trialled as Smartics, however upon their proper release a year or so later, they were simply called White Chocolate Smarties.
In 1998, a product known as 'Smarties Secrets' was introduced which contained sweets of varying designs, colours and flavours. The packaging also contained a small comic book. This product is no longer available.
In Canada, there was a limited line of red and white smarties where the white smarties sport a red maple leaf, reminiscent of the Canadian flag
Flag of Canada
The national flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, and , is a red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf. Its adoption in 1965 marked the first time a national flag had been officially adopted in Canada to replace the Union Flag...
. Holiday packaging for Christmas and Valentine's Day (containing only pink and red Smarties) is common. Also in Canada, Nestlé has introduced Peanut and Peanut Butter Smarties.
Around Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, Nestlé Australia and Canada often releases Smarties in the Christmas colours of red, green and white.
Smarties in the UK were traditionally sold in cylindrical cardboard tubes, capped with a colourful plastic lid usually having a letter of the alphabet
Alphabet
An alphabet is a standard set of letters—basic written symbols or graphemes—each of which represents a phoneme in a spoken language, either as it exists now or as it was in the past. There are other systems, such as logographies, in which each character represents a word, morpheme, or semantic...
on it. The purpose of this, according to a Rowntrees' spokesperson in the 1980s, was for them to be useful as a teaching aid to encourage young children to recognise the letters. Over the last 25 years, Nestlé has manufactured five billion Smarties lids. Some lids are very rare and are now regarded as collectors' items.
In February 2005, the Smarties tube was replaced with a hexagonal design. The rationale behind changing the design was, according to Nestlé, to make the brand "fresh and appealing" to youngsters; the new packaging is also lighter and more compact, and the lid (which is now a hinged piece of cardboard) has a card clip which holds the lid shut when it is folded over, however the tab which clips it can become wet and flimsy when the tube is emptied into the mouth, making the mechanism less effective, and also giving the user the feeling of wet card on their lips. This new design has received lots of criticism from the public, and there have been many petitions to bring back the old tube. The new lid still features a letter like the old plastic lids, but it is in the form of a "what [letter] is a [thing]?" question, the answer for which can be read when the lid is open, next to the hole giving access to the rest of the tube. The hexagonal box is made of one piece of card which is diecut then folded and glued. The hexagon can also be stacked in many layers without the pile collapsing, which is an advantage at the point of sale. The last 100 tubes to leave the factory in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
had a certificate inside them.
In other countries, like Canada, there is more variety in packaging. Smarties can be purchased in rectangular boxes, a giant tube, or in a stand-up plastic bag, and in 410 g bags in Australia and New Zealand.
In the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Smarties are called Lentilky and manufactured by Nestlé
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...
.
UK & Ireland
The current Smarties slogan is "Only Smarties have the answer", which has been used since the late 1970s; however, the previous slogan, "Do you eat the red ones last?", is still occasionally used.In the 1950s and 1960s, the phrase "Buy some for Lulu" was sung school-yard style (in the fashion of nyah-nah-nah nah-nah) as a tagline in commercials. This was before the rise of the singer Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
.
Mid-1980s television commercials were notable for their advanced use of computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
, produced by Martin Lambie-Nairn
Martin Lambie-Nairn
Martin Lambie-Nairn is one of the most influential British graphic designers. He was the founder of his eponymous branding agency, Lambie-Nairn & Company, and is currently the creative director of branding agency Heavenly Group Ltd. His work mainly concentrates on brand identity for television...
.
Canada
The words for the Canadian advertising jingle from the 1970s until the mid-1990s was "When you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last? Do you suck them very slowly, or crunch them very fast? Eat those candy-coated chocolates, but tell me when I ask, when you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last?". This jingle was set to the tune of Lonnie DoneganLonnie Donegan
Anthony James "Lonnie" Donegan MBE was a skiffle musician, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name. He is known as the "King of Skiffle" and is often cited as a large influence on the generation of British musicians who became famous in the 1960s...
And His Skiffle Group's "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On The Bedpost Over Night)". Another version of the lyrics is, "When you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last? Do you dive right in the middle, do you catch them on a pass. Do you eat them on your ice cream, Smarties are a blast! When you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last?". Today "Show YOUR colours!" is splashed across the packaging. The original idea for the campaign was from the daughter of a couple that worked at the Rowntree's facility, who always ate the red smarties last. The father suggested it as an idea and the campaign took off, it's now known as one of the best marketing campaigns for any candy.
The 2008 advertising campaign shows various people who sang to the song "Everyday People" by Sly and the Family Stone.
Germany
The German Smarties Slogan is "Viele, viele bunte Smarties" (which translates as "lots and lots of colourful Smarties").South Africa
In South Africa the slogan is "Wot a lot I got" ("What a lot I've got").This is often printed on one of the sides of the smarties box in brown lettering simply as a single word, "Wotalotigot".
See also
- Nestlé Smarties Book PrizeNestlé Smarties Book PrizeThe Nestlé Children's Book Prize, also known as the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, was an annual award given to children's books written in the previous year by a UK citizen or resident. The prize was administered by Booktrust, an independent charity which promotes books and reading, and sponsored by...
- M&M'sM&M'sM&M's are dragée-like "colorful button-shaped candies" produced by Mars, Incorporated...
- MinstrelsMinstrels (chocolate)Minstrels are milk chocolate buttons with a hard glazed shell sold in several countries including the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Cyprus, France, Malta, and Spain....
- Reese's PiecesReese's PiecesReese's Pieces are a peanut butter flavored candy manufactured by The Hershey Company for the North American market; they are also available in Ireland & The United Kingdom. They are circular in shape and covered in candy shells that are colored either yellow, orange, or brown. They can be...
- Smarties: MeltdownSmarties: MeltdownSmarties: Meltdown is a third person game, apparently aimed at young children. The game is set on a giant Nestlé Smartie shaped factory ship which orbits the Earth. Dr. Soursweet is the main villain in the game, who aims to take over the Smarties factory...