Barratt (confectionery)

Barratt is a confectionery brand in the United Kingdom, known for products including DipDab, Refreshers, Sherbet Fountain, Fruit Salad, Black Jack and Wham.

Barratt & Co. was established in London in 1848 by George Osborne Barratt. By 1906 it was the largest confectionery manufacturer in the world.

It became a limited company in 1909, and was acquired by Bassett's in 1966, then by Cadbury Schweppes in 1989 and by Tangerine Confectionery (since renamed Valeo Confectionery) in 2008.

History

George Osborne Barratt started a confectionery business in 1848 employing one sugar boiler at 32 Shepherdess Walk, Hoxton. The enterprise was successful: it grew rapidly and neighbouring properties were bought up to allow for the expansion. Barratt himself travelled, in his pony and trap, to deliver and promote his products in and around London. Then, his eldest son George (1852–1928), when he was about 17, took over these journeys, and Barratt senior worked large parts of the country for the next 20 years. Part of the company's success was attributable to a product sold as 'stickjaw' toffee – said to have been made accidentally – that was very popular with children.[1] When the company outgrew its Hoxton site it moved to a former piano factory, owned by a Mr Ivory, on Mayes Road, Wood Green, north of London. The first building was ready in 1882.[2] By 1904 eight buildings were in use on nearly 5 acres, despite the setback of a serious fire on 18 October 1899 in which five buildings were destroyed.[3] Two years later there were around 2,000 employees producing 350 tonnes of sweets a week, making Barratts the largest confectionery manufacturer in the world.[4]

Product lines

In the early days the product range was mainly “boilings” such as butter, raspberry and ginger toffees. Later it included Almond Rock, Brandy Snaps, Stickjaw, Coffee Almonds, Brandy Nips, Ching Chang Marbles and Coker Tines. Later came Tichborne Rock, a pulled rock in which the figure of Sir Roger Tichborne was incorporated. It was displayed in shop windows with a card saying “Crack the rock where’re you will / You'll find Sir Roger in it still”. It was said to have been the most talked-about line of confectionery Mr Barratt ever invented.[10] In the 1880s came Yankee Panky (a low-boiled sweet wrapped in wax paper – an industry first), Rose Pastilles and Refresher Sticks.

Black Jack and Fruit Salad appeared in 1920, followed by the famous Sherbet Fountain in 1925. The sherbet was contained in a paper-wrapped cardboard tube with a liquorice “straw” stuck in the top.

By the 1950s Barratt's produced some 200 lines of confectionery, mainly from seven types of manufacture: Rock, Sweet Cigarettes, Sherbet Products, Starch Goods, Liquorice, Boilings and Caramels & Toffees.[11]

Tangerine Confectionery's newly reintroduced Barratt brand portfolio includes DipDab, Refreshers, Nougat, Sherbet Fountain, Fruit Salad, Black Jack, Wham, Refreshers Softies and Fruit Salad Softies.[7]

See also

• Maynards
• Trebor (confectionery)
• Bassetts
• Fox's Confectionery
• Swizzels
• Rowntrees

External links