Rowntree's

For the joint venture (1969–1988) with Mackintosh Co., see Rowntree Mackintosh Confectionery.
Nestlé UK Ltd.
Rowntree's
Formerly
Company typePublic
IndustryConfectionery
Founded1862; 162 years ago (1862)
FounderHenry Isaac Rowntree
HeadquartersYork, England
Key people
Joseph Rowntree
ProductsSweets
Brands
ParentNestlé
Subsidiaries
Websiterowntrees.co.uk

Nestlé UK Ltd.[1] (UK: /ˈnɛsleɪ/ NESS-lay), trading as Rowntree's (/ˈraʊntriːz/ ROWN-treez), is a British confectionery brand and a former business based in York, England. Rowntree developed the Kit Kat (introduced in 1935), Aero (introduced in 1935), Fruit Pastilles (introduced in 1881), Smarties (introduced in 1937) brands, and the Rolo and Quality Street brands when it merged with Mackintosh's in 1969 to form Rowntree Mackintosh Confectionery. Rowntree's also launched After Eight thin mint chocolates in 1962. The Yorkie and Lion bars were introduced in 1976. Rowntree's also pioneered the festive selection box (a gift consisting of assorted bars and sweets) which in the UK have been a staple gift at Christmas for over a century.[2]

Founded in 1862, the company developed strong associations with Quaker philanthropy.[3] Throughout much of the 19th and 20th centuries, it was one of the big three confectionery manufacturers in the United Kingdom, alongside Cadbury and Fry, both also founded by Quakers.[4]

In 1981, Rowntree's received the Queen's Award for Enterprise for outstanding contribution to international trade.[5] In 1988, when the company was acquired by Nestlé, it was the fourth-largest confectionery manufacturer in the world.[6] The Rowntree brand continues to be used to market Nestlé's jelly sweet brands, such as Fruit Gums and Fruit Pastilles. Rowntree’s ceased to exist as a corporate entity in 1991, becoming Nestlé UK.[7]

  1. ^ a b c "Nestlé UK Ltd. overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". Companies House. 3 March 1897. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Yorkshire's role in the changing face of our Christmas selection boxes". The Yorkshire Post. 21 December 2015. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022. This year, millions of selection boxes will be unwrapped across the country from the wee small hours of Christmas Day, continuing a tradition that goes back over 100 years.
  3. ^ Charities Aid Foundation (17 February 2016). "Meet The Philanthropists: sweet charity – how Cadbury, Rowntree and Fry gave us some of our…". Medium. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  4. ^ Richardson, Tim (2002). Sweets: A History of Temptation. Bantam Press. p. 255.
  5. ^ "Queen's Awards list". Official Appointments and Notices. The Times. No. 60907. London. 21 April 1981. col E, p. 17.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference autogenerated7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "NESTLE UK LTD. overview – Find and update company information – GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 September 2022.