Nestlé Smarties are a colourful sugar-coated
chocolateChocolate comprises a number of raw and processed foods produced from the seed of the tropical cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America, with its earliest documented use around 1100 BC...
confectioneryConfectionery 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. The word candy or sweets is also used for the extensive variety of candies that comprise confectionery...
popular all over the
worldWorld is a highly common name for the planet Earth, but it was originally used to mean the sum of human civilization living on it, specifically human experience, history, or the 'human condition' in general....
. They have been manufactured since at least 1882, originally by H.I. Rowntree & Co..
Smarties are oblate spheroids with a minor axis of about 5 mm (0.2
inAn inch is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units. There are 36 inches in a yard and 12 inches in a foot...
) 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.
Rowntree'sRowntree's was a confectionery business based in York, England. It is now a historic brand currently owned by Nestlé that is used to market a range of fruit gums and pastilles formerly owned by that business. The Company, which after its merger with John Mackintosh & Co...
of
YorkYork 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.
Nestlé Smarties are a colourful sugar-coated
chocolateChocolate comprises a number of raw and processed foods produced from the seed of the tropical cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America, with its earliest documented use around 1100 BC...
confectioneryConfectionery 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. The word candy or sweets is also used for the extensive variety of candies that comprise confectionery...
popular all over the
worldWorld is a highly common name for the planet Earth, but it was originally used to mean the sum of human civilization living on it, specifically human experience, history, or the 'human condition' in general....
. They have been manufactured since at least 1882, originally by H.I. Rowntree & Co..
Smarties are oblate spheroids with a minor axis of about 5 mm (0.2
inAn inch is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units. There are 36 inches in a yard and 12 inches in a foot...
) 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
Rowntree'sRowntree's was a confectionery business based in York, England. It is now a historic brand currently owned by Nestlé that is used to market a range of fruit gums and pastilles formerly owned by that business. The Company, which after its merger with John Mackintosh & Co...
of
YorkYork 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. Rowntree's were 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) and so adopted the "Milk Chocolate in a Crisp Sugar Shell".
The brand became known as "Nestlé Smarties" in 1993, five years after Rowntree's was acquired by
NestléNestlé S.A. is a multinational packaged food company founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, and listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange with a turnover of over 87 billion Swiss francs...
. 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
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where Nestle has been manufacturing products since 1918.
Colours
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.
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, and white Smarties were introduced in their place. 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
cyanobacteriaCyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, blue-green bacteria or Cyanophyta, is a phylum of bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthesis. The name "cyanobacteria" comes from the color of the bacteria = blue)...
spirulinaSpirulina is a genus of cyanobacteria, which is also considered blue-green algae. As a photosynthetic organism capable of fixing nitrogen, its nutrient limitations are relatively low.-Uses:...
.
Artificial coloring was removed from Smarties in the Canadian market in March 2009. The new range includes yellow, brown, orange, red, pink and purple; the blue and green have been removed.
Violet Smarties were previously dyed with
cochinealThe Cochineal is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the crimson-coloured dye carmine is derived. There are other species in the genus Dactylopius that can be used to produce cochineal extract, but they are extremely difficult to distinguish from D...
, a derivative of the Cochineal insect which is listed in the ingredients as carminic acid. Its presence meant that these Smarties were neither kosher,
halalHalal is an Arabic term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. It is the opposite of haraam. The term is widely used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
nor vegan.
Smarties made in Australia, and distributed in Australia and New Zealand, still contain all the artificial colours which were removed in UK Smarties in 2006 (including
Brilliant Blue FCFBrilliant Blue FCF, also known under commercial names, is a colorant for foods and other substances to induce a color change. It is denoted by E number E133 and has a color index of 42090. It has the appearance of a reddish-blue powder...
).
Variants
Smarties are not distributed in the
United StatesThe 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
SmartiesIn the United States, Smarties are a type of artificially fruit-flavored candy produced by Ce De Candy, Inc., from 1949 through the present. They are marketed in Canada under the brand name Rockets, to avoid confusion with Nestlé Smarties. The original product is the English Fizzers from Swizzels...
, which is unrelated to the Nestlé product. M&Ms 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 creamIce cream or ice-cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners. In some cases, artificial flavourings and colorings are used in...
with Smarties pieces in it known as Smarties Fusion. A variant on Smarties ice cream is the Smarties McFlurry, sold by McDonalds. A Smarties Blizzard is available at
Dairy QueenDairy Queen, often abbreviated to DQ, is a international chain of soft serve and fast food restaurants. The name is taken from the name of their soft serve product which the company refers to as "Dairy Queen" or "DQ".-History:...
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 trialed 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, Nestle has introduced Peanut Smarties.
Around
ChristmasChristmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days. The nativity of Jesus, which is the basis for the anno Domini...
, 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 lid usually having a letter of the
alphabetAn alphabet is a standardized set of letters basic written symbols or graphemes each of which roughly 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...
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 Nestle, 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. 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 cut by a
CAMA cam is a rotating or sliding piece in a mechanical linkage used especially in transforming rotary motion into linear motion or vice versa. It is often a part of a rotating wheel or shaft that strikes a lever at one or more points on its circular path...
machine and then folded and glued. This is probably cheaper to produce than the tubes. 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
YorkYork 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.
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?", has still been used afterward.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the phrase "Buy some for Lulu" was sung schoolyard-style (i.e. in the fashion of nyah-nah-nah nah-nah) as a tagline in commercials. This was before the rise of the singer
LuluLulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, actress, model 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 imageryComputer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
, produced by the advertising agency
Lambie-NairnLambie-Nairn & Company Ltd. is a global branding and design agency, based in the United Kingdom and part of the WPP Group.Lambie-Nairn is probably best known for its work in the broadcast area - creating the first broadcast brand for Channel 4 in the 1980s - and also for its innovative work in...
.
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 Donegan And His Skiffle Group's "
Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On The Bedpost Over Night)"Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor " "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On the Bedpost Over Night)" "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On the Bedpost Over Night)" (the grammatically incorrect "it's" for "its" is included in the title of both the UK and U.S...
". 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!" are splashed across the packaging.
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 Prize
The 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's
M&M's are candy-coated pieces of milk chocolate with the letter "m" printed on them, produced by Mars, Incorporated. Popular in the United States and many other countries, several variations of the candies exist, including milk chocolate, peanut, peanut butter, mint, dark chocolate , and almond....
- Minstrels
Minstrels are milk chocolate buttons with a hard glazed shell sold in several countries including the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Cyprus, and Spain....
- Reese's Pieces
Reese's Pieces are a peanut butter-flavored candy manufactured by The Hershey Company for the North American market. They are circular in shape and covered in candy shells that are colored either yellow, orange, or brown. They can be purchased in plastic packets, cardboard boxes, or cup-shaped...
- Smarties: Meltdown
Smarties: 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...
External links