Uncle Joe’s recipe for growth

THEY are the iconic sweets which have been officially recognised as one of the Northwest's leading brands.

But for many, Uncle Joe's Mint Balls are simply an integral part of Greater Manchester's culinary heritage. The business was established by market stallholder William Santus in 1898 and has been based on its current site in Wigan since 1919.

Over the past decade, these famous mint balls have also seen an increase in sales as a direct result of them being gluten-free, as well as being vegetarians-friendly. But that’s not the only innovation. William Santus - now the name of the business - realised that no matter how well established, a familiar brand can soon become a tired brand.

It recently launched new look packaging both for its Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls, as well as its ‘Favourites’ range.

John Winnard, joint managing director, said: “We wanted to modernise the appearance of the brand, without losing any of its appeal. We know the products have a very loyal following and generate great fondness among their fans.

“But we decided to change the packaging of our Favourites range to give it the best possible branding. They’re now packaged in retro brown paper look bags, to distinguish it from the main brand.”

But the famous Uncle Joe’s logo will remain on each packet. The new ‘family’ of Favourites is designed to give Uncle Joe’s better recognition for non mint ball lines and the opportunity to trade on their individual heritage.

John adds: “Over the past year, we’ve seen our sales increase - partly due to this but also by backing up the change with a concerted marketing campaign. In 2010, we relaunched our website to co-incide with a trade and consumer PR campaign as well as increasing the number of outlets where our sweets are available from.”

HISTORY

The story goes that Uncle Joe's Mint Balls were discovered one day in 1898 when William Santus' wife was experimenting in her kitchen. To this day, the precise recipe for the mint balls remains a tight secret.

The mint balls' initial success owes much to their popularity among miners. Unable to smoke underground, it was believed the combined action of sucking and the peppermint flavour helped keep their lungs free of dust. They are still used for a similar purpose in the Staffordshire potteries today.

Today each mint ball is manufactured by hand from 100 percent natural ingredients using 21st Century technology. William Santus manufactures more than 300 tonnes of sweets each year, which are stocked in most leading supermarkets as well as hundreds of independent stores nationwide.

John adds: "I think it's fair to say that people in the Northwest feel a great sense of affection for Uncle Joe's. But the product more than holds its own throughout the country - and around the world.

"I have no doubt that Uncle Joe's Mint Balls would have been successful whichever part of the country they originated from. But I do believe that there's an innovative spirit here in the Northwest which has always favoured entrepreneurs - and why the region's food sector continues to flourish.”