Leslie Simpkin, founder of Simpkins in 1921.

What can be more reassuring than savouring the same confectionery your (Great) Grandparents enjoyed all those years ago. Still manufactured by the original recipes and using only the finest ingredients available.

Each confection is made in batches by the traditional method of slow cooking in copper pans to ensure an unrivalled taste and texture, that has too sadly vanished from 'modern' confectionery manufacturing.

Simpkins philosophy........"Quality rather than Quantity"

Leslie Simpkins concept was to manufacture high quality glucose confections using, wherever possible, only natural flavours and colours. He proceeded to aim sales through the chemist/pharmacy shops, as this would enable him to build up a niche market and avoid being in competition with the large confectionery manufacturers. Within three years he had an 80% coverage throughout the UK which meant that he opened 12,000 accounts.

Business continued to flourish and he bought a burnt down refrigeration factory in Hillsborough, Sheffield. Using the shell he built a purpose made factory of 40,000sq feet and employed 180 people. It was at this time he got the idea of extending the range from bulk Barley Sugars in jars to powdered sweets in 8oz tins.

The travel tin started because it was the only container that was relatively airtight which was important because the sweets had high fruit juice content and would go sticky when exposed to dampness. The white powder was added to stop the sweets sticking together. The tins in the 1920's were not totally airtight, as they were seamed cans so the shelf life was still fairly short, however in the 1950's a can was produced with no seam so the sweets would remain fresh for years.

During the Second World War, when sweets were rationed, the company was zoned as to where sales could be made. Simpkins were confined to North of Birmingham and their competitors South.

Simpkins products are now exported to over 40 countries throughout the world.