FROM GINGERBREAD MEN TO BABY BONNY

In 1989, the Jelly Baby was reborn. They were given names, personalities, even props, and eventually, had their artificial ingredients removed. Their evolution was complete. But just what is the story behind the success of this confectionary bestseller?

​JELLY GINGERBREAD MEN
Jelly Babies are one of our oldest sweet treats, and shrouded in confectioner's mystery dust because no one can say with any certainty who invented them.

It was in 1830 that Thomas Fryer (no relationship to Fry's), from Nelson in Lancashire, struck up a conversation with a travelling confectioner salesman; and between them they decided to open a sweet shop selling peppermints and lozenges.

Business was brisk, particularly as the cost of importing sugar had dropped and the Victorians soon discovered their sweet tooth, increasing the demand for all things sugary.

However, around twenty years later things turned sour for Fryer, and he ran out of money. The business was bought by brothers Dr Edward Smith and William Smith, with William eventually taking complete control in 1864, which is when the plot and gelatine thickens.

It was also in 1864 that Austrian immigrant and 'jelly craftsman' Herr Steinbeck, who worked for Fryer, is said to have invented the tiny jelly sweets in the shape of the popular Austrian gingerbread man. But they looked more like babies than gingerbread men and became a big hit with children (confectionary had at one time been an expensive luxury in which only adults indulged). As production methods improved, and costs went down; manufacturers soon discovered there was a big an untapped market.

WORLD WARS
Their name at this time was 'unclaimed babies', which could have been in reference to the many abandoned children during the Victorian era. Then at the end of the First World War, they were rebranded 'peace babies' to mark the end of The Great War.

But here is another mystery because the jelly sweets were by then manufactured by Bassetts, but it is not clear when they took over production or why. Fryer's had opened a toy making factory during the 1920s depression to help the local unemployed back into work; so, it’s possible they were carving off bits of the business to finance their charitable efforts.

The next milestone was World War II when production stopped due to shortages of ingredients.

With the end of rationing on the horizon (it officially ended in 1954) Bassetts re-launched the jelly sweet in 1953 renaming them 'Jelly Babies'.

Until 1989 each Jelly Baby was an identical shape albeit with different flavours; however, they were soon to take on their own individual characteristics, names, shape, and taste:

• Baby Bonny – pink, wears a nappy
• Big Heart – black, has a heart shape on his chest
• Boofuls – green, is crying
• Brilliant – red, a ‘B’ on his middle
• Bubbles – yellow, wears a necklace
• Bumper – orange, has a rubber ring around its tummy

Then in 2007 Bassetts moved over to natural ingredients and colours, once more honing in on consumer preferences.

Jelly Babies continue to be the most popular sweets on the market, and now you know they have names and emotional tags, are you still going to bite Boofuls’ head off, or nibble Bubbles’ feet?

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