According to a report in the Herald Sun, some of Allen’s most beloved lollies are facing extinction as the company looks to “streamline its portfolio”. Confectionery on the chopping block includes Green Frogs, Marella Jubes, Spearmint Leaves and possibly even Sherbies (no!). The death of these iconic favourites is a stark reminder that the war on sugar is not without its causalities: namely, diehard lolly fans like me.
[Update: It looks like some of these lollies might be receiving a stay of execution: an Allen’s rep we spoke to indicated that jubes and sherbies are here to stay. On the downside, packaging sizes will now be smaller so our article’s chief point remains.]
For generations, Aussie kids (and kids at heart) have been enjoying Allen’s classic lolly collection in milk bars and canteens across the country. While the price and size have undergone occasional changes, the sinful sweet taste has remained the same. Today, this legacy could be coming to an abrupt end.
The confectionery giant, which is a subsidiary of Nestle, allegedly told the Herald Sun newspaper that several of its oldest products are going to be axed. Tragically, this happens to include most of my personal favourites.
Spearmint leaves, green frogs and jubes have always been guilty pleasures of mine and the prized jewels in any bag of mixed lollies. Oddfellow Mints could also be scrapped and the future of orange-flavoured sherbies is also uncertain.
The decision to knacker these sugar-laden workhorses apparently came down to profits: simply put, not enough people were buying them. It’s part of a growing health trend that has seen the fatty end of the food market gradually squeezed out of business. Many consumers want to be healthier and that’s commendable — but it’s coming at a terrible cost to the rest of us.
These days, it’s literally impossible to find a bag of potato crisps with the same amount of fat content as ten years ago. The same goes for hot chips from all the big fast food franchises. And to top it off, portion sizes are constantly shrinking while prices remain cynically unchanged.
On the one hand, it’s great that food companies are being more responsible when it comes to health and nutrition. On the other hand, it’s a shame that a bunch of gluttons with no self control have managed to ruin it for the rest of us. Iconic treats are beginning to disappear — and those that remain are becoming smaller, plainer shadows of their former selves.
I’m not sure I want to be a part of this lean, sexy New World Order. I just want my green frogs.
[Via Herald Sun]
Comments
17 responses to “The Price Of Healthy Living: Is Allen’s Killing Off Its Classic Lolly Range?”
I’ve never thought of spearmint leaves as a favorite but I will be bloody upset if they disappear.
I love em, they are the best part of any mixed lolly assortment. They better not take my leaves or it will be a bloody outrage.
Nooo…not the candy.
“On the other hand, it’s a shame that a bunch of gluttons with no self control have managed to ruin it for the rest of us.”
So could be said about many things – alcohol, poker machines, cigarettes, gyms, quinoa, coffee, online gaming, mobile phones etc
It’s a shame for nostalgia purposes, but I’ve never willingly bought any ‘lollies’ as an adult, and accepted them when offered only either under duress or in desperate need of otherwise-unavailable sugar. Anything ‘gummy’ really, doesn’t really suit my tastes.
That said, if you have to have gummy crap, Spearmint Leaves (encrusted with sugar crystals!) and red frogs (screw this green garbage) were the most tolerable.
And yet it’s now so much easier to find fat people. 😐
Luckily these things are also made by other confectionery companies, so we wont miss out.
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Green frogs?!
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Noooo.. Spearmint leaves are my favourite!!!
Really? It’s the gluttons with no self control who kept this crap on the shelves so that delicate flowers like you could indulge. The reason the product is being removed from the market is poor sales. Logic fail on your behalf.
Stop whingeing and start buying enough to keep them in business.
The one I’m saddest about is the Oddfelllow mints. Not for the taste, but for the memories of sitting with my granddad and munching on a couple of them whilst they looked after me in the afternoons after primary school. There are no other mints like Oddfellows. 🙁
Take what you want but leave my killer pythons alone!
Thank god, my Chicos are safe. The only road trip food! Mmmmmmm
I am not a lawyer, but you don’t have to say ‘allegedly’ about a company’s statement in a published news article.
Well you can thank the people who buy the Coles and Woolworths brands with very similar packaging and then put the known brands on the bottom shelf. Just last week I tried to buy spearmint leaves and all I could find was scabby Woolworths brand copies. I refused to buy them.
This. Availability is one of the problems with some of these classics.They either get replaced with vastly inferior store-brand items, or the manufacturer decides to change their sales strategy, e.g. Buderim ginger bears which disappeared from supermarket shelves and are now sold in a handful of chemists for twice the price and half the package size.