Emma Trebor Mints: The Story Behind Britain’s Famous Extra Strong Mint
If you’ve ever queued at a newsagent or grabbed a last-minute snack at a petrol station, you’ve probably spotted Trebor mints sitting by the counter.
Trebor has been part of British confectionery culture for more than a century. But the story behind the brand is just as interesting as the sweets themselves.
Let’s take a look at the history of one of Britain’s best-known mint brands.
Where did Trebor Mints begin?
Trebor was founded in1907 in Forest Gate, London. The company was created by a group of businessmen including Robert Robertson, and the brand name came from a clever twist on his name — “Trebor” is simply “Robert” spelled backwards.
The company’s first factory was located on Katherine Road in East London, which I stumbled across on a wander.
During the Second World War, the factory was hit by a German bomb. Despite the damage, production eventually resumed and the company continued to grow. By the 1960s, Trebor had grown significantly and had become the fourth-largest confectionery manufacturer in the UK.
Famous Trebor Sweets
Over the decades, Trebor introduced several products that became familiar favourites in UK sweet shops and supermarkets.
Extra Strong Mints
Perhaps the most iconic Trebor product, Extra Strong Mints were first launched in 1937.
Refreshers
Launched in 1935, Refreshers is a fizzy, fruity sweet with a sherbet centre.
Softmints
For those who prefer a gentler mint flavour, Softmints is a smoother, chewable alternative to traditional hard mints.
Softfruits
Trebor also produced fruit-flavoured chewy sweets such as Softfruits, available in flavours like strawberry, lemon and orange.
Changes with Cadbury
A major change came in 1989, when Cadbury Schweppes acquired Trebor for around £147 million. Shortly afterwards, the company merged with Bassett’s, another famous British confectionery brand. This created Trebor Bassett, bringing together two well-loved sweet brands under one name. Production moved north to Sheffield.
Today, Trebor is owned by Mondelez International, the global food company behind brands such as Cadbury and Oreo. Wondering why all those Oreo/Cadbury mixes? Hopefully they don’t mess up Trebor mints like they have with the taste of Cadbury.
Adverts
How many of these do you recognise?
Where is the Trebor Mint Factory in London?
 
