Their real name is After Eight Dark Chocolate Mint Thins , but everyone knows them simply as ‘After Eights’. If you are a fan of mint chocolate you have no doubt tried them. They are sold in more than fifty countries, but the UK is where they are most popular. So, what is the story behind After Eights? And how were they first made? As it to turn out , the answer to the second question remains a tightly-guarded secret!
A TASTY TECHNICAL TRIUMPH
After Eights were invented in the early 1960s by Brian Sollitt, a confectioner at Rowntree Company Limited in York. He had started working there as an apprentice when he was fifteen, inspired — after a childhood of wartime rationing — to create a treat both stylish and accessibly priced. In his twenties, he made a delicate peppermint fondant and covered it with a thin layer of dark chocolate. This was quite an achievement from a technical point of view; in fact, the secret to prevent the liquid fondant from oozing out has never been disclosed .
AFFORDABLE LUXURY
Before the 1960s, chocolate products were seen as luxurious because they needed to be kept cool , especially during summer. The presence of refrigerators in nearly every home meant that chocolate was now within everyone’s reach , but it still retained a certain prestige. At a time when the middle classes aspired to a more stylish way of life, After Eight mints became an economical way to acquire it. After-dinner mints had become a hallmark of dinner parties and Sollitt’s creation became a firm favourite. The elegant modern packaging was a marketing success and helped consolidate their popularity.
A CHOCOLATIER’S DREAM
Over time, After Eights lost their classy image and became a rather old-fashioned treat — although one that is still a best-seller. The original recipe was dairy-free , but after Nestlé bought the brand , butterfat was added to the mixture.
Brian Sollitt became one of the world’s biggest collectors of After Eight memorabilia, and he celebrated the 50th anniversary of his chocolate mints in 2012 by making a three-kilogram After Eight! He presented it to the British Parliament, and later said that it was the proudest moment of his life.
