Edible Souvenirs

Everton Mints

The national distribution of Everton Toffee and Mints over the last century has rather diminished their locally distinctive effect, but as a product of a locality and a specific culture (football, in this case) - and as a good yarn - they still have a connection which local retailers might take advantage of, even if the recipe remains in the hands of major players.

A curious interweaving of food and football brought about the Everton Mint at the tail-end of the 19th century. The legend goes thus: a toffee shop was located near to where the Everton football club developed near Liverpool, and its owner, Molly Bushell (or Busshell), developed the Everton Toffee, which quickly became a favourite among football crowds in the area. When the team moved to Goodison Park in 1892 they found themselves near another toffee shop, belonging to one Mother Nobletts. Rather than copy her rival, Nobletts used the colours of an early Everton team strip as the basis for a new confection - the black and white striped Everton Mint. Bushell eventually out-did Nobletts by winning the right to sell her toffees inside the ground, beginning a tradition of the Toffee Lady as a feature of Everton matches. The team nickname is now The Toffees.

There is some lore-making at work here, as although Molly Bushell is rightly regarded as creator of the toffee, she died in 1818, long before the team took shape, and it seems the recipe was sold to the Nobletts company in 1894 (after the move to Goodison). They coated it with sugar stripes and sold as an Everton Mint. They also continued to market the toffee, with Molly Bushell reinvented as their trademark "Mother Nobletts". Both sweets were later sold to Liverpool company Barker & Dobson and are still marketed under this brand, although it is owned by the Cadbury Trebor Bassett empire (through their Monkhill Confectionery company). The sweet is available nationally, but is still a very distinctive feature of football in this part of Liverpool.

More Information:

The Toffees <www.toffeeweb.com>
Barker & Dobson <www.sugarboy.co.uk>