Quality Street ( confectionery ) - wikipedia Quality Street ( confectionery ) Quality Street Quality Street is a popular selection of individual tinned or boxed toffees, chocolates and sweets, produced by Nestlé. Quality Street was first made in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England in 1936. It was named after a play by J.M. Barrie. Contents 1 History 2 Contents 2.1 Current varieties 2.2 Discontinued varieties 3 See also 4 References 5 External links History In 1890 John Mackintosh and his wife opened a shop in Halifax, where they created a new kind of sweet by mixing hard toffee with runny caramel. These toffees were made from inexpensive local ingredients such as milk, sugar beets and eggs. They were so successful that in 1898 they expanded the operation to build the world 's first toffee factory. It burned down in 1909 so John bought an old carpet factory and converted it into a new facility. When John Mackintosh died his son Harold inherited the business and in 1936 he invented Quality Street. The name was inspired by a play of the same name by J.M. Barrie. In the early 1930s only the wealthy could afford boxed chocolates made from exotic ingredients from around the world with elaborate packaging that often cost as much as the chocolates themselves. Harold Mackintosh set out to produce boxes of chocolates that could be sold at a reasonable price and would, therefore, be available to working families. His idea was to cover the different toffees with chocolate and present them in low - cost yet attractive boxes. Rather than having each piece separated in the box, which would require more costly packaging, Mackintosh decided to have each piece individually wrapped in coloured paper and put into a decorative tin. He also introduced new technology, the world 's first twist - wrapping machine, to wrap each chocolate in a distinctive wrapper. By using a tin, instead of a cardboard box, Mackintosh ensured the chocolate aroma burst out as soon as it was opened and the different textures, colours, shapes and sizes of the sweets made opening the tin and consuming its contents a noisy, vibrant experience that the whole family could enjoy. In the mid - to late 1930s, Britain was still feeling the effects of the economic crash and Mackintosh realised that in times of economic hardship and war, people crave nostalgia. Quality Street chocolates were, therefore, packaged in brightly coloured tins featuring two characters wearing Regency era dress, known affectionately as Miss Sweetly and Major Quality. ' The Major ' and ' Miss ', inspired by the play 's principal characters, appeared on all Quality Street boxes and tins until 2000. The original models for the pair were Tony and Iris Coles, the children of Sydney Coles who designed the advertising campaign that first appeared on a front page newspaper advertisement in the Daily Mail on 2 May 1936. The brand was acquired by Nestlé when they bought Rowntree Mackintosh in 1988. Individual larger versions of the more popular chocolates are now manufactured and sold separately, as an extension to the brand, such as a bar based on the Purple One. In Western Norway, Quality Street is called `` Shetlandsgodt '' or more commonly `` Shetland Snoops '' ( Shetland Sweets ), because it often was brought home by fishermen visiting Shetland. In Iceland it is traditionally known as `` Mackintosh ''. Quality Street gained the implied endorsement of Saddam Hussein when the Iraqi dictator was reported to have offered them to visiting British politician George Galloway in 2002. Nestlé were initially positive, but then chose to backtrack about the connection. Contents The sweets within the box have changed and evolved over the years. As of October 2017, there are 13 flavours of the individually wrapped sweets, all of which are either chocolate or toffee based, as follows : Current varieties `` The Purple One '' Milk Chocolate filled with hazelnut ( purple wrapper ) Green Triangle ( green wrapper, triangular, foil ) Chocolate Toffee Finger ( gold wrapper, stick ) Strawberry Delight ( red wrapper, circular ) Caramel Swirl ( yellow wrapper, circular, foil ) Milk Choc Block ( green wrapper ) Orange Crunch ( orange wrapper, octagonal, foil ) Orange Creme ( orange wrapper ) Fudge ( pink wrapper ) Coconut Eclair ( blue wrapper ) Toffee Penny ( gold wrapper, circular ) Honeycomb Crunch ( golden brown wrapper ) Toffee Deluxe ( brown wrapper ) The Toffee Penny wrapper presented a problem for a number of years because the wrapper would stick to the confection. Following a suggestion by packaging manufacturer William T. Robson O.B.E, a new material was adopted by the manufacturer to overcome the problem. On 15 August 2013, the My Green Bar became available from Nestlé, which consists of four original green noisette pate triangles held together by milk chocolate. This is also available in My Purple Bar. Lemon Zing is exclusive to the fruit cremes boxes. In 2016, a new chocolate entitled Honeycomb Crunch replaced Toffee Deluxe because the boxes have several chocolate coated toffees already. This led to some lovers of the chocolates complaining on social media. It is still in the Toffees and Fudge boxes. In 2017, the Toffee Deluxe made a triumphant return to mainstream Quality Street boxes. Discontinued varieties Purple One ( the original ' Purple One ' with Brazil nut, replaced with hazelnut version ) Chocolate Strawberry Cream ( now replaced with Strawberry Delight ) Chocolate Toffee Cup ( now replaced with Caramel Swirl ) Hazelnut Cracknell ( red wrapper ) Hazelnut Eclair Chocolate Nut Toffee Cream Malt Toffee ( replaced with toffee deluxe as a `` new '' flavour ) Milk Chocolate Round ( now replaced with Milk Choc Block in green wrapper ) Peanut Cracknell ( blue wrapper ) Coffee Cream ( brown wrapper, same size and shape as the strawberry cream ) Almond Octagon ( purple wrapper, replaced with Vanilla Octagon, but the latter is now discontinued as well ) Gooseberry Cream ( green wrapper light green fondant with a touch of Gooseberry Preserve covered in milk chocolate ) Fig Fancy ( light brown wrapper ) Apricot Delight ( blue wrapper, square chunk, apricot flavored jelly covered in milk chocolate ) Toffee Square ( metallic pink wrapper, a small square of very hard toffee ) Chocolate Truffle ( brown square chunk, a soft truffle filling covered in milk chocolate ) Montelimar Nougat Fruits of the Forest Creme ( pale purple wrapper ) Smarties ( ordinary cardboard box of Smarties, a 2004 promotion only ) See also Cadbury Roses Celebrations ( confectionery ) Quality Street ( play ) References Jump up ^ Quality Street candy history. Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., accessed 13 January 2015 Jump up ^ Twigg, Venetia. `` Venetia Twigg gives Quality Street ``, London Festival Fringe, accessed January 30, 2012 Jump up ^ Chrystal, Paul Secret Knaresborough Amberley Publishing Limited, 16 Sep 2014 Jump up ^ Barmen, Ane ( 27 February 2015 ). `` Du veit du er frå ytre Nordfjord når... '' ( in Norwegian Bokmål ). Fjordenes Tidende. Retrieved 16 August 2017. Jump up ^ Simon Hattenstone `` The Monday Interview : Saddam and me '', The Guardian, 16 September 2002 Jump up ^ `` Saddam Boosts Quality Street '' Archived September 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine., Sky.com, 16 September 2002 Jump up ^ James Mansfield `` Nestle plays down Saddam 's endorsement of Quality Street '', Brand Republic, 19 September 2002 External links Official website The Chocolate Review 's article on Quality Street Nestlé Brands Appliances BabyNes Dolce Gusto Nescafé Alegria Nescafé Barista Nespresso Special. T Baby nutrition BabyNes Cerelac Gerber Graduates Mucilon NaturNes Nestum Nidal ( brand ) Bear Brand Nido P'tit Baking Libby 's Pumpkin Toll House Bottled water Arrowhead Buxton Contrex Deer Park Hépar Ice Mountain Ozarka Acqua Panna Perrier Poland Spring Pure Life Quézac San Pellegrino Vittel Zephyrhills Cereals Cheerios Chocapic Chokella Cini Minis Clusters Cocoa Crisp Cookie Crisp Corn Flakes Country Corn Flakes Curiously Cinnamon Fitness Fitness Fibra Gold Flakes Golden Grahams Golden Nuggets Honey Gold Honey Stars Koko Krunch La Lechera Flakes Lion ( cereal ) Lucky Charms Milo Cereal Nesquik ( cereal ) Nesquik Duo Cereal Nesquik CioccoMilk Nestlé Crunch Oats & More Trix Shreddies Shredded Wheat Strawberry Minis Chocolate and desserts 100 Grand Bar Animal Bar Abuelita Aero Aero Biscuits After Eight Allen 's Baby Ruth Bar One Bertie Beetle Big Chocolate Big Turk Blue Riband Breakaway Butterfinger Cailler Caramac Carlos V Chicos Choclait Chips Choco Crossies Chocolate Log Chokito Chunky Club Coffee Crisp Crisp Crunch Die Weisse Drifter Fox 's Golden Rough Goobers Jelly Tots Kit Kat Kit Kat Chunky Kit Kat Senses Lanvin Lentejas Life Savers Lion Bar Mackintosh 's Toffee Matchmakers Menier Chocolate Milkybar Milkybar Choo Milo ( chocolate bar ) Mirage Mint Patty Munchies Munch NestEgg Nestlé Baker 's Choice Nestlé Classic Nestlé Dessert Nestlé Fav * rites Nestlé Extra Smooth Nestlé Snack Nuts Nestlé Milk Chocolate Oh Henry ! Orion Peppermint Crisp Perugina Plaistowe Polo Quality Street Raisinets Rolo Rowntree 's Rowntree 's Fruit Gums Rowntree 's Fruit Pastilles Sin Parar Smarties Sno - Caps Spree Sundy ( brand ) Susy Svitoch TEX Toffee Crisp Violet Crumble Walnut Whip White Knight The Willy Wonka Candy Company XXX YES Yorkie Coffee and beverages Abuelita BabyNes Blue Bottle Coffee Company Carnation Caro Chuckie Coffee - Mate Dolce Gusto Klim La Lechera Lion Menier Milo Nescafé Nescau Nesfruta Nespresso Nesquik ( mix ) Nesquik Ready - To - Drink Nestea Nestlé Chocolate Nestlé Dessert Ovaltine Ricoré Sjora Sublime Supligen Sweet Leaf Tonimalt Zoégas Health and nutrition Nutramen Junior Nutrament Pamlab Peptamen Boost Resource Ice cream Camy D'Onofrio Dibs ( ice cream ) Dreyer 's / Edy 's Drumstick Eskimo Pie Extrême Fab Frosty Paws Häagen - Dazs Hjem - IS Ice Screamers Kit Kat La Cremeria La Laitière Lanvin ( chocolate ) Maxibon Mövenpick Nestlé Parlour Pops Savory ( ice cream ) Schőller Smarties Prepared and Packaged Food and Snacks Buitoni California Pizza Kitchen DiGiorno Garden Gourmet Herta Hot Pockets Jack 's Lean Cuisine Libby 's Lean Pockets Maggi Mousline Nestlé Starz Roll Ups Stouffer 's Thomy Tombstone Uncle Tobys Wagner Yinlu Foods Dairy Products a+ Actiplus After Eight Bear Brand Carnation Cerevita Coffee - Mate Dancow Everyday Kit Kat La Lechera La Laitère Milkmaid Nesquik Nesquik Minis Rolo SKI Nesquik Nesquik Powder Nesquik Cereal Nesquik Duo Cereal Nesquik CioccoMilk Nesquik ( beverage ) Bear Brand Bear Brand Busog Lusog Bear Brand Choco Bear Brand Adult Plus Bear Brand Gold Milo Milo granules Milo Chocolate Bar Milo Cereal Uncle Toby 's Cheerios Fruit Bites Healthwise Natural Style Muesli O&G Oat Crisp Oat Flakes PLUS Puffs Roll Ups VitaBrits Weeties Petcare Alpo Bakers Complete Beggin ' Strips Beneful Bonio Cat Chow Chef Michael 's Dog Chow Fancy Feast Felix Friskies Frosty Paws Go - Cat Gourmet ONE Pro Plan Tender Vittles Veterinary Diets Winalot Galderma Cetaphil Daylong Epiduo Excipial Restylane Former Alcon Chocolate Surpresa Enviga Jenny Craig Polly Waffle Powerbar Powwow Water Wonder Ball Divisions Gerber Life Insurance Company Nestlé Purina PetCare Nestlé Waters Nestlé Waters North America Joint ventures Beverage Partners Worldwide Cereal Partners Worldwide Lactalis Nestlé Chilled Dairy Nestlé Toll House Café Other assets Hsu Fu Chi ( 60 % ) L'Oréal ( 30.3 % ) Osem Yinlu Foods ( 60 % ) People Günter Blobel Paul Bulcke Peter Brabeck - Letmathe Nobuyuki Idei Henri Nestlé Kaspar Villiger Eugenio Minvielle Lagos Other Nestea European Championship Tour Nestlé boycott Nestlé Invitational Nestlé Rowntree F.C. Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Nestlé Tower Toll House cookies International Code of Marketing of Breast - milk Substitutes Nescafé Basement Currently manufactured by General Mills in the United States and Canada. Produced by Cereal Partners under the Nestlé brand elsewhere. Brand owned by General Mills ; US and Canadian production rights controlled by Nestlé under license. US production rights owned by The Hershey Company. Canadian production rights owned by The Hershey Company. US rights and production owned by Smarties Candy Company, with a different product. US rights and specific trade dress owned by Nestlé ; rights elsewhere owned by Associated British Foods. Produced by Cereal Partners, branded as Nestlé. Produced by Cereal Partners, and Branded Nestlé in The United Kingdom, and Ireland. Produced by Post Foods, elsewhere. Philippine production rights owned by Alaska Milk Corporation. Used only in Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia. Used only in the Philippines. Used only in Brazil. Commons Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quality_Street_(confectionery)&oldid=809017177 '' Categories : British confectionery Yorkshire cuisine Products introduced in 1936 Hidden categories : CS1 Norwegian Bokmål - language sources ( nb ) Webarchive template wayback links Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Italiano Suomi Edit links This page was last edited on 6 November 2017, at 17 : 07. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: where did quality street get its name from
Answer: after a play by J. M. Barrie