Sweet taste of success as Uncle Joe's named as finalist in regional business awards

William Santus & Co Ltd – best known for making Uncle Joe’s mint balls – is a finalist for the People’s Choice category at the North West Family Business Awards 2023.

This gives members of the public the chance to vote for their favourite family business in Greater Manchester.

Uncle Joe’s beat strong competition to make the shortlist, with a record number of family businesses entering the awards, and it is the only Wigan company to have reached this year’s final.

Among the other finalists are Bolton-based Carr’s Pasties and Smithills Open Farm, Stockport Gin, My Time Wellness in Chorlton-cum-Hardy and the Two Tubs pub in Bury.

Sue Howarth, co-founder and director of the awards, said: “We were inundated with some incredible entries and we have been burning the midnight oil to get through them as they came in right up to the wire. The judges had extremely difficult decisions to make so the finalists should be extremely proud of themselves.”

Established in Wigan in 1898 by William Santus and Co Ltd, a privately-owned traditional sweet company, the ownership has been passed down through the family generations to now the joint managing directors John and Antony Winnard, who are the great, great nephews of the company’s founder.

They were elated to have been selected as finalists.

John said: “We are so proud to still be manufacturing our much-loved Uncle Joe’s sweets in Wigan and with this being our 125th year, we are extremely thankful to all staff members and customers, old and new, for their support over the years.”

Antony said: “We are proud of our heritage and at Uncle Joe’s we remain committed to ‘making sweets to make life sweeter’, just like we have done since 1898.”

The finalists will now be visited by a panel of expert judges, before they make their final decisions.

The winners will be announced on Friday, May 19 at the the Concorde Conference Centre, near Manchester Airport.

To vote for the winner of the People’s Choice award, go to www.northwestfamilybusinessawards.co.uk/finalists-2023/peoples-choice-greater-manchester/