Wigan sweet firm launches hunt for the 21st century's real Uncle Joe

For almost 125 years Uncle Joe has been the face of the world’s most famous mint balls, but now the manufacturers have launched an appeal to find his real-life 21st Century counterpart.
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The boiled sweets, first made in the kitchen of a Victorian terraced house, are today known around the world, thanks in no small part to the friendly-faced man dressed in top hat and tails who appears on the packets and tins.

Now the manufacturers of Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls want to find a modern-day Uncle Joe to help with their 125th anniversary celebrations next year, after revealing that the original Uncle Joe was not a real person.

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They are appealing for anyone who has or knows an Uncle Joe with a happy smile and generous nature to nominate them to be the face of Uncle Joe’s for the anniversary year - and win free sweets for 12 months.

Uncle JoeUncle Joe
Uncle Joe

Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls are made by Wigan-based William Santus and Co Ltd, a privately-owned traditional sweet company that was established in 1898.

Each year 33 million sweets are made in the same way as the first ones back in 1898, when William Santus’ wife Ellen started boiling up sugar in the kitchen of her home in Acton Street, Wigan.

They soon became a local favourite and their fame spread, as did the slogan “They keep you all aglow”.

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The ownership has been passed down through the family generations and joint Managing Directors John and Antony Winnard are the great, great nephews of the company’s founder.

An old Uncle Joe's Mint Ball advertAn old Uncle Joe's Mint Ball advert
An old Uncle Joe's Mint Ball advert

They said: “The iconic Uncle Joe’s character has been the face of our sweets for decades but after years of research we have discovered that he wasn’t a real person - we can’t find anyone in the family called Joseph, let alone a kindly uncle.

“So we thought it would be great to mark our 125th anniversary by finding a real-life Uncle Joe, who embodies all the fun and generosity Uncle Joe’s stands for.

“William Santus was known for giving away sweets and helping those in need and he not only made the sweets, he dreamed up the advertising campaigns and it seems he even drew the character on the tins.”

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Over the decades the sweets have achieved legendary status. Immortalised in cartoons and poems, there has even been a song written about them.

The familiar Uncle Joe's Mint Balls logoThe familiar Uncle Joe's Mint Balls logo
The familiar Uncle Joe's Mint Balls logo

The brothers believe William Santus may have taken the name for his sweets from a local Lancashire greeting.

John explained: “There was a nicety that was used in the streets and between miners as they were coming up from their shift.

“When they were crossing over with the lads heading to the coalface and saw somebody they didn’t know by name they say ‘Alreet Joe’. It was a term of with friendliness and camaraderie.

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“And, as a kid, everyone had a favourite uncle who would bring them sweets as a treat. We think he just put the two together and came up with Uncle Joe.”

While the ingredients of pure cane sugar, oil of peppermint and cream of tartar are “suitable for vegans” and “gluten free”, the exact recipe remains a closely guarded secret.

These days it’s not just mint balls, the company produce flavoured sweets using rhubarb and ginger, sugar free ones and a variety of other treats. There’s even been a special limited addition Uncle Joe’s Gin.

Anyone who would like to nominate an Uncle Joe (who is called Joe and is an uncle) can email [email protected] including details of why they are the perfect Uncle Joe.

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