Wigan sweet-maker celebrates a century-old piece of machinery's billionth mint ball

She is the oldest sweet machine still operating in the UK and now the old girl – nicknamed Ethel by staff – has clocked up her one billionth sweet for her bosses at Wigan's Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls.

Ethel started life making the famous confectionery shortly after production began at the Wm Santus and Co Toffee Works in Wigan 100 years ago, moulding warm toffee into the iconic round shape known the world over.

She has never missed a day’s production since and, despite decades of change in the outside world, she has stayed true to the manufacturing process which has seen Uncle Joe’s sweets made in the exactly the same way as they have always been.

She was made by Brierley Collier and Hartley (BCH) in Rochdale and her official job description is a Drop Roller Line. But everyone knows her as Ethel.

Drop roller line Ethel is still in use today

John Winnard, joint managing director of the Dorning Street business, said: “Ethel got her nickname because it was a good, solid Lancashire name that conveyed dependability and one that the workers could identify with.

“Traditionally it was women who operated the machines in that part of the process and she was one of the few such machines which the factory had at the time.

“Nowadays the mint balls are made by a more up to date machine and Ethel tends to concentrate on making other sweets in our range, such as winter nips or sweets that aren’t individually wrapped.

“But she has never let us down and the only thing that has changed is that every now and then she has had a lick of paint to keep her looking smart.

“The trouble is that she has been here so long that all the layers of paint have made it hard to read her original manufacturer’s name plate.”

Staff at the plant went back through production records as part of preparations for the centenary celebrations and worked out that Ethel had produced one billion sweets.

William Santus and Co Ltd is a privately-owned traditional sweet company that was established in 1898 and the ownership has been passed down through the family generations.

The Mint Balls are still manufactured using the same traditional methods as when Mrs Santus originally made the sweets in her kitchen in 1898.

In April last year HRH Prince Charles enjoyed a tour of the factory to celebrate its centenary.

He saw how the sweets were manufactured and met Joint Managing Directors Antony Winnard and John Winnard MBE, the great, great-nephews of the company’s founder, William Santus.