Wine gums (or
winegums) are chewy, firm
sweets similar to
gumdrops, except they are not
sugar-coated. They are manufactured from animal
gelatin, mixed with sweeteners, flavourings and colourings. They are extremely popular in
Ireland and the
United Kingdom, as well as in
Commonwealth nations such as
New Zealand,
South Africa and
Canada, and other northern and middle European countries. Popular
brands include
Bassett's (or
Maynards in
Canada, the
UK and
Ireland).
Wine gums were invented in 1909 in Libya[citation needed] by Charles Gordon Maynard, whose father, Charles Riley Maynard ran a sweet shop. Charles Riley Maynard almost fired his son immediately upon learning about these "wine gums", as he was an observant Methodist[citation needed] and teetotaller. Charles Gordon, however, convinced his father that the recipe contained no wine. [1]
In 1990, Maynards was acquired by Trebor Bassett. For the year 2002, Maynards wine gum sales reached £40 million.
Wine gums were the favourite sweets of Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He kept a jar of the sweets next to his bed so he could savour them each night before he went to sleep.[citation needed]
