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Oatfield (confectionery)
Encyclopedia
Oatfield is a chocolate and confectionery manufacturer located in Letterkenny
, County Donegal
, Ireland
. The company is over 100 years old making it the oldest confectionery manufacturer in Ireland.
The business began as a wholesale and retail outlet on the Port Road in the town. The McKinney family began to make their own sweets and on 15 August 1927. The first sweets were made on the open coke fire in a shed at the back of the shop. The land on which the factory now stands was purchased in November 1929, the first sod was cut in February 1930. Six people were employed at the time.
The company at the time was known as Mayfield Confectionery but the name was quickly changed as another company in Manchester
traded by this name. The company name was changed to Oatfield. The land on which the factory is built was known as Oatfield. The May was dropped and Oat was substituted and hence the name “Oatfield”. The weekly production of confectionery was about 3 tons. Today the company produces approximately 65 tons a week.
Sugar was purchased in the 1930s from Tate & Lyle
. Glucose came from Manchester. They were delivered by ship and rail via Derry to Letterkenny railway station. Later, glucose was shipped from Holland to the Letterkenny Port. Today, only Irish sugar and Irish glucose are used. Butter has always been Irish Creamery Butter.
, Urney's Chocolates, Bassetts Licorice Allsorts
, Jacobs Biscuits
, William and Wood, Ritchies Mints and Milroy Confectionery. The company now began to focus on entirely selling Oatfield sweets. This was a major decision and proved a major success for the company.
Exporting began in August 1964. The first sweets were exported to Northern Ireland
. The sweets are exported on a worldwide scale which includes countries as far away as the United States
, Canada
, Hong Kong
, Australia
, Kuwait
, Greece
and France
to name a few.
Donegal Creameries PLC purchased the company in February 1999 for £783,750.
In 2007 Zed Candy, an Irish confectionery company famous for its Chewing Gum, bought the brand from Donegal Creameries.
Letterkenny
Letterkenny , with a population of 17,568, is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The town is located on the River Swilly...
, County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The company is over 100 years old making it the oldest confectionery manufacturer in Ireland.
The Beginning
The company at the time was known as Mayfield Confectionery but the name was quickly changed as another company in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
traded by this name. The company name was changed to Oatfield. The land on which the factory is built was known as Oatfield. The May was dropped and Oat was substituted and hence the name “Oatfield”. The weekly production of confectionery was about 3 tons. Today the company produces approximately 65 tons a week.
Sugar was purchased in the 1930s from Tate & Lyle
Tate & Lyle
Tate & Lyle plc is a British-based multinational agribusiness. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index as of 20 June 2011...
. Glucose came from Manchester. They were delivered by ship and rail via Derry to Letterkenny railway station. Later, glucose was shipped from Holland to the Letterkenny Port. Today, only Irish sugar and Irish glucose are used. Butter has always been Irish Creamery Butter.
Later
By 1960 Oatfield decided to stop marketing packed sweets made by Cadburys, RowntreeRowntree
-Companies:*Rowntree's, the confectionery company owned in the 19th & 20th centuries in York by members of the Rowntree family**Directors and employees of this company***Oliver Sheldon *Rowntree trusts**Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust...
, Urney's Chocolates, Bassetts Licorice Allsorts
Liquorice allsorts
Liquorice allsorts consist of a variety of liquorice sold as a mixture. These confections are made of liquorice, sugar, coconut, aniseed jelly, fruit flavourings, and gelatine. They were first produced in Sheffield, England, by Geo...
, Jacobs Biscuits
Jacob's
Jacob's is a brand name for several lines of biscuits and crackers. The brand name in the Republic of Ireland is owned by Jacob Fruitfield Food Group and in the United Kingdom it is owned under license by United Biscuits.-History:...
, William and Wood, Ritchies Mints and Milroy Confectionery. The company now began to focus on entirely selling Oatfield sweets. This was a major decision and proved a major success for the company.
Exporting began in August 1964. The first sweets were exported to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The sweets are exported on a worldwide scale which includes countries as far away as the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to name a few.
Today
Today, the factory employs approx 15 people and up to 65 tonnes of sugar and chocolate confectionery are produced each week. The main production lines are Emerald, Toffees, Eclairs, Boiled sweets. The biggest sellers are Emerald, Colleen Assortment and Orange Chocolate. The factory experiences a constant demand for its products especially at Christmas.Donegal Creameries PLC purchased the company in February 1999 for £783,750.
In 2007 Zed Candy, an Irish confectionery company famous for its Chewing Gum, bought the brand from Donegal Creameries.
Products
The company's name is famously printed on many of its products including:- Oatfield Chocolate Emeralds
- Oatfield Liquorice Toffees
- Oatfield Chocolate Eclairs
- Oatfield Irish Butter Toffee