If you’re curious why a Pontefract-based company with a presence on Vicarage Lane appears in Blackpool’s timeline, it stems from its historical connection to Clifton Road, once home to Daintee Confectionery, a renowned Blackpool company. Over time, the UK arm of Toms Confectionery acquired Daintee along with Taveners and Parrs between 1992 and 2001, eventually rebranding as Tangerine Confectionery. Tangerine itself changed ownership multiple times and, in August 2018, was acquired by Valeo Foods. By December 2019, the company’s name officially became Valeo Confectionery.
In January 2006, Toms Confectionery rebranded following its purchase by a management team from Toms International of Denmark. Toms had initially formed by acquiring traditional confectionery companies Taveners, Daintee, and Parrs. At this stage, the company focused on own-label confectionery production in the UK. Later that year, Tangerine acquired Taveners, Daintee, and Parrs from Toms of Denmark, positioning itself as a leader in the confectionery market. It was voted the UK’s best own-label confectionery supplier by The Grocer magazine and expanded further in August by acquiring the confectionery arm of Blackpool-based Burton’s Foods. This acquisition boosted its turnover to £60 million, making it the largest independent confectionery company in the UK.
In January 2008, Tangerine purchased Yorkshire-based Monkhill Confectionery from Cadbury plc for £58 million. This acquisition included factories in Cleckheaton, Pontefract, York, and a distribution center in Holmewood, along with well-known brands such as Barratts, Sharps of York, Jameson’s, Trebor Basset Mints, Butterkist, and Pascall. However, despite claims there were no plans to close its York factory, the company ordered workers to stay home during Easter that year. Around the same time, staff in Blackpool voted for industrial action over a rejected 2.5% pay increase.
In 2009, Tangerine was ranked 23rd in The Sunday Times PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100, which lists the UK’s private companies with the fastest-growing profits. It was the highest-ranking company from the North West and gained Halal Food Authority approval for 150 products, including Barratt, MOJO, Princess, and Taveners Proper Sweets ranges. However, in March 2010, the company faced serious setbacks after being found guilty of two health and safety breaches related to the death of an employee at its Poole, Dorset factory. It was fined £300,000 per count plus costs. In 2012, the factory closed.
The following years brought significant changes. Tangerine acquired Smith Kendon, makers of York Fruits jelly sweets, in 2012. However, in February 2013, it was delisted by the Halal Food Authority. The company also announced in 2014 that its Clifton Road factory in Blackpool would close, leaving its Vicarage Lane site operational. These developments marked Tangerine’s ongoing evolution, with both challenges and opportunities shaping its path before its transition into Valeo Confectionery.
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