The History of Rolos

Rolos were invented in Britain. The story starts when John and Violet Mackintosh opened a pastry shop in 1890. They began selling toffee, which at the time was a soft, boiled sweet not dissimilar to modern American caramel. In 1933, the Mackintoshes purchased A.J. Caley, a chocolate manufacturer. Four years after the acquisition, Rolos — which famously combined caramel and chocolate, the specialties of the two companies — became available in Britain. They quickly gained popularity following their 1937 debut. But when Rolos eventually hit the U.S. market in the late 1960s, they weren’t quite the same as the British version. Interestingly, American Rolos are not made by the same company as the rest of the world’s Rolos — they’re made by Hershey, which purchased the rights to produce and sell the candy in America back in 1969. The difference between the two version largely boils down to the amount of cocoa, cocoa butter, and related ingredients in the chocolate itself, as America and Britain have different standards for chocolate production. The company was also quite famous for the slogan, "Do you love anyone enough to give them your last Rolo?", but it was eventually retired for being “too sentimental” and replaced with a less emotional tagline. Today, Rolos remain a popular chocolate in both America and Britain and the brand has even expanded the range of products to include chocolate eggs, Rolos hot chocolate mix, and more.