The sweet history of lollies (and where you can buy bulk lollies!)
We all love our lollies. They’re colourful, tasty, and a great way to sweeten up a party!
But how many of us know the history behind them?
Next time you chow down on your favourite sweets or purchase bulk lollies for an upcoming event, spare a thought for the thousands of years of history behind your favourite treat.
Today, we’ll be taking a break from shipping out bulk lollies – instead, we’re going to give you a quick historical recap on the sweet story of lollies!
Who invented the first lollies?
Whoever it is, we owe a lot to you!
Lollies have a surprisingly long history, with evidence suggesting that as early as 2000 B.C. the people of Egypt were treating themselves with sweets.
It’s believed that the Egyptians satisfied their collective sweet tooth with hardened honey, occasionally paired with dried fruit and nuts, creating an early form of what you might call rock candy.
While a far cry from today’s Allen’s snakes and minties, it was a start – all things come from somewhere, after all!
Over the years, cultures all over the globe would come up with their own unique lollies completely independently of one another – something that speaks to humanity’s obsession with sweets.
Gradually, the lolly making process got more sophisticated, with civilisations in India discovering sugarcane and using it to make their own early lollies.
By the 1600s, a new type of lolly was making waves: chocolate.
While chocolate had already been around in one form or another for centuries, it wasn’t until the 1600s that it started to hit the market in Europe and America.
Of course, there wouldn’t be much progress in the development of lollies until the industrial revolution, which saw lollies (formerly exclusively for the ultra-wealthy) reach the masses.
Thanks to industrial processes, new lollies were developed at a lightning pace!
Time for an English lesson – why does everyone have a different word for lollies?
In America and Europe, they call that sweet morsel ‘candy’ based on the Arabic word “sukkar quandi”.
Sukkar translates directly into “sugar”, while quandi translates into fragment – combine the two words together, and you get a fragment – or a piece – of sugar.
A lolly, in other words!
Needless to say, the name ended up sticking long after lollies evolved beyond hardened sugar crystals!
As for the Brits, they instead settled on the word “sweets” because – why else? – lollies are sweet!
The history of lollies in Australia
Lollies have been a part of Australian culture for many years.
While we may not have played a large role in their development, Australian lollies are iconic in their own regard, and can be found around the world.
While many independent lolly makers operated in Australia, the Australian lolly scene really took off in the mid-to-late 1800s.
This is when many of Australia’s most iconic sweets first appeared.
For example, the year 1880 saw the formation of MacRobertson’s, responsible for classics like Freddo, Cherry Ripe and more.
And in 1891, Allen’s was founded in Melbourne, quickly growing into one of Australia’s largest confectioners.
Over the years, the Australian lolly market would be flooded by uniquely Aussie classics, including:
- Party mix lollies
- Allen’s Killer Pythons
- Red frogs lollies
- Bananas and Milk Bottles
- Strawberries & Cream
The legendary products they created live on to this day!
And of course, we can skip one of the biggest changes in Australia’s lolly landscape: in 2008, when MyLollies was launched!
Now, anyone in Australia could easily buy bulk lollies online, gaining access to a wider variety of lollies in larger quantities than the supermarkets.
What does the future hold for lollies?
While there’s been a trend towards healthier eating, we predict that demand for lollies will never truly go away – after all, who could resist the temptation of a small, sweet treat?
In particular, with Halloween and trends like lolly buffets or multicolor lollies growing in popularity here in Australia, we predict that demand for lollies to continue rising!
Of course, both of these trends require a lot of lollies to carry out – in many cases, more than you can buy at the local supermarket in a single trip.
Little wonder that demand is so high for bulk lollies!
Many retailers and wholesalers (ourselves included) have responded to this by giving lolly-lovers out there the power to purchase lollies in bulk, at wholesale prices.
Now you can buy all the lollies you need for your event, all at once.
Combined with the online shopping trend, and it’s never been easier to buy lollies online!
Buy bulk lollies online with MyLollies
So you need lollies, and you need a lot of them.
Few places can deliver the goods (figuratively or literally) – luckily, MyLollies is one of them.
With our huge range of lollies from around the world, we’re the team to call for all things sweet and tasty!
- Planning a decadent lolly buffet for a wedding or bridal shower?
- Want to spoil little ones with lollies for a kid’s birthday party?
- Looking for a unique way to celebrate a company launch or milestone?
Whatever it is, our online lolly shop has it – all you need to do is look for it.
Best of all, we make buying bulk lollies cheap – we stock all of our lollies at wholesale prices.
Browse our huge selection of lollies online now.
Live in Bayside? Feel free to pop into our confectionery warehouse and see our range for yourself – better yet, bring the little ones along too, and see their eyes light up in amazement!
Got a question? Our friendly team is ready to answer! Get in touch online or give us a call on 1300 899 000.