Rowntree's

Rowntree was an English confectionery business based in York. Rowntree developed the Kit Kat, Smarties and Aero brands in the 1930s, and the Rolo and Quality Street brands when it merged with Mackintosh's in 1969.

Founded in 1862, the company developed strong associations with Quaker philanthropy. Throughout much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it was one of the big three confectionery manufacturers in the United Kingdom, alongside Cadbury and Fry. By the time the company was acquired by Nestlé in 1988 it was the fourth largest confectionery manufacturer in the world. The Rowntree brand continues to be used to market Nestlé's jelly sweet brands, such as Fruit Pastilles and Fruit Gums.