The company was founded by two Scottish brothers-in-law, Richard Callard and John Bowser, in 1779 in
Maryhill, Glasgow, during the
Scottish Enlightenment period. By 1881 the company employed 41 people. Growing sales forced the company to move operations to Euston in 1894. The business was sold to Major
Alfred Ernest Allnatt in 1933. Allnatt relocated production to Park Royal. In 1937 the company introduced the
Cream Line toffee, which became of its most successful products. Callard & Bowser acquired the William Nuttall business, based in
Doncaster, best known for its
Mintoes hard candies. The takeover positioned C&B as one of the largest toffee manufacturers in the UK. United Biscuits integrated C&B with its Terry's subsidiary to form the "Terry's Group". Percent share of the toffee market had grown from 29% to 34% in 1992. for
$1.48 billion. After
Mars, Inc. acquired Wrigley in 2008, the Callard & Bowser brand was largely discontinued but the
Altoids brand name remained. The company's best-known products were available in peppermint, wintergreen, cinnamon, and spearmint flavors. They were packed in a distinctive rectangular tin box. Callard and Bowser formerly marketed a popular line of English
toffees, which was discontinued between 2001 and 2003. ==References==