After Eight is one of those names that explains itself once you know the story — it's built entirely around the idea of a formal after-dinner mint, and that's exactly why it's still associated with Christmas dinner tables decades on.
A Rowntree's product built around a dinner ritual
After Eight was created by Rowntree's, the York-based confectionery company, and launched in 1962. Each thin square of dark chocolate has a soft mint fondant centre and is individually wrapped in a black, envelope-style paper sleeve, designed to look formal rather than like a typical sweet wrapper.
Why the name and the "8 o'clock" idea
The name refers to the British tradition of serving mints after a formal dinner, once the table had been cleared — specifically framed around eight o'clock in the evening as a marker of "after-dinner" time. That formal framing, plus the black packaging, positioned it deliberately above a standard boxed chocolate.
What we actually stock right now
We don't currently stock After Eight directly. If it's the thin, dark mint chocolate format you're after, we do carry Elizabeth Shaw Dark Chocolate Mint Crisp 162g, which is genuinely in stock and sits in the same after-dinner mint chocolate category. The Elizabeth Shaw Mint Chocolate Collection 200g is also listed but currently out of stock.
FAQ
Why is it called After Eight?
It refers to the British tradition of serving mints after a formal dinner, around eight o'clock in the evening, once the table had been cleared.
Who makes After Eight?
Rowntree's, the York-based confectionery company, launched it in 1962.
Do you stock After Eight mints?
No, we don't currently stock them directly.
What's a similar in-stock alternative to After Eight?
Elizabeth Shaw Dark Chocolate Mint Crisp 162g is in stock now and is a genuinely comparable thin, dark mint chocolate. Their Mint Chocolate Collection 200g is listed but currently out of stock.