Quality Street is one of the most searched sharing-tub chocolates every Christmas, largely because everyone has a strong opinion about which sweet is best and which one nobody wants — the Purple One debate alone drives a huge amount of that traffic.
Named after a play, not a street
Quality Street was launched in 1936 by Mackintosh's in Halifax, England. The name comes from "Quality Street", a 1901 play by J.M. Barrie (the author of Peter Pan), which was popular at the time. The brand became known for individually wrapped sweets and chocolates in one tin — a novelty at the time, since most boxed chocolates were uniform.
From Mackintosh's to Nestlé
Mackintosh's merged with Rowntree's in 1969 to form Rowntree Mackintosh, which was then acquired by Nestlé in 1988. Quality Street has stayed under Nestlé ownership since. The classic metal tin was largely phased out in favour of plastic tubs and recyclable packaging in more recent years, a change that itself became a minor talking point among long-time buyers.
What we actually stock right now
We don't currently stock Quality Street directly. In the same sharing-tub chocolate category, we do list Cadbury Heroes Chocolate Box 290g, though that's also out of stock at the moment. What is genuinely in stock now, if you want a similar gifting/sharing chocolate box, is our Lindt Swiss Luxury Selection Box 193g and Lindt Master Chocolatier Collection Large Chocolate Box 320g.
FAQ
Why is it called Quality Street?
It's named after "Quality Street", a 1901 play by J.M. Barrie, which was well known when Mackintosh's launched the sweets in 1936.
Who owns Quality Street now?
Nestlé, following its 1988 acquisition of Rowntree Mackintosh, the company formed when Mackintosh's merged with Rowntree's in 1969.
Do you stock Quality Street or Cadbury Heroes?
We don't stock Quality Street, and while Cadbury Heroes Chocolate Box 290g is listed on our site, it's currently out of stock too.
What's a good in-stock alternative to a Quality Street tub?
Our Lindt Swiss Luxury Selection Box and Lindt Master Chocolatier Collection are both in stock now and work well as a similar sharing or gifting chocolate box.