Toffo spent its first eleven years under a completely different name - Toff-O-Lux - before the sweet everyone actually remembers was born.
From Toff-O-Lux to Toffo
Mackintosh's launched the individually wrapped chewy toffee in 1964 as Toff-O-Lux. The name was shortened to the punchier Toffo in 1975, by which point the twist-wrapped format - instantly recognisable from Mackintosh's other toffee lines - was already established.
Three owners, one sweet
Mackintosh's itself began in 1890 when John and Violet Mackintosh bought a pastry shop in Halifax; Violet's recipe for blending brittle English butterscotch with soft American caramel became Mackintosh's Celebrated Toffee. By the time Toffo launched decades later, Mackintosh's had merged with Rowntree in 1969 to form Rowntree Mackintosh. Nestle then acquired Rowntree Mackintosh in 1988, and Toffo has been made under Nestle ownership ever since.
The flavours that came and went
The original vanilla toffee was joined over the years by mint Toffo and, most fondly remembered, banana Toffo - a flavour that's since disappeared from shelves but still turns up regularly in nostalgia polls of discontinued British sweets. The twist-wrapped tube format made Toffo a lunchbox and pick 'n' mix staple for decades. You'll find other individually wrapped classics from the same era in our retro sweets collection.
Frequently asked questions
When was Toffo launched?
Toffo was launched in 1964 by Mackintosh's under the name Toff-O-Lux, before being renamed Toffo in 1975.
Who makes Toffo now?
Mackintosh's merged with Rowntree in 1969, and Nestle acquired the combined company in 1988 - so Toffo has been made by Nestle for decades.
What flavours has Toffo come in?
Alongside the original vanilla toffee, Toffo has been sold in mint and banana versions, with banana Toffo particularly fondly remembered as a discontinued retro flavour.