What was the first Valentine's Day candy? - Sanaa Chocolates (2024)

FAQs

What was the first Valentine's Day candy? - Sanaa Chocolates? ›

Richard Cadbury, the son of Cadbury founder John Cadbury, had the idea to create fancy-looking boxes of chocolates to increase their sales. He decorated the boxes using drawings of his family and Alpine scenes. In 1861, he created the first heart-shaped box of chocolates designed specifically for Valentine's Day.

Richard Cadbury (yes, that Cadbury), chocolate-maker, philanthropist, and (I'm going to go ahead and assume) hopeless romantic, is credited with inventing and marketing the first heart-shaped box of chocolates in 1868.

Richard Cadbury, a member of the second generation of the Cadbury chocolate manufacturing family in England, made a significant contribution to the chocolate industry and the celebration of Valentine's Day in the late 19th century.

According to Candystore.com's annual report from 2023, conversation hearts made a stunning comeback, being the top Valentine's Day candy choice for 17 U.S. states.

Heart-Shaped Boxes of Chocolates: Richard Cadbury, son of Cadbury founder John Cadbury, created 'fancy' boxes of chocolates to increase sales. He used drawings of his family and Alpine scenes to decorate them. In 1861, he created the first heart-shaped box of chocolates for Valentine's Day.

We've got Richard Cadbury to thank for this. In 1861, he decided to sell heart-shaped boxes of chocolate. This was also the time of the Victorian age when nature and nature-inspired motifs were trendy, and Cadbury adorned his boxes with rosebuds and the Roman god of lov… e, Cupid.

Snickers is the top-selling candy bar in the United States and is produced by Mars, Inc. This classic chocolate bar is made with nougat, caramel, and peanuts, and it has been a favourite among Americans since its introduction in 1930.

Similar to how we think about luxurious rigid boxes, Richard Cadbury marketed the first Valentine's Day boxes as having two purposes: first as a container and marketing tool for the product, and second as a keepsake after Valentine's Day. One might keep special mementos from their lover in the boxes.

Candy: As the saying goes, “Candy for the win!” It comes as no surprise that candy tops the list, with 57% of people purchasing sweets for their loved ones on Valentine's Day. Chocolates, in particular, are a timeless classic and a symbol of romance.

What is America's #1 candy? ›

Top-selling chocolates and sweets. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the No. 1 selling candy brand in the United States, consisting of white fudge, milk, or dark chocolate cups filled with peanut butter. They were invented by H.B. Reese after he founded the H. B. Reese Candy Company in 1923.

The data has been calculated by Statista based on the U.S. Census data and Simmons National Consumer Survey (NHCS). According to this statistic, 48.06 million Americans consumed Snickers (Chocolate) in 2020.

Richard Cadbury and the Heart-Shaped Box: The invention of the heart-shaped chocolate box by Richard Cadbury in the 19th century cemented the association of chocolate with Valentine's Day. These boxes were not just containers for chocolates; they were ornate and decorative, doubling as keepsakes.

He took that idea and made it his own by finding a way to print directly onto the candy. Although the conversation candies were not heart-shaped until 1902, they were a big success throughout the next century.

He introduced the first heart-shaped box of chocolates for V-Day in 1861, and today, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold each year. That's 58 million pounds of chocolate!

In 1853, John Cadbury transformed the British chocolate category by introducing the first ever-known marketed box of chocolates.