August 03, 2003

The History of York Peppermint Patties
The York Cone Company, of York, Pennsylvania, introduced their Peppermint Pattie in the 1940. A luxurious blend of minty filling inside a milk chocolate coating, the York Peppermint Pattie is a classic candy -- and the namesake of a beloved Peanuts® cartoon character.

by Doug Gerlach

In the sleepy Central Pennsylvania city of York, the York Cone Company begain in the 1920s as a manufacturer of ice cream cones and waffles. Soon, the company began producing confectionery products, and introduced the York Peppermint Pattie in 1940. The York Peppermint Pattie was so popular that the company abandoned all its other product lines to focus on manufacturing its prize candy.

Even with no advertising, the York Peppermint Pattie found fans in the Northeast, Ohio, Indiana, and Florida. Finally, the Peter Paul company purchased York Cone Co. in 1972 and greatly expanded the product. (You may recall a famous ad jingle used by the Peter Paul company to market its own flagship candies: "Peter Paul Almond Joy's got nuts, Mounds don't. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't.")

In 1975, the brand was launched nationally, with an advertising campaign that is equally as memorable. The television commercials each featured a person biting into a York Peppermint Pattie and then describing, in near-orgasmic delight, just how refreshing the candy was, and ending with the tagline, "Get the sensation." Variations on these commercials are still broadcast today, with the notable addition of a graphic noting that York Peppermint Pattie is "a low fat food."

As far as nutritional content goes, one York Peppermint Pattie (0.49 oz.) has 50 calories, ll grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fat, (0.5 gram of saturated fat), and no cholestrol, protein, or sodium.

In 1978, Peter Paul merged with Cadbury Schweppes (one might venture to describe this as a "Schweppervescent" period for the York Peppermit Pattie). Finally, in 1988, the York Peppermint Pattie returned to Central Pennsylvania with the acquisition of Cadbury Schweppes's U.S. operations by Hershey Foods Corporation.

Charles Schulz introduced Peppermint Patty to the world in his Peanuts® cartoon strip on August 22, 1966. (Note the difference in spelling between the cartoon character and the candy.) Peppermint Patty soon won hearts for her sincerity, and for her oblivious nature. After all, how long did it take her to figure out that the "funny-looking kid who plays shortstop" was a beagle (Snoopy)? Or that no one else calls Charlie Brown "Chuck?" Though there's no official word on Patty's favorite snack, we can all imagine what it might be . . . .

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