Uncle Joe's mint balls were first made by Mrs Santus in her kitchen in 1898. The sweet recipe has been passed down through the generations and they are still made today. They are only made in WIGAN but are known worldwide. They were greatly appreciated by the miners - they were unable to smoke but sucked the sweets to keep their lungs free from dust - it was believed that the action of sucking and the peppermint flavour helped, it is thought that they are still used in the potteries today for the same reason. See Uncle Joe's web site for full history.
The factory is in an old building in Dorning Street which is thought of as a run down part of Wigan however the area is being redeveloped as you will see by the new build apartments next to Uncle Joe's.
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