Slush Puppie
.svg) Branding for Slush Puppie products | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food and beverage |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Founder | Will Radcliff |
| Owner | J&J Snack Foods |
Slush Puppie (stylized as SLUSH PUPPiE) is a slush beverage created in 1970, and marketed both directly by the Slush Puppie division of J&J Snack Foods, and through its Slush Puppie distributors in the United States and Canada.
A Slush Puppie has two major components; the base and the flavoring. The base is made from a special syrup that is mixed with water and then frozen. This creates a mixture resulting in pellets of ice in a sweet liquid. The taste is simply that of the flavored syrup. The brand's mascot is a white puppy named Chilly Dog wearing a blue shirt with the letter "S" and a knit hat.
Because of the glycerol, which prevents slushy drinks from freezing, it is not suitable for children under age four says Food Standards Scotland.[1]
History
[edit]Slush Puppie founder Will Radcliff (1939–2014) decided to start the company after seeing a slush-making machine at a Chicago trade fair in 1970.[2] Radcliff, his sister and their mother came up with the name "Slush Puppie" (based on hush puppy) while sitting on their front porch in Cincinnati, Ohio.[3]
The business started from a home address in Cincinnati and progressed to a single door small warehouse, to a manufacturing plant/warehouse, to a candy and tobacco distributor, to a front door repair shop, to finally a showplace building that overlooks the city of Cincinnati.[4] As the company expanded, Radcliff added additional product lines, including Thelma's frozen lemonade, Pacific Bay Smooth-E, and Lanikai Frozen Cocktails. Under Radcliff, Slush Puppie grew to $25 million in annual sales.[2]
Radcliff sold Slush Puppie to Cadbury Schweppes for $16.6 million in 2000.[2][5] Slush Puppie was then acquired by J & J Snack Foods, a food manufacturer based in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey, on May 30, 2006.[2][6]
List of international operations
[edit]United Kingdom
[edit]In 1974, Slush Puppie arrived in the United Kingdom when businessman Ralph Peters bought three Slush Puppie machines.[7] The Slush Puppie license continued to be held in the United Kingdom by the Peters family, and was later joined by the Frutina brand.[8] In June 2021, the UK license for Slush Puppie was changed to Vimto Out of Home.[9] In November 2024, the Slush Puppie license was then changed to Celtic Frozen Drinks.[10]
Spin-offs of Slush Puppie sold in UK retail outlets, such as a home slush machine, have been sold by Fizz Creations since 2017.[11] A freezable pouch version was introduced by Manchester Drinks in July 2018.[12] In March 2023, a soft-drink version called Slush Puppie Fizzie was launched by Nichols plc.[13] There are other items produced, such as ice lollies, teacakes and milkshake powder by CRC Innovations.[14] There are also air freshers and air sprays available by RTC Direct.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ "Toddler 'turned grey and passed out' after drinking Slush Puppie". www.bbc.com. 2024-07-31. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
- ^ a b c d Vitello, Paul (2014-09-22). "Will Radcliff, 74, Creator of the Slush Puppie, Dies". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2014-10-23. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
- ^ Sewell, Dan (2014-09-23). "Will Radcliff: Businessman who made a fortune taking Slush Puppies from the US to shops round the world". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2014-09-28. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
- ^ "With marketing, new flavors, Slush Puppies do cold business" Archived 2022-09-12 at the Wayback Machine, Associated Press in The Vindicator, January 26, 1998.
- ^ "Cadbury Buys Slush Puppie" Archived 2013-04-07 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 21 December 2000.
- ^ "J & J Snack Foods acquires Slush Puppie". Food Business News. May 30, 2006. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
- ^ "Slush Puppie Ltd to launch new no sugar versions of its iconic brands". FMCG Magazine. 2018-03-26. Retrieved 2025-04-07.
- ^ Writer, Staff (2013-03-27). "Slush Puppie expands Frutina product range". Talking Retail. Retrieved 2025-04-07.
- ^ Cronin, Éilis (2021-06-30). "Vimto Out of Home signs deal with Slush Puppie". Talking Retail. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
- ^ "https://www.giftoftheyear.co.uk/2021-category/my-gift-of-all-time/slush-puppie-machine". Gift of the Year. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
{{cite web}}: External link in|title= - ^ Media, Insider (2018-07-06). "Manchester Drinks wins Slush Puppie license - Insider Media". Insider Media Ltd. Retrieved 2025-04-07.
- ^ Editor (2023-03-07). "Nichols plc launches consumer favourite SLUSH PUPPiE in new FIZZiE format | Grocery Trader". Retrieved 2025-04-08.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "SLUSH PUPPiE Treats - Ice Creams, Ice Lollies and Other Sweet Treats!". SLUSH PUPPiE Treats. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
- ^ "Slush Puppie Home Fragrance - exclusive to RTC :-) | RTC Direct". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2025-04-08.