Midget Gems
{{Short description|English sweets}}
{{use British English|date=August 2017}}
{{use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox food
|name = Midget Gems
{{small|Mini Gems}}
|alternate_name = Mini Gems
|image = Midget_gems.jpg
|place_of_origin = United Kingdom
|year =
|creator =
|caption = An assortment of Midget Gems.
|main_ingredient = Gelatine, sugar, citric acid, fruit flavouring
|type = Confectionery
}}
Midget Gems (also known as Mini Gems) are chewy, firm sweets similar to wine gums but much harder. They are manufactured from sugar and glucose syrup, corn starch and/or various other starches, animal gelatin, and various colourings and flavouring.
Midget Gems were extremely popular in the North of England and were one of The Lion Confectionery Company's biggest selling brands. In 1995 the company joined forces with Cadbury Trebor Bassett brand Maynard's to market the sweet across the country.{{cite news|url=http://archive.thisisbradford.co.uk/2005/4/11/91402.html|title=Sweet success is target for Gems|publisher=Bradford Telegraph and Argus|date=2005-04-11}}
At the time the sweet was re-branded under the Maynard's banner, the black Midget Gems were changed from liquorice flavour to blackcurrant, but only in the bagged product – those sold loose, from jars and boxes, remain liquorice. Some of the newer bagged product now have reintroduced the liquorice flavour.
A leading selling point for Midget Gems is that they were often sold loose from a jar or barrel. This made them inexpensive and helped bolster their popularity.{{cite web |url=http://www.snackmemory.com/midget-gems-candy/ |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-11-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141120015459/http://www.snackmemory.com/midget-gems-candy |archive-date=20 November 2014 |df=dmy-all}}
Midget Gems are produced by a wide variety of other companies. Glisten Confectionery manufacture them under their Victoria brand, and in 2007 announced that they were removing all artificial colours and flavourings from the sweets.{{cite news|url=http://www.talkingretail.com/products/5340/Victoria-sweets-remove-artific.ehtml|title=Victoria sweets remove artificial colours|publisher=Talking Retail|date=2007-07-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130203212515/http://www.talkingretail.com/products/5340/Victoria-sweets-remove-artific.ehtml|archive-date=3 February 2013|df=dmy-all}} Many supermarkets and stores such as Asda,{{cite web|url=http://snackspot.org.uk/thread.php?story=0801101930sbc|title=Confirmed sighting: Asda Smart Price Midget Gems|publisher=snackspot.org.uk|date=2008-01-10}} Tesco,{{cite web|url=http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/food/tesco-value-midget-gems/1058229/|title=Tesco Midget Gems Review|publisher=DooYoo|access-date=2008-04-21}} Marks and Spencer, and Sainsbury's manufacture their own versions.
The sweet is so popular that Liverpool Football Club at one point sold their own branded tubs of Midget Gems,{{cite web|url=http://store.liverpoolfc.tv/products/souvenirs/sweets/midget-gems-tub/pid-26033|title=Midget Gems Tub|publisher=Liverpool Football Club|access-date=2008-04-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915052536/http://store.liverpoolfc.tv/products/souvenirs/sweets/midget-gems-tub/pid-26033|archive-date=15 September 2008|df=dmy-all}} and the sweet frequently appears in lists of "Favourite sweets".{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/content/articles/2005/10/27/lists_sweeties_feature.shtml|title=Space dust!|publisher=BBC Lancashire|date=2006-03-21}}
Midget Gems are now sold in wide variety of colours and flavours, adding to the choices consumers have when purchasing them.
In January 2022, Marks & Spencer announced their plan to change the name of their sweet to 'Mini gems', after a campaign by Liverpool Hope University academic Dr. Erin Pritchard who complained the word 'midget', considering its origin in a Victorian freak show which exploited disabled people, was offensive to people with dwarfism.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-59981811|title=Midget Gems change name after academic's campaign|publisher=BBC News website|date=2022-01-13}} The reaction on social media was mixed. Tesco and Maynards Bassetts followed suit later that year{{cite web |title=Tesco Mini Gems 200G |url=https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/271373598 |website=Tesco |access-date=11 October 2022}}{{cite news |title=Midget Gems: Bassetts agree to 'Mini Gems' rebrand following Liverpool academic's campaign |url=https://www.liverpoolworld.uk/news/bassetts-rebrand-midget-gems-to-mini-gems-after-liverpool-academics-campaign-3526603 |access-date=11 October 2022 |work=Liverpool World |date=13 January 2022}}{{cite web |title=MAYNARDS BASSETTS MINI GEMS 160G (BOX OF 12) |url=https://www.cadburygiftsdirect.co.uk/maynards-midget-gems-190g-box-of-12.html |website=Cadbury Gifts |access-date=11 October 2022}} with other brands starting to follow suit in the following months and years.