Wall's (ice cream)

Wall's was founded in 1786 by Richard Wall, when he opened a butcher's stall in St James's Market, London. In the 1900s the business was led by Richard's grandson Thomas Wall II. Every year the company had to lay off staff in the summer as demand for its sausages, pies and meat fell, so in 1913 Thomas Wall II conceived the idea of making ice cream in the summer to avoid those lay-offs; the First World War meant that his idea was not implemented until 1922.{{cite book|last=Reinders|first=Pim|title=Licks, Sticks and Bricks: A world history of ice cream|date=11 August 1999|publisher=Unilevers|isbn=906496162X|page=277}} Following his retirement in 1920, Thomas Wall II created his Trust for the "encouragement and assistance of educational work and social service". Today, the Trust continues to assist in these areas by providing grants to individuals and organisations.{{cite web|url=http://www.thomaswalltrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/The-origins-of-the-trust-V2.doc|title=Origins of the Trust|publisher=Thomas Wall Trust|access-date=2014-05-14|archive-date=2016-03-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305061957/http://www.thomaswalltrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/The-origins-of-the-trust-V2.doc|url-status=dead}}

File:Odeon Jan 1960.jpg, Chorley, Lancashire in January 1960]]

By 1922, the business had been jointly bought by Lever Brothers and Margarine Unie.{{Cite web |url=http://www.blackcountrybugle.co.uk/chimes-driving-Walls-Ice-Cream-the50s/story-20146777-detail/story.html |title=Out with the chimes — driving for Wall's Ice Cream in the '50s | Black Country Bugle |access-date=5 August 2014 |archive-date=10 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810153037/http://www.blackcountrybugle.co.uk/chimes-driving-Walls-Ice-Cream-the50s/story-20146777-detail/story.html |url-status=dead }} Maxwell Holt was put in charge and he revived the idea of producing ice cream, with near instant success. Ice cream production commenced in 1922 at a factory in Acton, London. In 1959, Wall's doubled capacity by opening a purpose-built ice cream factory in Gloucester, England.

There is a garage on the corner of Aultone Way and Angel Hill in Benhilton, Sutton, London, built in about 1913 and still in use today, which was originally used for the storing of the 'Stop Me and Buy One' bicycles of Thomas Wall's business. The actor Sir Roger Moore, best known for portraying James Bond, famously claimed to have come up with the idea of the Magnum in the 1960s, with the BBC stating back then he wished for "Wall's to produce a choc ice on a stick", although Wall's deny any knowledge of this, saying it is no more than "a brilliant story".{{Cite news |date=7 June 2017 |title=Seven celebrities who are (or were) also inventors |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-40172977 |access-date=7 February 2025}}

On 19 March 2024, Unilever announced it would divest its ice cream brands and cut 7,500 jobs in order to make "a simpler, more focused and higher performing Unilever." The divestment is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.{{Cite web |last=Karaian |first=Jason |date=19 March 2024 |title=Unilever to Cut 7,500 Jobs and Spin Off Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Unit |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/19/business/unilever-ben-jerrys-job-cuts.html |access-date=19 March 2024 |website=New York Times}}

File:W1PPY 050611 CPS (5812062302).jpg, Essex, England]]

File:Wall's and Walls, London - geograph.org.uk - 1766576.jpg in London]]

Unilever continues to use the brand for ice cream in the UK{{cite web|url=http://www.walls.co.uk |title=Wall's || UK Home |publisher=Walls.co.uk |access-date=2009-10-08}} and it has become part of the company's international Heartbrand strategy, where it retains its local ice cream brand but shares one logo and most of the product's lineup with the various other Heartbrand brands across the world. Whilst remaining (2006) the market leader in the UK for individual hand-held products such as Cornetto and Magnum, and value-added multi-portion products designed to be eaten at home, such as Viennetta, the Wall's brand faces severe competition from the major supermarket brands and to a lesser extent from Nestlé (absorbing the Rowntree's and Lyons Maid brands) and Mars spin-off ice cream products.{{Cite web |last=David |first=Matthieu |date=2013-07-03 |title=Distribution: Ice cream in China |url=https://daxueconsulting.com/ice-cream-market-in-china/ |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=Daxue Consulting - Market Research and Consulting China |language=en-US}}

Wall's holds a prominent position in the global ice cream market, with two of its brands ranked among the top ten worldwide. Operating under the Heartbrand logo, they produce 40 distinct brands across 52 countries.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-20 |title=Wall's |url=https://www.unilever.com/brands/ice-cream/walls/ |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=Unilever |language=en-GB}}

In 2013, Wall's expanded into the UK confectionery market following a licensing deal with Kinnerton Confectionery, leading to the introduction of ambient chocolate bar variations for the Magnum, Cornetto and Mini Milk ice cream brands.{{Cite web|url=https://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2013/04/04/Unilever-Kinnerton-Magnum-Cornetto-and-Mini-Milk-chocolate|title=Unilever enters UK confectionery market with Kinnerton licensing deal|website=confectionerynews.com|date=3 April 2013 }} In 2017, Wall's created Magnum Ice Cream Tubs which are sold in shops.{{Cite web|date=23 April 2018|title=Magnum Ice Cream Cartwheel {{!}} #BreakIntoMagnumTubs|url=https://www.southernsavers.com/magnum-ice-cream-cartwheel-breakintomagnumtubs/|access-date=8 April 2021|website=Southern Savers}}

The brand launched in Canada in 2022 with a range of Asian-inspired flavours including bubble tea and ube.{{cite web|url=https://canadiangrocer.com/walls-ice-cream-and-frozen-novelty-bars|title=Wall's ice cream and frozen novelty bars|work=Canadian Grocer|date=13 April 2022|access-date=13 April 2022}} These flavours are not actually available under the Wall's brand in the UK but are intended to leverage global recognition of the Heartbrand logo; Unilever uses the Breyers brand for its main range of ice cream products in Canada.{{cite press release|url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/unilever-canada-unveils-its-largest-frozen-dessert-portfolio-ever-860068704.html|title=Unilever Canada unveils its largest frozen dessert portfolio ever|author=Unilever Canada|date=13 April 2022|access-date=13 April 2022}}

Since 1970s adverts were used the same for all sister companies including HB Ice Cream in Ireland, Miko in France, Ola in Netherlands and through the world.

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|http://www.walls.co.uk}}
• [http://www.thomaswalltrust.org.uk Thomas Wall Trust]

{{Heartbrand}}

{{Unilever}}

Category:1922 establishments in England

Category:Acton, London

Category:Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Ealing

Category:Companies based in Gloucester

Category:Food manufacturers of the United Kingdom

Category:Food processing in London

Category:History of the London Borough of Ealing

Category:History of Gloucester

Category:Ice cream brands

Category:Food and drink companies established in 1922

Category:Unilever brands

Category:British companies established in 1922

Category:Brand name frozen desserts