Who Owns Maltesers?

Maltesers were created in 1936 by Mars' UK operations, originally launched under the name "Energy Balls." The product was developed as a lower-calorie chocolate option, with the malted milk center providing a lighter texture than solid chocolate bars. The name "Maltesers" was adopted shortly after launch, combining "malt" (referring to the malted milk center) with a playful suffix that became one of the most recognized confectionery brand names in the United Kingdom.

The product's core concept was innovative for its time: a honeycomb-like malted milk center, created through a process that introduces air into the malt mixture before coating it in milk chocolate. This manufacturing technique produces the characteristic light, crispy texture that distinguishes Maltesers from solid chocolate products and has remained the brand's defining quality for nearly 90 years.

Maltesers were initially marketed as a product suitable for slimming, reflecting 1930s dietary trends that associated lighter, aerated foods with calorie reduction. The brand's early advertising emphasized the product's lightness relative to conventional chocolate bars. While this specific health positioning has evolved over the decades, the brand's association with lightness and its tagline "the lighter way to enjoy chocolate" has remained a consistent element of its marketing identity.

Through the 1940s and 1950s, Maltesers became firmly established as a British confectionery staple. The product's availability in cinema-friendly packaging, including the distinctive round box designed for sharing, made it a popular choice for moviegoers and helped establish the brand's association with social and leisure occasions.

The brand expanded internationally through the latter half of the 20th century, reaching markets in Australia, Ireland, Canada, and other Commonwealth countries where Mars had established distribution. Australia became one of Maltesers' most important markets outside the UK, with the brand achieving strong consumer recognition and loyalty.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Mars extended the Maltesers range with product innovations including Maltesers Teasers (a chocolate bar format), Maltesers Buttons (flat disc-shaped versions), and Maltesers Truffles (a premium truffle format). These extensions allowed the brand to compete across different confectionery occasions and price points while leveraging the core Maltesers brand equity.

The brand has also been used as a flavoring ingredient in other Mars products and in licensed products including Maltesers-flavored ice cream and McFlurry desserts at McDonald's in the UK and Australia, extending the brand's reach beyond the core confectionery format.

By 2025, Maltesers had maintained its position as one of the best-selling chocolate confectionery products in the United Kingdom, consistently ranking among the top chocolate brands by retail sales value. The brand's nearly 90-year history and strong consumer loyalty across multiple generations make it one of the most established confectionery brands in the UK market.