W and M Duncan were founded in 1861 in Dundee by Mary Duncan and her son William. They moved to 205 High Street, Edinburgh in 1884 where they started to manufacture chocolate confectionery. 1896 saw them move again, this time to the Regent Confectionery Works in Edinburgh.

A retail shop was opened in Edinburgh by William in around 1900.

Duncan’s was acquired by Rowntree Mackintosh in 1927 who kept the brand name alive. In 1967 the sole product coming out of the Edinburgh factory was the Walnut Whip with other products being moved to different Rowntree factories. The Edinburgh factory was closed by Rowntree in 1987 and was immediately re-opened following a management buy-out.

The new company survived (through several owners) until finally going into liquidation in February 2003. Up until closure, the company relied predominately on MoD contracts for the supply of chocolate to the armed forces.

The company’s most famous product was the Walnut Whip. Created in 1910, its popularity saw the factory grow to six times its original size to cope with demand. Originally the walnut was on the inside, using up bits of walnut which had become broken during the manufacturing process. Later, the Walnut Whip became how we know it to be today – with the walnut on top of the cream-filled chocolate shell.  Our featured advert is from 1956 where it is clear that at this time the walnut is still very much on the inside.

When Duncan’s was bought by Rowntree, production of the Walnut Whip moved away from Edinburgh to Halifax, West Yorkshire.

There was quite a controversy when the walnut disappeared (removed when under the ownership of Nestle in 2017) even though Nestlé called the new confectionary “Whip” and continued to make proper Walnut Whip’s.

Like many companies, Duncan’s were not averse to the use of celebrity endorsements of their products. We showcase here three such endorsements. The first, from 1949, features Valerie Hobson - a film actress popular in the 1930s to 1950s. Her two most notable performances were as the adult “Estella” in David Lean’s 1946 adaptation of ‘Great Expectations’ and “Edith D’Ascoyne” in ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’ in 1949.

Our second star appears in a 1951 advert and is Rona Anderson, a Scottish stage, film and television actress who appeared in films such as ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’ and ‘Scrooge’ and on television ‘Dixon of Dock Green’ and ‘Dr Finlay’s Casebook’. Rona was quite probably chosen as she was a local Edinburgh lass. Rona was married to another famous actor Gordon Jackson and appeared with him in the film Floodtide in 1949. Both of these actresses were at their peak during the 1940s and 1950s and an obvious choice to promote Duncan’s Chocolates.

Our final star is Miss Jean Simmons, actress and singer, again at her height in the 1940s and 1950s. As a British actress, she worked in the J Arthur Rank organisation before moving to Holywood to appear in films there in the 1950s. There is a very strong link here with Valerie Hobson who played the adult “Estelle” in David Lean’s 1946 adaptation of ‘Great Expectations’ as Jean Simmons played the young Estelle in the same film.

Do you remember the old style Walnut Whip? Perhaps you recall seeing these glamourous ladies on the silver screen? Tell us your stories in the comments! 

Thank you for joining me on this delicious trip down memory lane.
See you again next month, Richard Roberts