Which American created Maltesers at the Mars factory in Slough in 1936?

Forrest Mars Sr. created Maltesers at the Mars factory in Slough in 1936.

Maltesers were first sold in 1937 as small spheres made from a malted-milk centre covered in milk chocolate. Mars developed them as a lighter-feeling alternative to more substantial chocolate sweets, and early advertising described them as “energy balls” aimed at slimming women.

The product’s name is linked to its malted centre, not to the Mediterranean island of Malta. That association is a common mix-up, especially because Maltesers are a distinctly British confectionery brand despite being created by an American businessman. Forrest Mars Sr. was the son of Mars founder Frank C. Mars and helped expand the company’s international product range.

Maltesers remained strongly associated with the United Kingdom after their launch. They became available in the United States only in January 2017, with production for the North American market handled at Mars’s factory in Newmarket, Ontario. Their long-running slogan is “The lighter way to enjoy chocolate.”