Laura Secord Chocolates (History, Marketing & Commercials)

As one of the oldest candy companies in Canada, Laura Secord Chocolates are a household name in the Ontario area and are very familiar to Canadians living in other provinces as well. The company was named after a famous Canadian wife and mother, and the candy brand wanted to commemorate the actions and fortitude of this Canadian heroine with the name of the brand.

While it is not common for candy companies to be named for famous people who did not actually have anything to do with the formation of the company, this model has worked well for Laura Secord Chocolates. The brand has been in existence since 1913 and is still a favorite among Canadians today.

History

Frank P. O’Connor opened a little candy store in Toronto in 1913. He sold handmade chocolates, and he wanted the brand to be associated with something meaningful and relevant to Canadians. He decided that Laura Secord’s bravery and fame would make a good connection with this brand, and the company was thusly named Laura Secord Chocolates.

Laura Secord was actually born Laura Ingersoll in 1775. In 1813, she overheard a rumor about a planned attack by American troops that was to take place in June. She decided to take matters into her own hands, and she walked 20 miles across American-occupied territory to warn the British about the attack. This act of bravery was said to win the day for the British troops, who would have otherwise been completely surprised by the American attack.

Secord enjoyed nearly mythical fame in Canada, and there are many products, buildings, and organizations that have been named in her honor. While Laura Secord Chocolates might have been one of the first of these companies, it certainly will not be the last.

The Laura Secord Candy Company is owned today by Jean Leclerc. The base of operations for the company is Quebec City, hence the added French language on all of the packaging for the product. Leclerc owns a company called Nutriart, which is devoted entirely to chocolate production. While no longer technically a Canadian-owned company, the business remained in Canadian hands until 1983.

O’Connor opened the first shop in Toronto, as we have already discussed, but then the store was combined with the Fanny Farmer Candy stores in the US. In 1969, the company was sold to John Labatt Limited, which ensured that it remained Canadian-owned until 1983.

Rowntree Mackintosh of England bought Laura Secord Chocolates in the 80s and then eventually sold the company to the Archibald Candy Company Corporation of Chicago, who then sold it again after a brief tenure as the owner in 2004 to Gordon Brothers LLC. Leclerc acquired the company in 2010 and moved operations back home to Canada. 

There was a sense of relief about this for the new owners of the company, as the business had always been a Canadian-owned company until the 80s. The press coverage of the homecoming of the company was very positive for the brand, and it helped to get some interest generated in Laura Secord candy products again. The brand had become divorced from having its own manufacturing facility, and Leclerc felt that this was bad for the quality of the product that was being made and just bad for the brand overall.

Leclerc was the perfect person to pick up the brand and make it what it once was due to the Nutriat factory that is used for the other products that the company makes. Leclerc has also closed many company stores and relocated them to better locations for this kind of product. Laura Secord was not selling well in malls, and the vision for the company was to move back to small-town locations and the original roots of the business that had made it a success in its early life.

Today, the Leclerc branding is aiming for something of an old-timey soda shop experience in Laura Secord stores. After all, these are traditional boxed chocolates, and the ice cream and confectionery products that Nutriat was already making fit well into the overall branding choice for the Laura Secord products. Leclerc has also indicated that they are focused on peanut-free production to be sure that those with allergies can safely enjoy Laura Secord Chocolates.

Leclerc offers many of the original Laura Secord products, and you can even buy them directly online from the company. There are basic candy bars, salted caramels in tin boxes, and silly holiday treats like the Spider Egg with green candy filling inside. There are so few traditional candy companies that are still in business, and it is even rarer to find true chocolatiers still making products. For people who remember boxed chocolates and handmade confectionery being sold in their local stores, there is something really magical about buying from Laura Secord.

This brand has been sold many times, but the sale to Leclerc seems to be offering a return to the styling notes and the tasty offerings that made Laura Secord candies such a big hit at the beginning of the company’s life. Being able to track down classic chocolates that are made with care and an interest in high-quality flavor and production is really unique. Laura Secord Chocolates can also be there for you when you have a holiday to celebrate, and you can count on them for Easter, Valentine’s Day, and other holiday treats that are not offered by other candy companies these days.

Ingredients

This ingredient list is for the basic Laura Secord candy bar that you can buy directly from the company’s website if you wish:

• Milk Chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk ingredients, unsweetened chocolate, soy lecithin, salt, natural vanilla flavor)

The company warns that the product might have come into contact with tree nuts, eggs, wheat, sulfites, and peanuts. It can be hoped that Leclerc’s promise to make the products allergy friendly will hold up and that some of these potential health risks will be reduced in the future so that more people can enjoy this candy product without concerns.

Laura Secord Products

Laura Secord products have a massive list of products that they offer, and many of them are variations on the same products with different holiday themes. There are even named holiday characters that are offered during each holiday season as solid and hollow chocolate bars! This is a company that offers a huge number of options for you to choose from, and you probably will not see all of these products in stores. If you want to try the more unique versions of these candies, you might need to just head to the company website to order direct.

• Holiday Loot Bags – which include other Nutriat products in cute packaging
• Mini Chocolate Candy Canes
• Festive Assortments of chocolate-covered nuts and truffles
• Milk Chocolate Mint Bar
• Spider Eggs
• Salted Caramels with Chocolate Tins
• Chocolate Gift Boxes of Bars and individual chocolates
• Dark Chocolates in a Tin Box
• Dark Chocolate Cocoa Bar
• Milk Chocolate rock candy
• Mint Hot Chocolate
• Creamy Hot Chocolate
• Holiday Mini Bars
• 70% Dark Chocolate Bar with Fleur de Sel
• 70% Dark Chocolate with Cocoa Nibs
• Milk Chocolate Maple Crunch
• Milk Chocolate French Mint Bar
• Milk Chocolate Christmas Balls
• Holiday Praline Collection
• Milk Chocolate Pumpkins
• Milk Chocolate Santa Bar
• Advent Calendars
• Frosted Mint Bar
• White Chocolate Bar
• Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa Bar
• 70% Dark Chocolate Bar
• Coffee Latte Bar
• Laura Secord Chocolate Chips
• 50% Dark Chocolate Bar
• Dark Chocolate 50% Cocoa Bar
• Laura Secord Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• Milk Chocolate Toffee Crunch Bar
• Milk Chocolate Roasted Hazelnut Bar
• Dark Chocolate Raspberry Bar
• Confettis Chocolatey Candy
• Holiday Greetings Bar
• Cocoa Powder Dusted Truffles
• Holiday Signature Trio
• Holiday Signature Car and Tree Boxes
• Dark Hot Chocolate
• 3D Hot Chocolate Bears
• Milk Chocolate Puffed Rice Bar
• Milk Chocolate and Roasted Almonds Bar
• Milk Chocolate Hollow Figurines
• Chocolate Collection De Luxe Box
• Crispy Holiday Wafers
• Milk Chocolate and Crispy Rice Treats in Various Designs
• Chocolate Bites
• Milk Chocolate Shortbread
• Laura Secord Butter & Cream Fudge
• Dark Chocolate Rose Pops
• Mug Cake Mixes in Various Flavors
• Hollow Milk Chocolate Apples
• Holiday Hot Chocolate Collection
• Dark Chocolate Liquor Set
• Milk Chocolate Witch Bar
• Chocolate Mints
• Chocolate Cherries
• Milk Chocolate Spread
• Milk Chocolate Crispy Chips
• No Sugar Added Chocolates
• Milk Chocolate Drops for Fondue
• Milk Chocolate Mini Eggs
• Solid Dark Chocolate Heart
• Named Holiday Chocolate Figurines
• Valentine’s Day Greetings Bars
• Valentine’s Day tins of chocolate
• Cognac Chocolates
• Nougat & Dark Chocolate
• Holiday Ornament Chocolate
• Milk Chocolate Eyeballs
• Assorted Toronto Chocolates
• Assorted Montreal Chocolates
• Assorted Ottawa Chocolates
• Dark Chocolate Fondue
• Assorted Quebec Chocolates
• Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate rice chia and quinoa candies
• Puffed rice, buckwheat, and millet hearts coated in chocolate
• White Chocolate Easter Bunny
• Maple Cream Eggs
• Secord Eggs
• Milk Chocolate Cigars
• Swirls and Clusters Candy Boxes
• Miniature assorted chocolate boxes
• No sugar added milk chocolate bar

Logo

Ingredients

• Milk Chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk ingredients, unsweetened chocolate, soy lecithin, salt, natural vanilla flavor).
• May contain Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Eggs, Wheat, and Sulphites.

Nutrition

Serving Size:	4 pieces (40g)	% Daily Value*
Amount Per Serving
Calories	230
Calories from Fat	135
Total Fat	15g	23%
Saturated Fat	9g	45%
Trans Fat	0.1g
Cholesterol	10mg	3%
Sodium	30mg	1%
Potassium	150mg	4%
Total Carbohydrates	22g	7%
Dietary Fiber	1g	4%
Sugars	20g
Protein	3g
Calcium		5.8%
Iron		1%

• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet.

Pictures

Commercials

An ad from the 80s:

Another delightful 80s ad for a discontinued product that was pudding and yogurt-based:

A taste test review of some Laura Secord Chocolates: