Paynes Poppets or Poppets is confectionery manufactured by Fox's Confectionery, first introduced in 1937 by Payne's fine confectionery in Croydon, comes in six different flavours (Mint, Choc Chip Cookie, Toffee, Raisin, Orange and Strawberry Milkshake). The Orange and Mint varieties are made of a fondant centre with a dark chocolate covering, the Choc Chip Cookie, Toffee and Raisin varieties have their filling coated with milk chocolate. The Strawberry Milkshake flavour is a fondant like Orange and Mint, but with a milk chocolate coating. During 2009, ten million Poppets were consumed each week.
Poppets are best known for their iconic packaging in small, 40 gram, cardboard boxes. When other confectionery moved to plastic wrappers in the 1960s and 1970s, Poppets retained their traditional boxes. The box has a small hatch in one corner that can be torn open to dispense the sweets one at a time, this 'popping out' having given them their original name. The non-rustling packaging, and the ability to dispense single sweets in the dark, made them a popular snack in cinemas which remain one of their most popular sales outlets. The box was redesigned in 2006 with new printed designs, themed with other design icons such as the Mini and a NatWest Piggy Bank. While 150 gram sharing sized bags can now be bought, Poppets remain best known for their box.
George Payne & Co. began production in the East End of London, before moving to Croydon Road, Croydon in the 1930s. In 1998 it was purchased by Northern Foods. In 2001 the closure of the Croydon factory was announced, as part of a deal by Northern Foods to take over the Fox's factory in Leicester from Nestlé and relocate Poppet production there.