Forrest Mars

But it is, it is a remarkable story.

We did, of course, Forrest Mars, and sort of the history of the Mars Corporation in our last few episodes.

Now, this is way before that.

We're talking sort of, I mean, Milton Hershey's born in the middle of the nineteenth century.

Ah.

So Forrest Mars Sr., who was the son of the founder of the Mars Candy Company, came up with the idea, and along with Bruce Murrie, the son...

Well, and then he partnered with Bruce Murrie, the son of the president of Hershey, which this should be surprising because these were, like, major competitors, right? So Forrest Mars based them upon British candies that at the time were called Smarties, I don't know if they are now-

Mm, yeah

Yeah.

And Murray

... and the founder of Mars Incorporated, and Bruce Murry-

Scary stuff, I thought.

Well, I will be Forrest Mars, but for just now I'm Ed Easton, the host of the Chocolate Podcast.

I'm joined, as always, by Andrew Nathan.

A frightening, uh, opening performance there, Andrew.

It's touching, it's touching words, Dad, @/theghostoffrankmars.

And I think it's right.

I think Forrest Mars did hold his dad in that real sense of affection, and admiration as well, for the sort of creativity in creating all those wonderful chocolate bars.

We should say now, if anyone is scratching their head as to what's going on, episode one of the sort of Forrest Frank Mars story is available, and should be on YouTube or Spotify or wherever.

I should try it today.

And then last, but certainly not least, is M&M's, and they were invented by American Forrest Mars, whose father had created the giant chocolate and candy company Mars Incorporated.

And so in the 1930s, Forrest noticed that soldiers in the Spanish Civil War were eating British chocolate candies called Smarties.

And these were little chocolate morsels with a candy shell.

Oh, my goodness.

So M&M candies take their name from Forrest Mars and Bruce Murray, whose surnames supply the two initials M and M.

Mars and Murray.

M&M.