Who doesn't love the timeless allure of traditional British sweets? Whether you grew up chewing on toffee or sucking boiled sweets, there's something about the nostalgic appeal of sweets from our childhood that never leaves us.
Our Favourite Childhood British Sweets
Perhaps your favourites depend on the era you grew up in, as some of us remember sweets from the post-war period (flavoured rock anyone?) and others are children of the 90s and still obsessed with foam shrimps! Whatever your era, there have certainly been sweets that have persisted for generations, such as Dolly Mixtures, Wine Gums and Jelly Beans and these have been filling the pick 'n mix bags of children for decades.
What are the Best Traditional British sweets?
At Berrymans, our team of passionate confectioners live and breathe all things candy-related, and we love to discuss our favourite childhood British sweets. After all, they bring back such beautiful memories of simple and happy times, when we lived for those endless sunny days of the holidays and the chance to spend our pocket money on pick 'n mix at the corner shop! These are some of our favourite retro candies - perhaps these votes for the best British sweets are some of yours too?
Product 1: Liquorice Allsorts
Of all the sweets from our childhood, liquorice allsorts tend to feature in our memories - whether you love them or find the liquorice a little too strong for your liking. Certainly, for our fans, these traditional British sweets are the ultimate treat, and the Berrymans team uses a traditional recipe and real ingredients to make licorice allsorts just as you remember them from childhood. These are actually ancient sweets that date back to the 1800s, when Charlie Thomson, a salesman, dropped a tray of sweet samples for a client - who then adored the mix of shapes and colours. The Bertie Bassett mascot is also nearly 100 years old, and the good news for liquorice fans is that this natural ingredient is actually good for your health in moderation - like you needed an excuse!
Product 2: Pear Drops
Sweet, fragrant and delicate, these moreish and timeless pear drops are one of the ultimate British sweets, and you know that your grandparents enjoyed them too! In fact, they probably date back to Victorian times, making them a really original classic.
Product 3: Jelly Babies
Jelly Babies were launched by Bassett in 1918 as 'Peace Babies' to mark the end of the First World War. In the 1950s, they were relaunched with the name we know today. Apparently, Beatles fans used to pelt the band with jelly babies in the 60s after George Harrison revealed them to be his favourite snack!
Product 4: Toffee Bonbons
Chewy, sweet, creamy and utterly addictive, who can resist the goodness of toffee bonbons? You can chew them for ages, and they come in a variety of flavours, too, some with colourful foil wrappers to ramp up the joy even further. These are one of the ultimate and original British sweets and you can still make them last for ages if you choose top-quality toffee bonbons made with real sugar and dairy, as we make them at Berrymans from original recipes.
Product 5: Love Hearts
Swizzels-Matlow first made love hearts in the 1950s for a novelty Christmas cracker! When Diana, the Princess of Wales, visited the factory in 1990, she got a personalised loveheart with the names of her children stamped on each sweet.
What are the Best British Sweets for you?
Whatever your favourite British sweets, you can guarantee we'll stock them at Berrymans because we have dozens of traditional candies, including ones that you've probably never heard of. We know that you'll love them all though, especially when you see the lovely confectionery jars and remember that you get free delivery on all orders.
Treating Yourself To Sweets from Our Childhood
The good news is that Berryman's makes all of the amazing traditional British sweets you love, and they taste exactly as you remember them from your youth. We use real ingredients and huge copper vats filled with bubbling sugar to make the best British sweets to traditional recipes that have lasted the test of time. Why not treat yourself today to some of the best British sweets from our childhood and find out why Berrymans has a review of 4.9 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot. Our customers love our huge range of authentic and original British sweets made with real ingredients, and the fact that we also sell sugar-free, vegan-friendly and vegetarian-friendly sweets as well as options for other special diets. You'll be delighted with whatever you order from us, and we're so confident that we launched the Berryman's Promise so that you are always assured of a refund if our sweets don't live up to our reputation. We're so confident in the quality of our product, we can offer this promise without hesitation. Discover the Berrymans difference today and treat yourself to the best traditional British sweets that you remember from those golden years!