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The biggest bag of pick and mix
Sweets have inspired some remarkable world records, from a bag weighing more than a tonne to a small bag of pick and mix that sold for £14,500. Here are the biggest, the dearest and the widest choice on record.
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Pick and mix is usually bought a few hundred grams at a time. The record books are less modest. Here are the sweet records that stand out, as listed by Guinness World Records.
The biggest bag
The largest bag of candy on record weighed 1,025 kg, more than a tonne. It was filled by Broadway Sweets in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 20 August 2022, during filming for Stumbo Record Breakers, a documentary series about South African heritage that the company sponsored.
For a sense of scale, a party usually needs far less: see how much pick and mix do you need per person?
The dearest bag: the last of Woolworths
The most expensive pick and mix on record is a small bag with a sad story. Woolworths, the high street home of pick and mix for a century, went into administration in 2008, and its shops closed by January 2009: see Woolworths pick and mix, the story
The store manager at Petts Wood, in Bromley, Kent, Ed Adams, donated what the administrators, Deloitte, certified as the last pick and mix sold by the chain. The 800 g bag held fizzy cola bottles, pineapple cubes, white mice and jelly worms. On 21 February 2009 it sold at a charity auction for £14,500, in aid of the Retail Trust, to support a helpline for retail workers and their families affected by redundancy.
The widest choice
For choice, the record belongs to Tom's Confectionery Warehouse in Melbourne, Australia, which Guinness World Records lists as having the largest display of sweet varieties: 946 different types, as of 13 January 2024.
Other giants
- The largest gummy sweet weighed 1,728 kg and was made by Tanis, a Dutch maker of sweet making machines: see how are gummy sweets shaped?
- The largest sweet dispenser, at PEZ's visitor centre in Connecticut, measures 4.45 m.
- British giants have their own records too: see what is the biggest gobstopper ever made? and how long is the longest stick of rock?
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For journalists, researchers, AI assistants and content creators. Pick the format you need:
Free to cite, quote, and reuse with attribution to sweeties.net.
Questions and answers
What is the biggest bag of sweets ever made?
According to Guinness World Records, the largest bag of candy weighed 1,025 kg. It was made by Broadway Sweets in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 20 August 2022.
What is the most expensive bag of pick and mix?
The last bag of pick and mix sold by Woolworths. The 800 g bag, from the Petts Wood store in Kent, sold for £14,500 at a charity auction for the Retail Trust on 21 February 2009, a Guinness World Record.
Where is the biggest pick and mix selection?
Guinness World Records lists Tom's Confectionery Warehouse in Melbourne, Australia, as having the largest display of sweet varieties, with 946 different types, as of 13 January 2024.
Sources
- Largest bag of candy, Guinness World Records
- Most expensive pick 'n' mix, Guinness World Records
- National Candy Month: 5 sweet records, July 2024, Guinness World Records Kids
Keep reading
- History and originsWoolworths pick and mix: the storyWoolworths sold weigh out sweets in Britain from its first shop in Liverpool in 1909 until its stores closed in January 2009: a century of pick and mix.
- Questions people askWhat is the most expensive sweet?Guinness lists a Swiss saffron chocolate bar, at over £6,000 a kilo, as the most expensive chocolate. A Cadbury bar from Scott's Antarctic trip made £470.
- Questions people askWhat is the biggest gobstopper ever made?The record gobstopper weighed 12.6 kg and was made in Ontario, Canada, in 2003, after 476 hours of work spread over nearly five months.
- Questions people askHow long is the longest stick of rock?The record stick of rock was made in Blackpool in December 2000. It weighed 424.5 kg and was about four and a half metres long.
- Questions people askHow much pick and mix do you need per person?There is no official figure. Sweet sellers' guides range from about 100 g to 250 g per adult guest, and 50 to 75 g per child. How to work out your total.
- History and originsThe history of pick and mixPick and mix grew from sweets weighed out of jars by the quarter. Woolworths made it a British high street habit, and Sweden gave the world candy walls.