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Where to buy retro sweets in the UK
The sweets of past childhoods are still made, and some are still sold loose. Here is where to buy retro sweets, which old names you will find in our pick and mix, and what to check before you buy.
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Retro sweets are the sweets of past childhoods, and you can still buy them online at sweeties.net, where the homepage is the shop and every sweet is sold by the 100 g: see what are retro sweets?
Old names in our pick and mix
Our pick and mix includes these traditional sweets, each with its own price per 100 g:
Cherry Lips
Pear Drops
Rhubarb and Custard
Sherbet Lemons
Kola Cubes
Pineapple Chunks
Aniseed Balls
Flying Saucers
Mint Imperials
Each card opens up to show the full ingredients and allergens for the sweets we actually stock. Delivery is £3.99 for orders up to 2 kg, by Royal Mail 48.
For the stories behind the names, see old fashioned sweets, the A to Z and traditional English sweets
Buying in person
Traditional sweet shops still sell retro sweets, some from rows of glass jars. The oldest, in Pateley Bridge in North Yorkshire, has traded since 1827 in a building from 1661: see the oldest sweet shop in England and what is a quarter of sweets?
Some sweets you may remember are no longer made at all: see what sweets have been discontinued in the UK?
What to check before you buy
- Allergens. Pick and mix is sold loose, and loose food must still come with allergen information. Online, it must be available before you buy and again at delivery: see pick and mix and allergies
- Colours. Some recipes use colours that must carry a warning for children: see the Southampton six colours
- Hard sweets. Some retro sweets are hard boiled sweets, which can be a choking risk for young children: see hard sweets and young children
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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
Where can I buy retro sweets in the UK?
Online at sweeties.net, where retro sweets are sold loose by the 100 g, with delivery at £3.99 up to 2 kg. Traditional sweet shops sell them too, some still from jars.
What counts as a retro sweet?
Sweets from past childhoods, such as Black Jacks, from the 1920s, Parma Violets, from 1946, Love Hearts, from 1954, and flying saucers, first made in Belgium in the early 1950s.
Can I still buy sweets that were discontinued?
Not the ones that were discontinued, but other old names are still made. See our list of sweets that have been discontinued in the UK for the ones that have gone.
Are retro sweets safe for young children?
Some retro sweets are hard boiled sweets, which can be a choking risk for young children, so take care with small children.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Article 14, distance selling, legislation.gov.uk
- Allergen guidance for food businesses, Food Standards Agency, GOV.UK
Keep reading
- Questions people askWhat are retro sweets?Retro sweets are the sweets of past childhoods: Black Jacks, Sherbet Fountains, Parma Violets, Love Hearts, flying saucers and Wham bars. Here are their dates.
- British heritage sweetsOld fashioned sweets: the A to ZAn A to Z of old fashioned British sweets, from acid drops and aniseed balls to Wham bars and yellowman, with a line on each and a link to its full story.
- British heritage sweetsTraditional English sweetsA county by county guide to traditional English sweets, from Pontefract cakes and Kendal Mint Cake to Uncle Joe's Mint Balls and Love Hearts.
- Stories, heists and recordsThe oldest sweet shop in EnglandThe Oldest Sweet Shop in Pateley Bridge, North Yorkshire, has traded since 1827 in a building from 1661. Guinness listed it in its 2014 book.
- Questions people askWhat sweets have been discontinued in the UK?Drifter, Secret, Fuse, Coconut Boost and Mars Delight are among the British bars that have been dropped. Here is when they went, and why sweets disappear.
- Diet, allergens and labelsHard sweets and young childrenThe NHS says not to give young children hard foods such as boiled sweets or whole nuts, because of choking. What to watch for, and what to do if a child chokes.