Sweets by Type

Sweets by Type – Find Your Favourite Kind of Sweet

Some people choose sweets by flavour. Others begin with colour, brand or a fond childhood memory. Our Sweets by Type collection is for those who know precisely what sort of confectionery they fancy: something gummy, fizzy, sour, chewy, foamy, minty, chocolatey or reassuringly traditional.

This is the simplest way to explore our wider range of Sweets according to texture, style and eating experience. Discover soft fruit jellies, sugar-coated sour sweets, long-lasting boiled confectionery, crumbly mints, stretchy chews, fluffy marshmallows and colourful novelty treats—all organised to help you reach the good part more quickly.

Shop Sweets by Texture and Style

The type of sweet you choose can matter just as much as its flavour. A strawberry gummy, strawberry bonbon and strawberry lollipop may share a fruit profile, yet each provides an entirely different experience. One stretches, one chews and the other can occupy a determined sweet lover for considerably longer.

Use this collection to explore popular confectionery types including:

Jelly Sweets

Soft, colourful and packed with fruit-inspired flavour, Jelly Sweets are among the most recognisable products in any sweet shop. Popular varieties can include jelly babies, strawberries, rings, cherries, fried eggs, fruit slices and bottle-shaped sweets.

Jelly sweets are particularly useful for pick and mix because their different shapes and colours create variety without losing that familiar soft chew. They work equally well in sweet jars, party bags, sharing bowls and confectionery gifts.

Gummy Sweets

Browse Gummy Sweets for firmer, bouncier confectionery with a satisfying chew. Gummy bears, worms, jelly snakes, rings, bottles and fruit shapes remain enduring favourites with adults and children.

The terms “gummy” and “jelly” are often used interchangeably, but gummies commonly have a firmer and more elastic bite. Jelly sweets may feel softer or more tender. Recipes differ between manufacturers, so the most enjoyable research method remains trying several examples.

Fizzy Sweets

Our Fizzy Sweets combine a soft or chewy centre with a tangy sugar coating. That coating provides an immediate burst of sharpness before the sweeter fruit flavour underneath begins to emerge.

Fizzy cola bottles, cherries, strawberries, belts, pencil sweets and fruit slices introduce colour, texture and contrast to a mixed bag. They are ideal for sweet lovers who find ordinary sugar insufficiently eventful.

Sour Sweets

For a stronger tongue-tingling experience, explore our Sour Sweets. These treats can range from gently tart fruit gummies to intensely sour candy made for people who consider a completely relaxed facial expression an unnecessary part of eating confectionery.

Popular sour sweet styles include fizzy gummies, sour belts, fruit chews, hard candy, sprays and liquid sweets. Sourness is often created using food acids such as citric or malic acid, although the precise ingredients and intensity vary between products.

Boiled Sweets and Hard Candy

Boiled Sweets represent one of confectionery’s most enduring traditions. These hard, slow-dissolving sweets provide concentrated flavour that develops gradually, making them ideal for anyone who prefers a sweet to last longer than the walk back from the cupboard.

Traditional varieties can include pear drops, rhubarb and custard sweets, sherbet lemons, barley sugar, aniseed sweets and fruit-flavoured drops. Our broader Hard Candy collection also includes modern fruit flavours and individually wrapped sweets alongside familiar British classics.

Chewy Sweets

Our Chewy Sweets are made for people who enjoy a little resistance from their confectionery. Fruit chews, taffy sweets, chew bars and individually wrapped favourites deliver bold flavour with a satisfyingly substantial texture.

Chewy confectionery can range from soft and pliable to dense and long-lasting. It is ideal for party bags, road trips, desk drawers and sweet selections in which texture deserves a leading role rather than a polite supporting appearance.

Toffee Sweets

Rich, buttery and deeply comforting, Toffee Sweets provide a more indulgent alternative to fruit confectionery. Depending on the recipe, toffee can be soft and chewy, firm and slowly dissolving or combined with flavours such as treacle, mint, chocolate and caramel.

Wrapped toffees are especially useful for traditional sweet jars, office sharing and nostalgic gifts. Explore Walkers Toffee for a celebrated British example, or mix toffees with brighter fruit gummies to give an assortment greater depth.

Foam Sweets

Light, soft and unmistakably nostalgic, Foam Sweets have a tender texture that is quite different from conventional jelly confectionery. Classic examples include foam bananas, shrimps and bananas, mushroom sweets and milk bottles.

Their pastel colours and playful shapes make foam sweets popular for party bags and retro pick and mix. They also provide useful contrast when combined with firmer gummies, fizzy sweets and boiled confectionery.

Marshmallows

Browse our Marshmallows for exceptionally soft sweets with a light, fluffy bite. From miniature marshmallows for hot chocolate to large marshmallows, twists, tubes and novelty shapes, this versatile confectionery can be eaten directly, added to desserts or toasted where appropriate.

Marshmallows work beautifully on sweet tables because their soft colours and generous shapes create visual volume. They are also popular for baking, rocky road, dessert decorations and family movie-night treats.

Mints and Peppermint Sweets

For something cool and refreshing, our Mints collection includes crisp, chewy, crumbly and extra-strong varieties. Mint Imperials, peppermints, spearmints, butter mints and traditional mint balls each offer a distinct balance of sweetness and cooling flavour.

Mints are popular as after-dinner sweets, reception treats, wedding favours, travel companions and permanent residents of handbags, gloveboxes and desk drawers. Their restrained appearance disguises an impressive range of textures and strengths.

Liquorice Sweets

Few flavours divide opinion quite as efficiently as liquorice. For its admirers, our Liquorice Sweets include traditional black liquorice, liquorice allsorts, liquorice wheels, liquorice sticks, Pontefract cakes and softer fruit-flavoured variations.

Liquorice can be sweet, salty, soft, firm or combined with fondant and fruit flavours. Its distinctive character makes it especially popular in traditional assortments and gifts created for someone whose confectionery preferences are already well established.

Lollipops and Stick Sweets

Lollipops turn a simple sweet into a longer-lasting treat. Choose from fruit-flavoured boiled lollies, novelty lollipops, sour lollipops, swirled lollipops and individually wrapped favourites.

Their individual presentation makes lollipops useful for party bags, wedding sweet tables, children’s rewards and colourful display jars. They also prove that confectionery does not always require structural complexity: sometimes flavour on a stick is a perfectly complete idea.

Traditional Sweets

Our Traditional Sweets bring together the flavours and textures associated with classic British sweet shops. Pear drops, rhubarb and custard sweets, mint humbugs, sherbet lemons, aniseed balls, barley sugar and other old-fashioned sweets continue to attract generations of loyal customers.

These sweets are chosen for more than nostalgia. Their bold flavours, distinctive textures and long-lasting appeal still earn them a place beside modern gummies, novelty candy and imported confectionery.

Retro Sweets

While traditional sweets often describe established confectionery styles, Retro Sweets are closely connected to the brands, wrappers and treats people remember from childhood.

Flying saucers, foam bananas, sherbet sweets, Black Jacks, Fruit Salads and familiar chew bars can transform a mixed selection into a highly effective time machine. It is cheaper than an actual time machine and involves considerably more sugar.

Novelty Sweets

Our Novelty Sweets place entertainment alongside flavour. Unusual shapes, interactive packaging, tongue-painting colours, sprays, squeeze gels and playful candy formats make these products ideal for parties, gifts and curious sweet fans.

Novelty confectionery may not solve any urgent practical problem, but neither does a party hat. Some things justify themselves simply by making the occasion more enjoyable.

Create Your Own Pick and Mix by Sweet Type

Combining several confectionery types is one of the best ways to build memorable Pick and Mix Sweets. A well-balanced assortment can include soft jellies, firmer gummies, light foam sweets, tangy fizzy pieces and a few chewy or boiled favourites.

Try building a mix around four broad groups:

  • Soft and fruity: jelly babies, gummy bears, strawberries and rings
  • Fizzy and sour: cola bottles, cherries, belts and fruit slices
  • Light and foamy: bananas, shrimps, mushrooms and milk bottles
  • Traditional and chewy: fruit chews, toffees, boiled sweets and retro favourites

There is no compulsory ratio. A varied assortment offers contrast, but an entire bag of one beloved sweet type is equally valid. Choice, after all, is the point of pick and mix.

Browse Sweets in Other Ways

Sweet type is only one route through the collection. If appearance, occasion or flavour is more important, explore our connected shopping guides:

Sweets for Parties, Gifts and Everyday Treats

Different types of sweets suit different occasions. Individually wrapped chews and lollipops are practical for party bags, while colourful gummies and marshmallows create attractive sweet tables. Traditional boiled sweets and mints work beautifully in jars, and novelty treats bring additional personality to gifts.

When preparing confectionery for an event, consider:

  • The number and age of the people sharing
  • The balance of soft, chewy, fizzy and hard sweets
  • Whether individually wrapped products would be more practical
  • The colours and shapes required for the display
  • Any allergies or dietary requirements
  • How the sweets will be stored and served

Always check the current product label for ingredients, allergens and dietary suitability. Products that look almost identical can use different gelling agents, glazing ingredients or manufacturing processes. Shoppers with specific requirements can also browse Vegan Sweets, Halal Sweets, Gluten Free Sweets and Sugar Free Sweets.

Sweets by Type Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main types of sweets?

Popular sweet types include jelly sweets, gummies, fizzy sweets, sour candy, boiled sweets, hard candy, chews, foam sweets, marshmallows, mints, liquorice, toffee and lollipops.

What is the difference between jelly sweets and gummy sweets?

The terms often overlap. Gummy sweets generally have a firmer, more elastic chew, while jelly sweets may feel softer and more tender. The exact texture depends on the recipe and gelling ingredients used.

Which sweets are best for pick and mix?

Jelly sweets, gummies, fizzy sweets, foam shapes, chews and retro favourites all work well. Combining several textures usually creates a more interesting assortment.

Which sweets last the longest?

Boiled sweets, hard candy, mints and lollipops usually last longer in the mouth than foam, jelly or gummy sweets because they are designed to dissolve gradually.

What sweets are good for party bags?

Individually wrapped chews, lollipops, small gummy bags and novelty sweets are convenient choices. Always select age-appropriate products and retain ingredient information for guests.

Are all gummy and jelly sweets vegetarian?

No. Some contain animal-derived gelatine, while others use alternatives such as pectin or starch. Always check the current ingredients and dietary statement for the exact product.

Can I shop for sweets by colour or theme instead?

Yes. You can browse dedicated collections organised by colour, flavour, theme, shape, animal, fruit, size, quantity and packaging format.

Shop Sweets by Type Online

Whether your perfect treat is soft, fizzy, sour, chewy, crumbly, fluffy or satisfyingly hard-boiled, Sweets by Type makes it easier to find the confectionery experience you genuinely enjoy.

Explore the different varieties, rediscover traditional favourites and build a selection in which every sweet earns its place. Browse our complete Online Sweet Shop for even more confectionery, chocolate, pick and mix and sweet gifts delivered across the UK.