The UK’s Most Popular Pick and Mix Sweets?

There are plenty of articles online that judge the most popular and best-selling pick and mix sweets but what do you think of the official rankings when it comes to the best and worst penny sweets?

Pick and Mix Header Image

It’s thought that ‘pick and mix’ has been around since the 1880’s over in America and available in the UK since the early 1900’s, so it’s fair to say that we’re all pretty familiar with this confectionery concept.

There’s nothing more exciting than being greeted by an array of colourful candy to choose from, no matter what your age but we’re well aware that everyone has their favourites.

There are plenty of articles online that judge the most popular and best-selling pick and mix sweets but what do you think of the official rankings when it comes to the best and worst penny sweets?

Flying Saucers

The Metro have voted them the number one pick and mix sweet while Buzzfeed has placed them in a less impressive 15th place, what is it about the flying saucer that splits the nation?

Colourful rice paper shells filled with tangy sherbet, flying saucers are a favourite for some and less desired by others. If you’re a sherbet fan and love all things sharp and sour then this quick hit of super tangy sugar is a real treat but for others, the rice paper shell isn’t quite so enjoyable.

We personally think no pick and mix bag is complete without a couple of flying saucers, just to add a little sour spin to your selection of sweets.

Sour Cherry Cola Bottles

Ranked relatively equally by both the Metro and Buzzfeed, it's clear to see that sour cherry cola bottles are a popular choice.

A seriously revamped version of the original cola bottle, everyone loves a little-added tang to their sweets and we think that’s why sour cherry cola bottles have grown to be a UK favourite.

A real punch of fruit flavour, a chewy and juicy texture with the added sour hit, there’s nothing to not love about sour cherry cola bottles.  

Cola Bottles

Plain, simple and one of the most popular gummy sweets, the humble cola bottle often gets overlooked by its fizzier counterpart and as seen above, the fruity flavoured alternatives but we’re pretty confident that the classic cola bottle is still a pick and mix best-seller.

Cola bottles are easy eating and something everyone can enjoy, they’re also a relatively lightweight addition to your pick and mix bag, so a great way to stock up on sweets without blowing your pocket money!

Jelly Babies

A favourite to be eaten alone or as part of a pick and mix selection, jelly babies really have stood the test of time.

Ranking somewhere in the middle in both the Metro’s and Buzzfeed’s lineups, we think jelly babies deserve to be placed nearer the top of the confectionery hierarchy.

Something to offer everyone with their variety of fruit flavours, jelly baby sweets are soft, juicy and easy to enjoy whenever and wherever, hence they’re a winning pick and mix sweet.

Dolly Mixtures

An interesting addition to the world of pick and mix but a great choice nevertheless, Dolly Mixtures are a kind of pick and mix in their own right due to the variety of colours, flavours and textures available when eaten solo but surely that just makes them an even better addition to your bag?

When it comes to getting value for money when packing up your pick and mix, you should never forget about dolly mixture. They’re small and lightweight but offer a different taste with every piece, so you can guarantee a good selection of sweets when you add dolly mixtures to your pick and mix.

Sour Dummies

Another sharp and sour sweet that the nation can’t seem to get enough of, as well as being one of our best-sellers, sour dummies come relatively high in the rankings from both the Metro and Buzzfeed.

It’s the simplicity of the sour dummy that makes it just so enjoyable. They’re easy to hold and eat, they pack a punch of flavour with a real tangy hit and with a variety of colours to choose from every time you put your hand in your pick and mix bag, they really do keep you on your toes.

Fruit Salads

Potentially a controversial choice in a conversation about pick and mix but seeing as everyone who is anyone in the confectionery world seems to rank these individually wrapped fruity chews as a pick and mix hero, it’s only right to put them forward as one of the UK’s favourites.

A popular penny sweet for decades, both fruit salad and black jack sweets are also often available as part of the pick and mix selection but is that really where they belong?

Powerful flavours all by themselves, these paper wrapped chewy sweets are perfect for enjoying alone out of a bag, packet or jar but we’re in full agreement that you can never have too much of a good thing, so if you want to pop them in with your pick and mix, we’re in full favour of that!

Fried Eggs

A real hero of the pick and mix table, fried eggs will forever go down in confectionery history as one of the best gummy sweets on the market.

There’s no denying that the fried eggs belong in the pick and mix department and although they’re good enough to snack on alone, these subtle but seriously tasty gummy sweets taste even better when enjoyed alongside other fruity flavours.

Vanilla Fudge

Undeniably a staple sweet when it comes to packing up a pick and mix, no one can resist throwing in a few pieces of vanilla fudge into their bag.

Soft, chewy and irresistibly creamy, vanilla fudge just has nostalgia written all over it. Whether you prefer it individually wrapped or loose and ready to eat, vanilla fudge is always a good choice.

Although delicious, it isn’t always a favourite with the more strategic pick and mix buyers, thinking it is perhaps too heavy when you’re trying to pull back the pennies but when it comes to old-school vanilla fudge, we just can’t resist.

Friendship Rings

Whether you call them jelly rings, gummy rings, friendship rings or something else, we’re all in agreement that these gummy sweets are seriously good and an essential addition to every pick and mix selection.

They’re simple, back to basics, great tasting sweets and it's these qualities that have earned gummy rings their place as one of the UK’s favourite pick and mix choices.

A slightly different flavour with every colour variation but nothing too noticeable, so everyone loves every colour, they really are a favourite for all ages.

So, they’re the top 10 pick and mix sweets that clearly get the nation talking but the list really does go on. We can’t forget all the other variations of bottle sweets such as the fizzy cola bottle and bubblegum bottles and what about foam bananas? So good!

If you’re a real pick and mix fan but just don’t have the time to spend making these all-important decisions at your local sweet shop, our gummy delights sweet hamper is the perfect treat to yourself. A reusable wicker basket packed full with all the best pick and mix style sweets, including sour dummies, jelly babies and of course, fried eggs and cola bottles!

Do you agree that the above all deserve to be named as some of the best pick and mix sweets or do you think there are some crucial additions being left out? Let us know your thoughts on Facebook or Instagram!

 

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