We’ve all enjoyed a pick-and-mix at some point. Filling a small paper bag with our favourite sweets can bring about so much joy for adults and children alike. But which sweets make it to our top 10 pick-and-mix sweets? Let’s find out, shall we?
This blog looks at our top 10 sweets that our customers love in their pick-and-mixes, from the humble, simple sweets to the more inventive sweeties. But before we dive into the top pick ‘n mix list, let’s dig into some interesting facts about pick-and-mix sweets.
Pick N Mix Facts
Below, we’ve created a list of pick n mix facts that you may (or may not) know:
Pick and Mix is all about variety: A typical pick n mix shop in the U.K offers between 50 and 100 different sweets options! Typical sweets in a selection include fizzy sweets such as cola bottles, traditional sweets like fudges and toffees, chocolates, gummies, and sour sweeties.
The oldest pick-and-mix store: Several shops claim to be the oldest in the U.K. Some of the oldest pick-and-mix shops in the country include ‘The Oldest Sweet Shop in the World’ in Yorkshire.
A Cinema Favourite: You can find pick-and-mix sweets at nearly every cinema in the U.K. These sweets are generally served in paper cups with plastic lids rather than paper bags.
Pick-and-mix started in Woolworths. Woolworths, once a retailer in the U.K., introduced pick-and-mix sweets in 1909.
What Are Our Top Pick ‘N’ Mix Sweets?
After covering some facts, it’s time to dig in and reveal the top 10 pick ‘n’ mix sweets that our customers love. Is your favourite on the list?
1. Strawberry Pencils
Strawberry pencils are a type of sweet characterised by their cylindrical appearance. They are red ‘pencil’-shaped sweets filled with a white, soft, fondant middle. Typically strawberry and cream-flavoured, these sweets are well-loved in the U.K.
Strawberry pencil sweets can be either long or short; most people add 1-2 servings of them to their pick-and-mix. Both chewy and gummy, these sweets are highly popular and are sold in the hundreds every day across our site!
2. Fizzy Bubblegum Bottles
Another pick ‘n’ mix fan favourite, fizzy bubblegum bottles are bubblegum-flavoured, just as you’d imagine. Fizzy bubblegum bottles are smaller sweets that are bottle-shaped and dipped into a tangy, fizzy coating.
Providing a lovely sour effect alongside a sweet bubblegum flavour, these sweets are among the best to find at any pic n mix stand.
3. Pink Hearts
There are a few types of ‘heart’ sweets in the pick-n-mix world, but we want to talk about pink chocolate hearts. These pink delights are very popular at Sweets Direct and are especially popular for Valentine’s Day.
Pink hearts are heart-shaped confectionary with a pink chocolate base that tastes of mild strawberry. The sweets are finished with pink and white hundreds and thousands to add a satisfying texture.
4. Haribo Giant Strawbs
If you live in the U.K., there’s no doubt you’ve enjoyed a Haribo giant strawb or giant strawberry at some point in your life! Juicy, sweet, and moreish, giant strawbs are many people’s pick-and-mix sweet of choice.
All we have to say is, if you haven’t tried one, what are you waiting for?
5. Milk Bottles
Another popular candy from Barratt is the humble milk bottle. These small, bottle-shaped bottles which are coloured white have a delicate, milky flavour. Milk bottles are for you if you enjoy a softer, chewy, sweet.
Milk bottles come in a few varieties, but the original milk bottle sweet proves that simple is always best.
6. Haribo Rhubarb and Custard
Rhubard and custard are flavour combinations that have held a firm place in Britain throughout the centuries. The Haribo rhubarb and custard sweet aims to capture the nostalgic flavour in a single bite, and it does that!
Like the strawberry pencil sweet, rhubarb and custard sweets are dual-coloured and cylindrical like a pencil. They are small and bite-sized and coloured pastel pink and yellow. A famous sweet in the U.K., rhubarb and custard sweets are delicious.
7. Haribo Jelly Beans
Next on our list of top pick-and-mix candies are jelly beans. Jelly beans are by far one of the most fun sweets at a pick-and-mix offering. Multi-coloured, bean-shaped, and sugary, everyone loves these jelly favourites.
The great thing about jelly beans is that you can get so many different flavours in just a handful. From lime to marshmallow and cola, be sure to add a big, ol’ scoop of jelly beans to your pick-and-mix!
8. Strawberry Bonbons
Bonbons originate from France, and ‘bon’ literally translates to ‘good, ‘ which is what bonbons certainly are. These bite-sized sweets were brought to the U.K. in the 19th century and have been popular ever since.
Our strawberry bonbons are a lovely addition to any pick-and-mix bag. Their light pink colour makes them instantly appealing, and their sweet strawberry flavour adds even more appeal.
9. Psycho Mice
Pyscho mice are one of our more peculiar, popular pick-and-mix options. These sweets gained their name from their fun colouring, which combines pink, yellow, and blue. Psychedelic mouse sweets are a great addition to any Halloween sweets bag and are equally yummy as they are fun.
These gummy mice are soft chewy, and combine various flavours to give them a unique vibe that no other sweet has!
10. Chocolate Jazzies
Finally our jazzies, if you’re looking for a pick-and-mix sweet that gives you great value for money, look no further than ‘chocolate jazzies’. These disc-shaped, chocolate sweets are an oldie but a goldie. They have been around for many years.
These chocolates are covered in multi-coloured hundreds and thousands to add to their retro appeal even more.